Starting this week, he can be seen on Netflix as corrupt police officer Tom Waaler in the series “Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole.” It is based on the Norwegian author’s fifth book about the tormented and severely alcoholic, yet highly skilled, Oslo police officer Harry Hole (Tobias Santelmann).
Kinnaman plays Hole's colleague Waaler, who is a skilled investigator, but also deeply corrupt with a hand in both drug and arms smuggling.
He has so many different sides, there's so much inner conflict in him. On the one hand, he has quite strong sociopathic and narcissistic traits, he probably falls somewhere on the psychopathy scale, but at the same time he also has access to empathy sometimes, says Joel Kinnaman.
Sexually “confused”
He describes Waaler as "split and confused" sexually.
Sex is about power, control and ownership. So there was a lot for me to play with. He is a bad guy and at the same time a good cop. A kind of Norwegian Bad Lieutenant.
Kinnaman's wife Kelly plays a journalist in the series, and not surprisingly, they both thought it was great to spend several months in Oslo working together.
It's otherwise difficult to be two actors in a relationship when both work internationally like we do. It's very rare to work from home, it becomes a life on the run. So this was absolutely fantastic, says Joel Kinnaman.
When TT speaks to him, it is during a week when two feature films and four TV series, including the Norwegian one, are being released. “It’s a bit extreme,” he notes.
Wants to film in Scandinavia
Now he hopes to use his newfound energy to film in Scandinavia again.
It has really changed how I look at the rest of my career.
Kinnaman says that when he is home in Sweden "it feels like the roots go down into the ground in a different way". And up his sleeve he has an idea that could help him get more time to film here.
Kelly and I have a Swedish project that we are developing.
The Harry Hole series is based on the book "The Devil's Star." The series ends with a cliffhanger that indicates a sequel. And there will be more Hole in book form this fall.
It will come out in October and is called "Vådaskott," Jo Nesbø tells TT.
Facts: Joel Kinnaman
Age: 46.
Family: Wife Kelly Gale.
Lives in Los Angeles.
Occupation: Actor.
Selected previous roles: "Hannah with H", "Johan Falk films", "Servant of the King", "In the shadow of the heat", "Quick cash", "The girl with the dragon tattoo", "Safe house", "Robocop", "The killing", "Run all night", "Child 44", "Suicide squad", "Three seconds", "Silent night", "The silent hour", "Altered carbon", "Imperfect women".
Current: In "Detective Hole," which premieres on Netflix on 26/3.
