Olaf Heine Johannessen (born 1961), is a highly acclaimed Faroese actor known for his versatile acting skills and remarkable performances. Born on 8 July 1961 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Olaf grew up in a family of actors with both his father, Eyðun Johannessen, and mother, Tove Johannessen born Jacobsen, being prominent figures in the Faroese theater scene. He studied at the Danish National School of Theatre in Odense and began his acting career in Aarhus Theatre. He later became a member of the ensemble at the Royal Danish Theatre. He has played a variety of roles, including the lead roles in "Hamlet" , "Faust" , “Mephisto” and “Puntila” among others. He is considered to be one of the most prominent actors in the Nordic countries, and has received critical acclaim for his performances on stage and on screen, including the Reumert Prize, Denmark's most prestigious award for theater, for his leading roles in "Puntilla," "Mephisto," and "Det store stilhæfte." He also won the Robert Prize for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Kristian Kamper in the “Killing" and was nominated for “Der Faust”, the prestigious German theater award, for his performance as Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt at Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in Düsseldorf.Johannessen has worked with numerous theater companies on the Faroe Islands in Denmark and in Europe. Johannessen is also known for his work as a voice actor, having lent his voice to numerous productions. In addition to his acting work, he is a co-founder of the theater group Leikhús Skift, which he founded and runs with his wife, Marita Dalsgaard. Johannessen continues to be an active participant in the Faroese cultural scene, and he remains committed to promoting Faroese theater both at home and abroad. His talent, dedication, and passion have made him one of the most respected and beloved figures in Faroese culture, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists for years to come. He was awarded the prestigious cultural prize of the Faroe Islands in 2021 for his outstanding contribution to the arts. And was appointed the Knight’s Cross 1.degree of the Order of Dannebrog in 2020.

Theatre roles in selection

Filmography

Awards and recognition

* 2004: Olaf Poulsens Mindelegat * 2009: Poul Reumerts Mindelegat * 2010:

Lauritzen Award The Lauritzen Award ( da, Lauritzen-prisen) is a Danish film award which is handed every year to a female and a male Danish actor once a year by the Lauritzen Fonden. The prize is currently 250,000 DDK to each recipient since 2010. The prize was e ...

* 2013:

Robert Award The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...

for best male supporting role in TV-series * 2013: ''

Der Faust ''Der Faust'', officially ''Deutscher Theaterpreis Der Faust'', is a German theatre prize, a national prize from 2006. It is awarded annually by the organizations Deutscher Bühnenverein, , Deutsche Akademie der Darstellenden Künste and the stat ...

'' (category actor in play) - nominated as the best actor * 2013: Nominated to the Teaterpokalen * 3 December 2013:

Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known ...

* 2014: Received the Ole Haslunds kunstnerlegat * 2014: Received the Teaterpokalen * 2014: Elected as ''Årets skuespiller'' (Best Danish male actor of the year) by Berlingske. * 2015: Received the Reumert prize for best leading role (male) in ''Samtale før døden'' and ''Mefisto'',

Betty Nansen Teatret Betty Nansen Teatret (Betty Nansen Theatre) is a theatre situated on Frederiksberg Allé in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from the actress Betty Nansen, who managed it from 1917 until her death in 1943. Histo ...

, and ''Heksejagt'',

Det Kongelige Teater The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first ser ...

* 2016: Received the Reumert prize for best leading role (male) in ''Puntila'', Det Kongelige Teater.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johannessen, Olaf Danish male stage actors Faroese male actors Danish male actors 20th-century Danish male actors 21st-century Danish male actors People from Tórshavn 1961 births Living people