International Star You Should Know: Icelands Olafur Darri Olafsson

After several years of steady travel between Iceland and the U.S. for film and television work, 65 Icelandic thesp Olafur Darri Olafsson is poised to become as recognizable Stateside as he is at home. Hes starring with Vin Diesel in Lionsgates The Last Witch Hunter, and, appropriately enough, will play a giant next summer in

After several years of steady travel between Iceland and the U.S. for film and television work, 6’5” Icelandic thesp Olafur Darri Olafsson is poised to become as recognizable Stateside as he is at home. He’s starring with Vin Diesel in Lionsgate’s “The Last Witch Hunter,” and, appropriately enough, will play a giant next summer in Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG.” His turn as a troubled, small-town police chief in Baltasar Kormakur’s Icelandic series “Trapped” will reach U.S. viewers via the Weinstein Co.

ACTING ADDICTION: A graduate of the Icelandic Drama School, the 42-year-old Olafsson, who was born in Connecticut, made a name for himself in Reykjavik as a writer and producer, as well as an actor starring in film, TV and theater. “I love theater for its real time and the closeness that comes from rehearsing and performing,” he says. “But TV and films have an air of excitement and adrenalin that you don’t get anywhere else, and yes, it is addictive.”

SIZE MATTERS: Some of Olafsson’s most successful roles have capitalized on his physical stature, such as an out-of-control politician in the film “XL,” a stint in the first season of HBO’s “True Detective,” and an award-winning turn as Lenny in an Icelandic legit production of “Of Mice and Men.” “My size does limit me to certain things, but then again, I’m sure that applies to Hayden Panettiere on the other end,” he shrugs. “You use what you have got.”

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FUTURE PLANS: Olafsson says he wants to do more producing, and owns the rights to a book he’s developing as his directorial debut. “The desire to direct started a few years ago,” he notes, “and producing is especially something that I would like to do more of.”

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