Olaf Heine Johannessen (born 8 July 1961) is a Faroese actor. Born in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, he grew up in a family of actors. 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 has received 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. He was awarded the prestigious cultural prize of the Faroe Islands in 2021 for his outstanding contribution to the arts. He was appointed the Knight’s Cross 1.degree of the Order of Dannebrog in 2020.
Johannessen has also worked as a voice actor. He co-founded the theater group Leikhús Skift with his wife Marita Dalsgaard.
Theatre roles in selection
Year Theater Play Writer Director Role(s)2009 Teatret ved Sorte Hest Hjorten Vivian Nielsen Vivian Nielsen Jarl Royal Danish Theatre(Guestplay on Royal Dramatic Theatre) Language of Hope Das Beckwerk Das Beckwerk The Medium Royal Danish Theatre Richard III William Shakespeare Staffan Valdemar Holm Lord Grey, 1st morderer, King Edward IV, Young Richard of York, Stanley, Mayor of London Mammutteatret PPP Claus Flygare Minna Johannesson Pier Paolo Pasolini Café Teatret Krasnoyarsk Johan Harstad Line Paulsen The Anthropologist Royal Danish Theatre Rødt og grønt (Red and Green) Astrid Saalbach Søren Iversen Manne 2011–2014 Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus Karte und Gebiet Michel Houellebecq Falk Richter Michel Houellebecq 2013–2014 Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus Peer Gynt Henrik Ibsen Staffan Valdemar Holm Peer GyntBiograph.de 2013 Grønnegårds Teatret Fruentimmerskolen Molière Madeleine Røn Juul Arnolphe2014Betty Nansen TeatretSamtale før dødenAdam PricePeter LangdalAdolf Eichmann2014–2015Betty Nansen Teatret MefistoAriane MnouchkinePeter LangdalHendrik Höfgen2015Det Kongelige TeaterHeksejagtArthur MillerRoger VontobelJohn Proctor2015–16Schauspielhaus BochumRose BerndGerhard HauptmannRoger VontobelChristof Flamm2015–16Det Kongelige TeaterPuntilaBertolt BrechtStaffan Valdemar HolmPuntila
Filmography Year Film Director Role Comments 1999–2000 Morten Korch - Ved stillebækken Ole Stillebæk TV series, TV2 2009 Alting bliver godt igen Christoffer Bro MichaelFilm2010 Pagten Jesper W. Nielsen Kim Landbetjent Nordic Christmas calendar, DR1 Blekingegade Jacob Thuesen Kenneth Ebbe TV series, TV2 2012 Borgen Jannik Johansen Jørgen Hedegaard TV series, DR1 The Killing, IIIKristoffer Nyholm Kristian KamperTV series, DR1 2014 1864 Ole Bornedal Carl Christian Hall TV series, DR12015Skammerens DatterKenneth KainzMester MaunusFilm2015Broen IIIHenrik Georgsson-Rumle HammerichLars TV series, DR12021Face to Face Christoffer Boe John RytTV series2022TromKaspar Barfoed, Peter Ahlén, Davíd Óskar ÓlafssonRagnar í RongTV series 2024 Sons Gustav Möller Head of Institution 2025 Second Victims Zinnini Elkington Esben Film
Awards and recognition 2004: Olaf Poulsens Mindelegat 2009: Poul Reumerts Mindelegat 2010: Lauritzen Award 2013: Robert Award for best male supporting role in TV seriesAvisen.dk Her er årets Robert-vindere 2013: Der Faust (category actor in play) - nominated as the best actorantenneduesseldorf.de 2013: Nominated to the Teaterpokalen 3 December 2013: Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog 2014: Received the Ole Haslunds kunstnerlegat 2014: Received the Teaterpokalen 2014: Elected as Årets skuespiller (Best Danish male actor of the year) by Berlingske.b.dk 2015: Received the Reumert prize for best leading role (male) in Samtale før døden and Mefisto, Betty Nansen Teatret, and Heksejagt, Det Kongelige Teater 2016: Received the Reumert prize for best leading role (male) in Puntila, Det Kongelige Teater.
References