Sidse Babett Knudsen

Sidse Babett Knudsen was an internationally renowned Danish actress who was best known for her stately portrayal of a fictional Danish prime minister on the hit TV series "Borgen" (DR1, 2010-13). Born and raised in a well-to-do family in Copenhagen, Knudsen grew up with a burning desire to act. Determined to make good on her goal, Knudsen left home at 18 and moved to Paris where she enrolled in acting school. The young actress stayed in the cosmopolitan city for the next six years, landing small parts in numerous plays, while supporting herself through menial odd jobs. When she arrived back in Denmark in the early '90s, Knudsen started performing in experimental plays in and around Copenhagen. One of these performances eventually caught the eye of director Jonas Elmer, who wanted to cast her in his new improvisational comedy "Let's Get Lost" (1997). At first, Knudsen declined the offer, thinking her skills as an improviser were scant at best, but eventually relented and signed on as one of the leads. Her performance in the film proved to be momentous, as "Let's Get Lost" instantly went on to become one of the most successful movies of the year. From there the offers began to pour in, and over the next several years Knudsen appeared in over a dozen films, most notably the widely-successful romantic comedy "Den eneste ene" (1999). Then in the late 2000s Knudsen received an offer to play a fictional Danish Prime Minister on an upcoming TV series. She accepted the role, and when "Borgen" debuted on Danish television in 2010 the show quickly became an international hit, due largely to Knudsen's noteworthy performance. Knudsen returned to movies in 2014 by starring in the erotic drama "The Duke of Burgundy." That film, directed by Peter Strickland, premiered to strong reviews at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.