Bjørn Floberg
Encyclopedia
Bjørn Floberg is a Norwegian
actor of film
, television
, and theatre
. He is particularly noted for playing unsympathetic authority figures, but he has also had success playing other types of roles.
(The Norwegian Theatre) in 1972, appearing in such plays as The Caretaker
, When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
, Long Day's Journey into Night
, and Saint Joan of the Stockyards
. Particularly notable roles include Molière
in Mikhail Bulgakov
's The Cabal of Hypocrites, the title role
in Volpone
, and Jean in Miss Julie
. In recent years he has played various roles at Nationaltheatret
, including Devlin in Ashes to Ashes
and Professor Kroll in Rosmersholm
. Floberg is particularly fond of Harold Pinter
. In an interview with Aftenposten
, he said: "[Pinter's] texts are like butter in my mouth", and added that Pinter's plays are distinguished by "character disintegration". On different occasions Floberg has played both the title role
and the role of Henry Bolingbroke in Shakespeare
's play Richard II
.
film depicting Norway
after a severe economic crisis. The film was directed by Laila Mikkelsen and written by Knut Faldbakken
. In the 70's and 80's he appeared in several Norwegian films, playing alongside such actors as Sossen Krohg, Lars Andreas Larssen, Carsten Byhring
, Frøydis Armand
and Geir Børresen. In 1990 he played "The Father" in the Amanda Award-winning Norwegian film Herman, based on Lars Saabye Christensen
's novel. According to the New York Times, "As Herman's parents, Elisabeth Sand and Bjorn Floberg generate a mixture of love and concern that would be appropriate for any character of Herman's tender age". The film was directed by Erik Gustavson.
Floberg's breakthrough came when he played the title role in Telegrafisten (1993), another film directed by Gustavson, loosely based on Knut Hamsun
's novel Sværmere. Floberg plays Ove Rolandsen, a telegraph operator and inventor, in a small coastal village in northern Norway, around the turn of the 19th century. The film was a success, with Floberg's performance being described as "glowing". In 1997 he appeared in the Norwegian
crime film
Insomnia
, playing the antagonist
Jon Holt, a famous author who claims to have had a close relationship to the murder victim. The film was generally well received. One reviewer rated the performances as "top notch", with Floberg being "effective as a mysterious figure Engstrom encounters during his investigation". The film was later remade by Christopher Nolan
, starring Al Pacino
, with Robin Williams
playing Floberg's character.
In the 1999 Swedish
film Dykaren, Floberg played the role of Claes, one of two fishermen who rescues Polish
Irena, played by Izabella Scorupco
, from the water. The two fishermen later gets in trouble, as it turns out that Irena is being chased by members of the russian mafia
. This was the fifth time Floberg played in a film directed by Erik Gustavson, who praised him: "[Floberg] is my Robert De Niro. Our fifth film together. It has always gone well". Floberg, on the other hand, dryly commented: "Yes, I got a phone call [from Gustavson] this time too". In an interview with Verdens Gang
, he elaborated on his relationship with Gustavson: "We have a really good understanding. We talk a lot in codes, and save a lot of time. Besides, I really like the way Erik works". Floberg also expressed his satisfaction with playing a "good guy" for once, humorously acknowledging that he is probably considered Norway
's "number one movie-psycho". Co-star Scorupco
, on the other hand, characterized Floberg as charming, and "easy to fall in love with". In Misery Harbour, a Scandinavia
n/Canadian collaboration from the same year, Floberg returned to playing a negative character. He received critical acclaim for his depiction of the arrogant literary critic Johan Hoeg, being described as "brilliant", and "taking on the role (...) with razor-sharp spitefulness".
-Norwegian
-Danish
film I Am Dina
. With a budget of 141 million NOK
, this was one of Norway
's largest productions ever, and Scandinavia
's most expensive movie at the time. The film was based on the novel Dinas Bok by Herbjørg Wassmo
, and starred Maria Bonnevie
as Dina and Gerard Depardieu
as Dina's husband Jakob. Floberg plays a key role as Dina's father. Floberg initially expressed his high expectations for the movie, but it ended up doing very poorly, being described as an "economic disaster". Floberg's performance received mostly negative reviews. Jon Selås of Verdens Gang
described his role as "one-dimensional", while others criticized him for speaking English
with a heavy Norwegian
accent. After I am Dina, Floberg appeared in Salmer fra kjøkkenet, a comedy
/ drama
directed by Bent Hamer
, starring Joachim Calmeyer as the grumpy old bachelor Isak. Floberg plays Grant, Isak's neighbour. He becomes increasingly jealous as Isak finds a new friend in Folke, an observer from the "Swedish Home Research Institute". The film did well, receiving an Amanda Award for Best Film. It was also Norway
's 2003 entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. Floberg received generally positive notices for his performance in an atypical role.
The 2003 Norwegian horror film
Villmark
was Floberg's next movie. In it, he plays Gunnar, the abrasive, condescending leader of a small production company
. To prepare his young team for their next production, a reality series
, he takes them all to spend the weekend in an isolated cabin in the forest without food or cell phones
. Soon mysterious things begin to happen, as the team discovers an abandoned encampment, and eventually the body of a woman, by a nearby lake. Despite this, Gunnar remains adamant that the team should stay the entire weekend. With a budget of only 8 million NOK
, the film was considered a huge success. It was seen by almost 150000 people in the theatres. Reviewers were generally positive regarding Floberg's performance. Critic Birger Vestmo of NRK complimented Floberg for his frightening unpredictability, while Twitch's reviewer Collin Armstrong noted that: "Floberg in particular really impressed, switching Gunnar’s passive aggressive nature on and off with ease".
Floberg returned to the big screen in Uno
(2004), a drama
set in a shady gym
in Oslo
. Floberg plays a trademark role as the authoritarian, small-time criminal gym owner Jarle. The film was directed by Aksel Hennie
who also played the leading role. The film was a critical success. Verdens Gang
and Dagbladet
both rated it 5 out of 6, while Birger Vestmo of NRK gave it 6/6. Floberg received positive nods from most reviewers, his performance being described as "highly adept", and "frighteningly ice cold". Per Haddal of Aftenposten
called it his best performance since his breakthrough in Telegrafisten.
thriller Uro
, directed by Stefan Faldbakken
. The film starred Nicolai Cleve Broch
and Ane Dahl Torp
, who were both nominated for Amanda Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The critical reception was overall good. Veteran critic Pål Bang-Hansen
, who saw the film at Cannes Film Festival
, enthusiastically exclaimed: "Bjørn Floberg is the foremost villain of Norwegian film. In this film he is more of an asshole than ever". Dagbladet
s Inger Bentzrud commended the actors, but noted that all of Cleve Broch, Floberg, and Ahmed Zeyan played similar roles in Uno. One particularly negative review came from Bergens Tidende
, who gave the film a 2/6 rating, highlighting Floberg's performance as one of the few positive points.
Following Uro, Floberg starred opposite Trond Espen Seim
in Bitre Blomster
(2007). This was the first in a series of films
based on Gunnar Staalesen
's crime novels
. As chief inspector Jakob Hamre, he serves as a foil
for shabby private investigator Varg Veum
(Seim). The film received mixed reviews, although most reviewers agreed that the two leads, particularly Seim, delivered good performances. Initially, a total of six films were produced, four of them intended for direct-to-video
release. The second theatrically released film in the series was Falne Engler (2008), directed by Morten Tyldum
, with Floberg and Seim reprising their roles as Veum and Hamre. The film was very well received, and shortly after the premiere, the producers announced that an additional six films based on Staalesen's Varg Veum
character would be made. Bjørn Floberg expressed his satisfaction with the films: "[The producers and directors] have set a new standard for this genre, and I would like to be a part of the continued development of the [Varg Veum] universe, together with the script writers, and not least Trond Espen, with whom I've had a very good cooperation". Production of the new films were scheduled to begin in August 2009. In 2010 he played alongside Stellan Skarsgård
in the Norwegian black comedy
A Somewhat Gentle Man
.
In 2011, Floberg received the Committee's Honorary Amanda Award
during the annual ceremony at the Norwegian International Film Festival
in Haugesund
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
actor of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. He is particularly noted for playing unsympathetic authority figures, but he has also had success playing other types of roles.
Theatre
Floberg joined Det Norske TeatretDet Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 1913, touring with two plays, Ervingen by Ivar Aasen and Rationelt Fjøsstell by Hulda Garborg...
(The Norwegian Theatre) in 1972, appearing in such plays as The Caretaker
The Caretaker
The Caretaker is a play by Harold Pinter. It was first published by both Encore Publishing and Eyre Methuen in 1960. The sixth play that Pinter wrote for stage or television production, it was his first significant commercial success...
, When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? is a play by Mark Medoff.The setting is Foster's Diner, a New Mexico rest stop that lost most of its clientele when a new highway bypass opened. Employees include restless cook Stephen , mousy waitress Angel, and their no-nonsense boss Clark...
, Long Day's Journey into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1956 drama in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play is widely considered to be his masterwork...
, and Saint Joan of the Stockyards
Saint Joan of the Stockyards
Saint Joan of the Stockyards is a play written by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht between 1929 and 1931, after the success of his musical The Threepenny Opera and during the period of his radical experimental work with the Lehrstücke. It is based on the musical that he co-authored...
. Particularly notable roles include Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
in Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
's The Cabal of Hypocrites, the title role
Title role
The title role in the performing arts is the performance part that gives the title to the piece, as in Aida, Giselle, Michael Collins or Othello. The actor, singer or dancer who performs that part is also said to have the title role....
in Volpone
Volpone
Volpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
, and Jean in Miss Julie
Miss Julie
Miss Julie is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg dealing with class, love, lust, the battle of the sexes, and the interaction among them...
. In recent years he has played various roles at Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
, including Devlin in Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (play)
Ashes to Ashes is a 1996 play by English playwright Harold Pinter. It was first performed, in Dutch, by Toneelgroep Amsterdam, the Netherlands' largest repertory company, in Amsterdam, as part of its 1996–1997 season, and directed by Titus Muizelaar, who reprised his production, in Dutch with...
and Professor Kroll in Rosmersholm
Rosmersholm
Rosmersholm is a play written in 1886 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. In the estimation of many critics the piece is Ibsen's masterwork, only equalled by The Wild Duck of 1884...
. Floberg is particularly fond of Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
. In an interview with Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
, he said: "[Pinter's] texts are like butter in my mouth", and added that Pinter's plays are distinguished by "character disintegration". On different occasions Floberg has played both the title role
Title role
The title role in the performing arts is the performance part that gives the title to the piece, as in Aida, Giselle, Michael Collins or Othello. The actor, singer or dancer who performs that part is also said to have the title role....
and the role of Henry Bolingbroke in Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Richard II
Richard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
.
Early film career
Floberg made his film debut in 1976, in Oss, a science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film depicting Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
after a severe economic crisis. The film was directed by Laila Mikkelsen and written by Knut Faldbakken
Knut Faldbakken
-Biography:Faldbakken studied psychology at Oslo University, and then worked as a journalist. He visited a number of countries, working variously as a bookkeeper, sailor, and factory worker, and began writing books in 1967 while living in Paris....
. In the 70's and 80's he appeared in several Norwegian films, playing alongside such actors as Sossen Krohg, Lars Andreas Larssen, Carsten Byhring
Carsten Byhring
Carsten Byhring was a Norwegian actor. Probably best known for playing Kjell in the Olsenbanden-movies. He is the brother of actor Svein Byhring.He died from cancer in Oslo at the age of 71, in 1990.-Selected filmography:...
, Frøydis Armand
Frøydis Armand
Frøydis Armand is a Norwegian actress. She is the daughter of actor Eilif Armand, and sister of Merete Armand and Gisken Armand, both actresses. She has been working at Nationaltheatret since 1972, acting in plays such as Henrik Ibsen's Little Eyolf, and Shakespeares Othello...
and Geir Børresen. In 1990 he played "The Father" in the Amanda Award-winning Norwegian film Herman, based on Lars Saabye Christensen
Lars Saabye Christensen
Lars Saabye Christensen, born 21 September 1953 in Oslo, is a Norwegian author.Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland in northern Norway; both places play a major role in his work...
's novel. According to the New York Times, "As Herman's parents, Elisabeth Sand and Bjorn Floberg generate a mixture of love and concern that would be appropriate for any character of Herman's tender age". The film was directed by Erik Gustavson.
Floberg's breakthrough came when he played the title role in Telegrafisten (1993), another film directed by Gustavson, loosely based on Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
's novel Sværmere. Floberg plays Ove Rolandsen, a telegraph operator and inventor, in a small coastal village in northern Norway, around the turn of the 19th century. The film was a success, with Floberg's performance being described as "glowing". In 1997 he appeared in the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
Insomnia
Insomnia (1997 film)
Insomnia is a 1997 Norwegian thriller film about a police detective investigating a murder in a town located above the Arctic Circle. The investigation goes horribly wrong when he mistakenly shoots his partner and subsequently attempts to cover up his bungle...
, playing the antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
Jon Holt, a famous author who claims to have had a close relationship to the murder victim. The film was generally well received. One reviewer rated the performances as "top notch", with Floberg being "effective as a mysterious figure Engstrom encounters during his investigation". The film was later remade by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
, starring Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
, with Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
playing Floberg's character.
In the 1999 Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
film Dykaren, Floberg played the role of Claes, one of two fishermen who rescues Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Irena, played by Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco is a Polish-Swedish actress and model, best known for her portrayal of Bond girl Natalya Simonova in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye.- Biography :...
, from the water. The two fishermen later gets in trouble, as it turns out that Irena is being chased by members of the russian mafia
Russian Mafia
The Russian Mafia is a name applied to organized crime syndicates in Russia and Ukraine. The mafia in various countries take the name of the country, as for example the Ukrainian mafia....
. This was the fifth time Floberg played in a film directed by Erik Gustavson, who praised him: "[Floberg] is my Robert De Niro. Our fifth film together. It has always gone well". Floberg, on the other hand, dryly commented: "Yes, I got a phone call [from Gustavson] this time too". In an interview with Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
, he elaborated on his relationship with Gustavson: "We have a really good understanding. We talk a lot in codes, and save a lot of time. Besides, I really like the way Erik works". Floberg also expressed his satisfaction with playing a "good guy" for once, humorously acknowledging that he is probably considered Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's "number one movie-psycho". Co-star Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco is a Polish-Swedish actress and model, best known for her portrayal of Bond girl Natalya Simonova in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye.- Biography :...
, on the other hand, characterized Floberg as charming, and "easy to fall in love with". In Misery Harbour, a Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n/Canadian collaboration from the same year, Floberg returned to playing a negative character. He received critical acclaim for his depiction of the arrogant literary critic Johan Hoeg, being described as "brilliant", and "taking on the role (...) with razor-sharp spitefulness".
2000–2006
Floberg's next major role was the father of Dina in the 2002 SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
film I Am Dina
I Am Dina
I Am Dina is a 2002 Swedish-Norwegian-Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book Dinas bok by Herbjørg Wassmo. The movie was one of the most high-profile in Norwegian movie history.-Plot:...
. With a budget of 141 million NOK
NOK
NOK or Nok may refer to:*Kiel Canal *Norwegian krone, NOK is the ISO 4217 code and is used as an abbreviation for the currency.*NYSE stock ticker for Nokia Corporation, based in Finland...
, this was one of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's largest productions ever, and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
's most expensive movie at the time. The film was based on the novel Dinas Bok by Herbjørg Wassmo
Herbjørg Wassmo
Herbjørg Wassmo is a Norwegian author. She worked as a teacher in northern Norway until her debut as an author. Her debut work was a collection of poems, "Vingeslag"...
, and starred Maria Bonnevie
Maria Bonnevie
Anna Maria Cecilia Bonnevie is a Norwegian-Swedish actress. She was born in Västerås, Sweden, but she grew up in Oslo, Norway. Her parents, both actors, are the Norwegian actress Jannik Bonnevie and Swedish actor Per Waldvik...
as Dina and Gerard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
as Dina's husband Jakob. Floberg plays a key role as Dina's father. Floberg initially expressed his high expectations for the movie, but it ended up doing very poorly, being described as an "economic disaster". Floberg's performance received mostly negative reviews. Jon Selås of Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
described his role as "one-dimensional", while others criticized him for speaking English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with a heavy Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
accent. After I am Dina, Floberg appeared in Salmer fra kjøkkenet, a comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
/ drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Bent Hamer
Bent Hamer
Bent Hamer is a film director, writer and producer, born in Sandefjord, Norway in 1956.-Biography:Hamer studied film theory and literature at the University of Stockholm and the Stockholm Film School. In addition to his feature films, he has written and directed a number of short films and...
, starring Joachim Calmeyer as the grumpy old bachelor Isak. Floberg plays Grant, Isak's neighbour. He becomes increasingly jealous as Isak finds a new friend in Folke, an observer from the "Swedish Home Research Institute". The film did well, receiving an Amanda Award for Best Film. It was also Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's 2003 entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. Floberg received generally positive notices for his performance in an atypical role.
The 2003 Norwegian horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Villmark
Villmark
Villmark is a Norwegian thriller/horror film that first premiered in 2003. It was nominated for an Amanda award in the categories of best film and best actor...
was Floberg's next movie. In it, he plays Gunnar, the abrasive, condescending leader of a small production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
. To prepare his young team for their next production, a reality series
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, he takes them all to spend the weekend in an isolated cabin in the forest without food or cell phones
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
. Soon mysterious things begin to happen, as the team discovers an abandoned encampment, and eventually the body of a woman, by a nearby lake. Despite this, Gunnar remains adamant that the team should stay the entire weekend. With a budget of only 8 million NOK
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
, the film was considered a huge success. It was seen by almost 150000 people in the theatres. Reviewers were generally positive regarding Floberg's performance. Critic Birger Vestmo of NRK complimented Floberg for his frightening unpredictability, while Twitch's reviewer Collin Armstrong noted that: "Floberg in particular really impressed, switching Gunnar’s passive aggressive nature on and off with ease".
Floberg returned to the big screen in Uno
Uno (film)
Uno is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Aksel Hennie, who also stars in the film. The film was hailed by critics, and won Hennie an Amanda Award for Best Director.-Plot:...
(2004), a drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
set in a shady gym
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Floberg plays a trademark role as the authoritarian, small-time criminal gym owner Jarle. The film was directed by Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie is a Norwegian actor, director and writer. He has acted in a number of successful Norwegian movies, and has received several awards....
who also played the leading role. The film was a critical success. Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
and Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
both rated it 5 out of 6, while Birger Vestmo of NRK gave it 6/6. Floberg received positive nods from most reviewers, his performance being described as "highly adept", and "frighteningly ice cold". Per Haddal of Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
called it his best performance since his breakthrough in Telegrafisten.
2006–present
In 2006, Floberg played the main villain in the crimeCrime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
thriller Uro
Uro (film)
Uro is a 2006 Norwegian crime film starring Nicolai Cleve Broch and Ane Dahl Torp. It was directed by Stefan Faldbakken. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
, directed by Stefan Faldbakken
Stefan Faldbakken
Stefan Faldbakken is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. His film Uro was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Kosmonaut * Anolit * Uro...
. The film starred Nicolai Cleve Broch
Nicolai Cleve Broch
Nicolai Cleve Broch is a Norwegian actor of theatre and film. He rose to national fame playing one of the leading roles in the 2002 drama series Lekestue, which aired on NRK in 2002. He is also known for playing the protagonist in Buddy, a romantic comedy from 2003. Other major film credits...
and Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp is a Norwegian actress. Her first film appearance was in The Woman of My Life . She has received an Amanda award for her roles both as Trude Eriksen in Svarte penger, hvite løgner , and as Nina Skåtøy in the film Gymnaslærer Pedersen .Torp was named a "Shooting Star" at the Berlin...
, who were both nominated for Amanda Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The critical reception was overall good. Veteran critic Pål Bang-Hansen
Pål Bang-Hansen
Pål Bang-Hansen was a Norwegian actor, film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is particularly known as a television personality and film expert at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, leading the television film show Filmmagasinet for more than thirty years.-Early life and...
, who saw the film at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, enthusiastically exclaimed: "Bjørn Floberg is the foremost villain of Norwegian film. In this film he is more of an asshole than ever". Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
s Inger Bentzrud commended the actors, but noted that all of Cleve Broch, Floberg, and Ahmed Zeyan played similar roles in Uno. One particularly negative review came from Bergens Tidende
Bergens Tidende
Bergens Tidende is Norway's fourth largest newspaper and largest newspaper outside Oslo, with a circulation of about 87,000 copies . Founded in 1868, it is a Norwegian-language newspaper published daily in Bergen. It reaches approximately 260,000 readers every day , mainly in the counties of...
, who gave the film a 2/6 rating, highlighting Floberg's performance as one of the few positive points.
Following Uro, Floberg starred opposite Trond Espen Seim
Trond Espen Seim
Trond Espen Seim is a Norwegian actor.He has played private detective Varg Veum in a series of films based on the eponymous series of novels by Gunnar Staalesen...
in Bitre Blomster
Bitter Flowers
Bitter Flowers is 2007 Norwegian crime thriller directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen. It is the first in a series of six films about the private detective Varg Veum, based on the books by Gunnar Staalesen. The film stars Trond Espen Seim as Veum.- Plot :A man vanishes without a trace...
(2007). This was the first in a series of films
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
based on Gunnar Staalesen
Gunnar Staalesen
Gunnar Staalesen is a Norwegian writer. Staalesen has a Cand philol. degree from Universitetet i Bergen and he has worked at Den Nationale Scene, the main theater in Bergen....
's crime novels
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
. As chief inspector Jakob Hamre, he serves as a foil
Foil (literature)
In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
for shabby private investigator Varg Veum
Varg Veum
Varg Veum is a series of crime novels written by Gunnar Staalesen, about the private detective Varg Veum, who lives in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway...
(Seim). The film received mixed reviews, although most reviewers agreed that the two leads, particularly Seim, delivered good performances. Initially, a total of six films were produced, four of them intended for direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
release. The second theatrically released film in the series was Falne Engler (2008), directed by Morten Tyldum
Morten Tyldum
Morten Tyldum is a Norwegian film director. He had his feature film debut with Buddy in 2003, a film that won great popular and critical acclaim. Previously he had worked with television, music videos, commercials and short films, and he had been named "Film talent of the year" by the newspaper...
, with Floberg and Seim reprising their roles as Veum and Hamre. The film was very well received, and shortly after the premiere, the producers announced that an additional six films based on Staalesen's Varg Veum
Varg Veum
Varg Veum is a series of crime novels written by Gunnar Staalesen, about the private detective Varg Veum, who lives in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway...
character would be made. Bjørn Floberg expressed his satisfaction with the films: "[The producers and directors] have set a new standard for this genre, and I would like to be a part of the continued development of the [Varg Veum] universe, together with the script writers, and not least Trond Espen, with whom I've had a very good cooperation". Production of the new films were scheduled to begin in August 2009. In 2010 he played alongside Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan John Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, known internationally for his film roles in Angels & Demons, Breaking the Waves, The Hunt for Red October, Ronin, Good Will Hunting, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
in the Norwegian black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
A Somewhat Gentle Man
A Somewhat Gentle Man
A Somewhat Gentle Man is a 2010 Norwegian comedy film directed by Hans Petter Moland. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Stellan Skarsgård - Ulrik* Bjørn Floberg - Rune Jensen* Gard B...
.
In 2011, Floberg received the Committee's Honorary Amanda Award
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
during the annual ceremony at the Norwegian International Film Festival
Norwegian International Film Festival
The Norwegian International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in Haugesund, Norway. The festival goes back to 1973.In 1985, the Amanda award was instituted. The Amanda is awarded every year at the festival in different movie categories...
in Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1976 | Oss | Fenrik |
| 1985 | Øye for Øye | Oscar |
| 1990 | Herman | Herman's Father |
| 1993 | Telegrafisten | Ove Rolandsen |
| 1994 | Ti kniver i hjertet Cross my Heart and Hope to Die Cross my Heart and Hope to Die is a Norwegian movie from 1994 directed by Marius Holst. It is loosely based on Lars Saabye Christensen's novel Gutten som ville være en av gutta.-Awards:... |
Wiik |
| 1995 | Hører du ikke hva jeg sier | Stig |
| 1997 | Insomnia Insomnia (1997 film) Insomnia is a 1997 Norwegian thriller film about a police detective investigating a murder in a town located above the Arctic Circle. The investigation goes horribly wrong when he mistakenly shoots his partner and subsequently attempts to cover up his bungle... |
Jon Holt |
| 1998 | Sista kontraktet | Tom Nielsen (the hitman) |
| 1999 | Sofies Verden Sophie's World Sophie's World is a novel by Jostein Gaarder, published in 1991. It was originally written in Norwegian, but has since been translated into English and many other languages. It sold more than 30 million copies and is one of the most successful Norwegian novels outside of Norway... |
Major Albert Knag |
| 1999 | Misery Harbour | Johan Hoeg |
| 2000 | Dykaren | Claes |
| 2002 | I Am Dina I Am Dina I Am Dina is a 2002 Swedish-Norwegian-Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book Dinas bok by Herbjørg Wassmo. The movie was one of the most high-profile in Norwegian movie history.-Plot:... |
Edvard (Dina's father) |
| 2002 | Musikk for bryllup og begravelser | Peter |
| 2003 | Salmer fra kjøkkenet | Grant |
| 2003 | Villmark Villmark Villmark is a Norwegian thriller/horror film that first premiered in 2003. It was nominated for an Amanda award in the categories of best film and best actor... |
Gunnar |
| 2004 | Uno Uno (film) Uno is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Aksel Hennie, who also stars in the film. The film was hailed by critics, and won Hennie an Amanda Award for Best Director.-Plot:... |
Jarle |
| 2006 | Uro Uro (film) Uro is a 2006 Norwegian crime film starring Nicolai Cleve Broch and Ane Dahl Torp. It was directed by Stefan Faldbakken. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Frank |
| 2007 | Varg Veum - Bitre Blomster Bitter Flowers Bitter Flowers is 2007 Norwegian crime thriller directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen. It is the first in a series of six films about the private detective Varg Veum, based on the books by Gunnar Staalesen. The film stars Trond Espen Seim as Veum.- Plot :A man vanishes without a trace... |
Hamre |
| 2008 | Lønsj | Kildahl |
| 2008 | Varg Veum – Falne Engler | Hamre |
| 2010 | A Somewhat Gentle Man A Somewhat Gentle Man A Somewhat Gentle Man is a 2010 Norwegian comedy film directed by Hans Petter Moland. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Stellan Skarsgård - Ulrik* Bjørn Floberg - Rune Jensen* Gard B... |
Rune Jensen |