How Mads Mikkelsen Achieved a Net Worth of $14 Million
Mads Mikkelsen is a Danish actor. Before he became an actor, he was a gymnast in his teenage years. Later, he developed an interest in dancing and became a dancer for a while. Finally, in 1996, he studied drama at the Aarhus Theatre School in Denmark. After studying acting, he was able to land several film roles. Mads is wealthy thanks to his movies, but he has also appeared in advertisements. To understand how he achieved his current net worth, we will highlight some movies that made his career and also other ventures that paid him. Without further ado, below are the ways he used to achieve his wealth.
Movie Roles
Pusher (1996)
The thespian rose to fame in Denmark when he appeared in this film. In this movie, he played a drug dealer. This movie is about a drug dealer who loses a lot of money through a drug deal gone wrong. As a result, the drug dealer has to do what he can to raise the money. This film was not only successful in Denmark but also internationally. The film went on to spawn two more sequels, but it had nothing to do with the film’s success. According to DBpedia, the sequels were produced due to financial difficulties.
Casino Royale (2006)
Here is yet another film that made Mads receive worldwide recognition. In the James Bond film, he plays Le Chiffre, a man who finances terrorist organizations. Initially, Mads was not considered for the role. According to Praguer Reporter, Le Chiffre was supposed to be portrayed by a French actor. A French actor was found for the part, but he dropped out. This forced producers to scramble for an actor. Luckily, Mads happened to be near the producers. By this time, the producers knew how successful the actor had been in previous roles. As a result, he was cast for the role.
Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Mads had some huge shoes to fill when he took on the role of Gellert Grindelwald. That meant he had to replace Johnny Depp. However, in the film, he managed to bring some uniqueness to this character. In an interview, he revealed that he would not try to copy Johnny. Today, some people appreciate Mads’ take on the character. He made less money in this film, but it is still a lot for the middle class. According to Daily News Catcher, he was paid $1 million for his role.
Awards
The Hunt (2012)
Mads plays Lucas, a kindergarten teacher who takes great care of his students. Lucas’ life changes when Klara, one of the students, conjures up a lie about him. As a result, he becomes a pariah. He, therefore, does what he can to prove that he is innocent. Mads bagged the “Best Actor Award” for his role at the Cannes Film Festival.
He Was Voted as the Danish American Society’s Person of the Year in 2012
The Danish American Society is a non-profit organization that aims to promote friendship and understanding between the Danish and Americans. It has always awarded individuals for their achievements and contributions to the Danish community. The actor received this accomplishment following his success in Casino Royale and winning the “Best Actor Award” at the Cannes Film Festival.
He Won the 2019 Game Award for Best Performance in Death Stranding
In the video game, he voiced a character called Clifford Unger. Clifford is the game’s secondary antagonist. He is generally considered a complex villain. In this game, you first think of him as kind since he seems willing to do anything for his wife and child. As the game progresses, you begin to see his cold and violent temperaments. Mads was able to make this villain complex through his voice acting, and it is no surprise that he was awarded for the performance.
Advertising
Le Fantome (2016)
Le Fantome is an eight-minute film that is technically a Ford Edge advertisement. In this short film, Mads plays an assassin who is hired to kill a couple who are state witnesses in hiding. After he tracks the couple, he becomes so enthralled by their orange Ford Edge car that he refuses to kill them. Instead, he decides to protect them from another assassin who was also hired to kill them.
Carlsberg 0.0 (2021)
Carlsberg 0.0 is an alcohol-free beer. Mads describes the advantages of the beer as he cycles through the streets of Copenhagen. Some of the benefits of the beer he describes are finishing a game of tennis, parking an aircraft in space, and performing a clean one-handed backhand.
Carlsberg’s Other Advertisement (2022)
This commercial is unique since it does not focus on how the beer tastes. Instead, it lists the accomplishments of Carlsberg over the years. In this advertisement, Mads walks into various Carlsberg Foundations as he details what the company does besides making beer. For instance, the actor mentions that 30% of its dividends go towards space exploration, science, and the arts.
Music Videos
B**** Better Have My Money- Rihanna (2015)
In an interview, Mads revealed that he received a call from an agent who asked him whether he was interested in appearing in Rihanna’s music video. At the time, he had not heard of Rihanna. He decided to ask his child whether he knew who she was, and his son could not contain his excitement. That was when the actor knew she was a big deal. Initially, his son expressed interest in accompanying him to Rihanna’s set, but the actor refused, citing that he had a huge crush on the musician and it would make things awkward.
Conclusion
Much of the actor’s wealth comes from movies and awards. Thanks to his fame from his films, he was able to appear in commercials and a music video. It is hard to predict what would have happened had he stuck with dancing, but shifting to acting was a great move. This listicle is not exhaustive since he has appeared in several films. However, these are the films we felt made him rich or changed his career. If you want to be as rich as him, you could consider attending drama school.
