Mads Mikkelsen Not Interested In ‘Cutie Pie’ Roles Because He Prefers To Play ‘Losers’
The opening scene of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” takes fans back to the 1940s as an aging Harrison Ford confronts Nazi scientist Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) in the aftermath of World War II. Soon after, the film fast-forwards several decades and shows Voller still clinging to the past haunted by defeating Hitler.
The wicked underdog is the type of character Mikkelsen has become synonymous with in recent years, and the actor is well aware of his reputation for playing seedy figures. In a new interview with GQMikkelsen explained that he’s always been very comfortable playing unusual and sinister characters.
“Combining it — making something real and also being a cute cake — I just don’t find that really appealing,” Mikkelsen said. “I don’t like ‘hair falling in your eyes, be nice in the corner.’ Not me. Losers are fun. Because we know them. You may have been in that situation at times too.”
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Mikkelsen added that his string of wicked turns in hit franchises like ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’ gives him the creative freedom to take on more adventurous international projects.
“If there’s nothing else, I definitely will, because it’s fun,” she said. “And then I can do what I want in Europe.”
Mikkelsen’s remarks echo similar comments she made in a 2021 interview with IndieWire’s Anne Thompson. The actor has said he’d eventually like to branch out and play more non-villains, but he still enjoys playing iconic franchise villains.
“I’m playing misunderstood people,” she said. “I’ve had some non-evil American roles that tend to be the bad guys; I made an American film called ‘Arctic’. He’s not a bad guy, so I’m grateful for that. Maybe times will change a bit and people will look at some more of the Danish stuff. Maybe they’ll accept a weird accent for a common man character. If not, I’m happy with what I’m doing. I’m happy to have been invited to some great franchises, like Bond, Marvel and Indiana Jones. It’s a luxury, so if that’s what I’m in for, I’ll accept it any day. If they want me to do something else, I’ll try!