Mikael Åke Persbrandt, born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the Beck series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Award-winning feature, In a Better World, directed by Susanne Bier. His performance earned him a 2011 European Film Award nomination for Best Actor. Other parts include the role of Carl Hamilton from the novels by Jan Guillou, Beorn in The Hobbit, as well as Jakob Nyman in the English TV series Sex Education.
He has performed onstage with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm and in numerous film and TV roles. Persbrandt is well known for his role as the hardboiled police inspector Gunvald Larsson, in the Beck series of films. He won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a leading role twice, the first in 2009 for Everlasting Moments and the second in 2014 for Nobody Owns Me. In 2015, Persbrandt reported that he would quit starring in his popular role of Gunvald Larsson. In 2019, Persbrandt began playing Jakob Nyman in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education. He was a leading actor in the film The Salvation.
Known For
Mauri och Morberg - på en liten resa
Self · (6 episodes)
2025
Odyssey
Mysterious Viking
2025
Kidnapping
Markus · (8 episodes)
2025
Beck - bakom kulisserna
Gunvald Larsson (archive footage)
2024
Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace
Dag Hammarskjöld
2023
Reindeer Mafia
Stagge · (8 episodes)
2023
Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus
Self / Helmer Jr
2022
Till Sun Rises
Peder
2021
The Unlikely Murderer
Hans Holmér · (5 episodes)
2021
Foundation
The Mule · (4 episodes)
2021
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Victor Karlosson
2020
Expeditionen
Self · (8 episodes)
2019
Carl och spelreklamshelvetet
Self (archive footage)
2019
Invisible Heroes
Harald Edelstam · (6 episodes)
2019
Sex Education
Jakob Nyman · (20 episodes)
2019
X&Y
The Famous Actor
2018
The Girl in the Spider's Web
Alexander Zalachenko
2018
Bergman: A Year in a Life
Self
2018
The Cake General
Hasse P
2018
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Greybeard
2017
Tillsammans med Strömstedts
Himself · (1 episode)
2017
The Siege of Jadotville
Dag Hammarskjold
2016
Alone in Berlin
Prall
2016
Vänligen: Lars Lerin
Self · (1 episode)
2016
Sjöwall & Wahlöö - Berättelsen om ett brott
Self (archive footage)
2016
Beck 31 - Gunvald
Gunvald Larsson
2016
Beck 30 - The Hospital Murders
Gunvald Larsson
2015
Beck 29 - Invasion
Gunvald Larsson
2015
Beck 28 - The Family
Gunvald Larsson
2015
Beck 27 - Room 302
Gunvald Larsson
2015
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Beorn
2014
The Salvation
Peter Jensen
2014
Someone You Love
Thomas Jacob
2014
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Beorn
2013
Nobody Owns Me
Hasse
2013
The Hypnotist
Erik Maria Bark
2012
Hamilton 2: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter
Carl Hamilton
2012
Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation
Carl Hamilton
2012
Somewhere Else
Stefan
2011
Stockholm East
Johan
2011
In a Better World
Anton
2010
Beck 26 - Buried Alive
Gunvald Larsson
2010
Beck 25 - The Eye of the Storm
Gunvald Larsson
2009
Söndagsparty med Filip & Fredrik
(1 episode)
2009
Everlasting Moments
Sigfrid Larsson
2008
Innocently Convicted
(24 episodes)
2008
Heaven's Heart
Lars
2008
The Kautokeino Rebellion
Carl Johan Ruth
2008
Kaotokeino-opprøret (TV-serien)
Carl Johan Ruth · (3 episodes)
2008
Beck 24 - In the Name of God
Gunvald Larsson
2007
Solstorm
Tomas Söderberg
2007
The 7 Deadly Sins
Himself · (1 episode)
2007
Beck 23 - The Silent Scream
Gunvald Larsson
2007
One Eye Red
Mikael Persbrandt
2007
Wonderful and Loved by All
Mikael Persbrandt
2007
Beck 22 - The Weak Link
Gunvald Larsson
2007
Beck 21 - The Japanese Painting
Gunvald Larsson
2007
Gangster
Thomas
2007
Beck 20 - The Lawyer
Gunvald Larsson
2007
Beck 19 - The Vulture
Gunvald Larsson
2007
Beck 18 - The Girl in the Root Cellar
Gunvald Larsson
2006
One Way
Tomas Gaal
2006
No Tears
Lars
2006
Search
Björn
2006
Beck 17 - The Scorpion
Gunvald Larsson
2006
The Lovelife of a Fat Thief
Priest
2006
Ett herrans liv
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Miss Julie: 100 Years in the Limelight
2006
Lovisa och Carl Michael
Westman
2005
Bang Bang Orangutang
Åke
2005
Medicinmannen
Martin Holst · (8 episodes)
2005
Double Shift
Jocke
2005
Den starkare
X
2004
Day and Night
Thomas
2004
Three Suns
Ulf
2004
Playing with Fire
Axel
2004
At Point Blank
Frank
2003
Gunnar Govin - en man, en röst, en resa
Kurt
2003
Now
Adam (young)
2003
Everyone Loves Alice
Johan
2002
Beck 16 - The Last Witness
Gunvald Larsson
2002
Beck 15 - The Boy in the Glass Ball
Gunvald Larsson
2002
Beck 14 - The Advertising Man
Gunvald Larsson
2002
Beck 13 - Sender Unknown
Gunvald Larsson
2002
Beck 12 - The Loner
Gunvald Larsson
2002
Beck 11 - The Cartel
Gunvald Larsson
2001
Beck 10 - The Man Without a Face
Gunvald Larsson
2001
Dragonflies
Kullman
2001
Beck 09 - The Price of Vengeance
Gunvald Larsson
2001
Gossip
Åke Frigårdh
2000
Beck
Gunvald Larsson · (34 episodes)
1999
Adult Behaviour… It's All in the Mind
Georg
1999
Deadly Drift
Andreas Persson
1999
Fatimas tredje hemlighet
The paramedic
1999
Hela härligheten
Glenn
1998
Beck 08 - Trails in Darkness
Gunvald Larsson
1998
Beck 07 - The Money Man
Gunvald Larsson
1998
Beck 06 - The Monster
Gunvald Larsson
1998
102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger
Reader (voice)
1998
Beck 05 - The Boarding House Pearl
Gunvald Larsson
1998
Beck 04 - Eye for an Eye
Gunvald Larsson
1998
The Last Contract
Roger Nyman
1998
Beck 03 - White Nights
Gunvald Larsson
1998
Beck - The Man with the Icons
Gunvald Larsson
1997
Beneath the Surface
Roffe
1997
Beck 01 - The Decoy Boy
Gunvald Larsson
1997
Nature's Warrior
Hjorth
1997
9 millimeter
Konstantin
1997
Ellinors bröllop
C-O
1996
Anna Holt
Jocke · (6 episodes)
1996
Between Summers
Peter
1995
The Kingdom
Helmer Jr. · (5 episodes)
1994
Svensson, Svensson
(1 episode)
1994
Anna Holt - Den vite riddaren
Hellman · (4 episodes)
1994
Cop Killer
Police 1
1994
Rederiet
Ola Simonsson · (30 episodes)
1992
Enemy's Enemy
Vanchaufför · (8 episodes)
1990
Nigger
Svante
1990