The opening scene of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” takes fans back to the 1940s as a de-aged Harrison Ford faces off with Nazi scientist Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) in the aftermath of World War II. Soon after, the film fast forwards several decades and shows Voller still clinging to the past by obsessing over Hitler’s defeat.
The villainous loser is the kind of character that Mikkelsen has become synonymous with in recent years — and the actor is well aware of his reputation for playing sleazy figures. In a new interview with GQ, Mikkelsen explained that he has always been most comfortable playing offbeat, sinister characters.
“To combine it — to do something real and also be a cutie pie — I don’t really find it interesting,” Mikkelsen said. “I’m not into the ‘hair falling in your eyes, be cute in a corner.’ Not me. The losers are fun. Because we know them. You might have been in that situation yourself sometimes.”
Mikkelsen added that his string of villainous turns in blockbuster franchises like “Indiana Jones” and “Fantastic Beasts” affords him the creative freedom to take on more adventurous international projects.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll definitely do this, because it’s fun,” he said. “And then I can do whatever I want back in Europe.”
Mikkelsen’s remarks echo similar comments that he made in a 2021 interview with IndieWire’s Anne Thompson. The actor said that he would like to eventually branch out and play more non-villains, but he still enjoys playing bad guys in iconic franchises.
“I’m playing misunderstood people,” he said. “I’ve had a few non-villainous American roles that tend to be the baddies; I did an American film called ‘Arctic.’ He’s not a villain, so I’m grateful for that. Maybe times will turn a little, and people are watching a little more of the Danish stuff. Maybe they’ll accept a funny accent for an everyday-man character. If that’s not the case, I’m happy with what I’m doing. I’m happy I’ve been invited into some great franchises, like the Bond, Marvel, and Indiana Jones. It’s a luxury, so if that’s what’s coming my way, I’ll take it any day. If they do want me to do something else, I’ll give it a shot!”
