Christopher Heyerdahl

Christopher Heyerdahl was a Canadian actor best known for playing The Swede on AMC's "Hell on Wheels" (2011-16) and for his roles in The Twilight Saga and sci-fi series "Stargate: Atlantis" (Sci Fi, 2004-09). A native Canadian from British Columbia, he was born on September 18, 1963. One of the earliest roles he landed was on an episode of the popular police procedural series "21 Jump Street" (Fox, 1987-1991), which was filmed in Vancouver. Heyerdahl's classic Scandinavian looks and gaunt features were ideal for supernatural or fantasy roles, such as Nosferatu in an episode of the children's horror television series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" (SNICK, 1990-96). After years of landing small roles in various television shows and films, Heyerdahl became popular among science fiction fans when he joined the Stargate Universe. He first made a guest appearance in a "Stargate SG-1" (Showtime/SyFy, 1997-2001) episode titled "Revisions" before he made recurring appearances as Todd the Wraith, and later Halling, in "Stargate: Atlantis." In 2011 and 2012, Heyerdahl appeared in his highest profile movie yet playing Marcus, a high ranking vampire of the coven called The Volturi, in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2." That same year, he was seen playing another authoritative figure in AMC's gritty Western series "Hell on Wheels" as Thor Gunderson, a.k.a The Swede, the main enforcer for the Union Pacific Railroad.