Tobias Santelmann

Tobias Santelmann was born on 8 August 1980 in Freiburg im Breisgau, West Germany, to a family with Norwegian and German roots. His father is German, but the family moved to Norway when Tobias was approximately one year old. He grew up in Spangereid, a village in Lindesnes municipality on the southern coast of Norway, before moving to Oslo at the age of sixteen. His upbringing in southern Norway left him with a regional dialect that he continued to use when meeting childhood friends, although his everyday speech gradually became associated with eastern Norway. As a teenager, he was interested in football and initially imagined pursuing a sporting career rather than becoming an actor. His interest in theatre developed later, eventually taking him to Romerike Folk High School near Jessheim, north of Oslo, where he spent a year studying drama and performance.

After completing his year at Romerike Folk High School, Santelmann attempted to enter the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in Oslo, one of the country’s most selective performing arts institutions. He was rejected twice and supported himself by working as a waiter at Hannibals Hybel, an Oslo pub frequented by actors and theatre students. Among the people he met there was actor Jørgen Langhelle, who eventually helped him prepare for another entrance examination. Santelmann was accepted on his third attempt and began his studies in 2003. His three years at the academy included performances in several student productions, among them En fryktelig lykke (2005) and Ibsens barn (2006), in which he played characters drawn from the plays of Henrik Ibsen. He graduated in 2006 and immediately joined Det Norske Teatret, one of Oslo’s principal theatrical institutions, situated on Kristian IVs gate in the city centre.

Santelmann made his professional stage debut in October 2006 in Helten på den grøne øya, an adaptation of John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World. He subsequently appeared in productions including An-Magritt (2007), Betre utan ball (2007), Slottet (2008) and Arne Lygre’s Så blir det stilt (2009). In 2008, he travelled to Tromsø in northern Norway to appear at Hålogaland Teater in director Tyra Tønnessen’s paired interpretations of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, playing Torvald in Et dukkehjem and Norvald in Et annet dukkehjem. His work at Det Norske Teatret continued with productions of August: Osage County (2010), presented in Norwegian as Familien, Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther (2010), and Innsirkling (2011), based on Carl Frode Tiller’s novel. These engagements established him as a regular member of Oslo’s theatre community, and he remained closely associated with the company for approximately six years before film and television commitments began to dominate his career.

His first feature-film appearance came in Varg Veum – Skriften på veggen (2010), a crime thriller based on the novels of Gunnar Staalesen, in which he played Stian Brandt. He also appeared as Ole Marius Aronsen in the Norwegian television drama Hvaler and subsequently played Georg in the youth series Stikk (2011). His breakthrough came with Kon-Tiki (2012), directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, which dramatised Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean. Santelmann portrayed Knut Haugland, the Norwegian resistance veteran and radio operator who accompanied Heyerdahl on the voyage from Peru to Polynesia. The production took him far beyond the Norwegian theatre circuit, with filming undertaken in several countries, including Malta, where a large water tank was used for extensive scenes aboard the raft. Other parts of the production were filmed in Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria and Thailand. Santelmann spent several months working in warmer climates and recalled preparing his audition for another film during a break from shooting in Malta. Kon-Tiki received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and brought him international attention.

The second film was Flukt (Escape, 2012), a medieval action thriller directed by Roar Uthaug, in which Santelmann played Arvid, a member of a band of outlaws led by Ingrid Bolsø Berdal’s character Dagmar. Its demanding outdoor filming in western Norway was a considerable contrast to the conditions he had experienced on Kon-Tiki. Santelmann subsequently appeared in Rune Denstad Langlo’s Jag etter vind (Chasing the Wind, 2013), a drama filmed in the Åfjord area of Trøndelag, playing Håvard, a man whose relationship with the central character is shaped by events from their past. The performance earned him two Amanda Award nominations, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer. He also appeared opposite Amrita Acharia in I Am Yours (2013), directed by Iram Haq. By this stage, his film work had taken him from Oslo into productions across several parts of Norway and established him as an increasingly familiar presence in Scandinavian cinema.

His first substantial Hollywood role came in Hercules (2014), directed by Brett Ratner and starring Dwayne Johnson. Santelmann played Rhesus, an opponent of Hercules, in a production filmed primarily in Hungary. He travelled to Budapest in 2013, where he underwent an intensive physical preparation programme after joining the cast shortly before filming. The experience was followed by Point Break (2015), an international action production in which he played the extreme sports athlete Chowder. At the same time, he continued working on Norwegian films and television series, including Hans Petter Moland’s Kraftidioten (In Order of Disappearance, 2014) and the crime drama Øyevitne (Eyewitness, 2014), in which he portrayed Lars Strømme. His combination of theatre experience, physical ability and fluency in English made him increasingly sought after for international productions, although he continued to maintain his professional base in Norway.

One of his most significant Norwegian television roles came in Kampen om tungtvannet (The Heavy Water War, 2015), which dramatised the Allied operation against German-controlled heavy-water production at Vemork during the Second World War. Santelmann portrayed Joachim Rønneberg, the Norwegian resistance officer who led the successful sabotage mission in February 1943. The production filmed extensively around Rjukan in Telemark, including the ravine beside the former Vemork industrial complex, the surrounding mountains near Gaustatoppen and the ferry landing at Mæl. The original heavy-water factory had been demolished, so its appearance was reconstructed through a combination of physical sets and visual effects, while interior scenes were filmed in Prague. The series brought Santelmann into a production closely connected to actual Norwegian wartime locations and the experiences of historical figures. During the same period, he played Erik Nilsen in Frikjent (Acquitted, 2015–2016), a television thriller set in the fictional western Norwegian community of Lifjord. Although exterior scenes were filmed around Årdalstangen and Lærdal in Sogn, much of the production was undertaken in and around Oslo, with additional filming in Malaysia.

Santelmann’s international television career expanded with The Last Kingdom (2015–2022), the historical drama based on Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories novels. He portrayed Ragnar Ragnarsson, also known as Ragnar the Younger, appearing during the first three seasons. Although the story takes place in Anglo-Saxon England, much of the production was filmed in Hungary, particularly at Korda Studios near Budapest, where medieval settlements and fortifications were constructed. The surrounding Hungarian countryside also provided outdoor settings for battles and other sequences. The series introduced Santelmann to a wider English-speaking television audience and involved repeated periods working abroad. He subsequently appeared in the British crime drama Marcella (2016), playing Yann Hall, while continuing to lead Norwegian productions. In Grenseland (Borderliner, 2017), he portrayed Nikolai Andreassen, an Oslo police investigator drawn into a murder investigation involving his own family. The eight-part series was filmed in Oslo and Halden, close to the Swedish border, with location work on several streets in Halden and at the city’s prison.

In 2018, Santelmann took on one of the most demanding roles of his career in Mordene i Kongo (The Congo Murders), directed by Marius Holst. He portrayed Tjostolv Moland, one of two Norwegians accused of murdering their driver in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009, opposite Aksel Hennie as Joshua French. Although the film depicts events in Central Africa, production took place in South Africa, where the filmmakers recreated the Congolese environments and locations associated with the case. Santelmann’s performance earned him the Amanda Award for Best Actor in 2019. He also appeared in Hans Petter Moland’s adaptation of Per Petterson’s novel Ut og stjæle hester (Out Stealing Horses, 2019), playing the father of the younger version of the central character, Trond. The film starred Stellan Skarsgård and followed a Norwegian man’s memories of his childhood and family during the years surrounding the Second World War.

From 2019 to 2023, Santelmann played Henrik Kranz in Exit, the Norwegian television drama created by Øystein Karlsen about four wealthy financiers living in Oslo. The series, which became one of NRK’s most widely discussed dramas, followed its characters through the city’s financial and social circles, including the affluent neighbourhoods and expensive properties associated with their lifestyles. Santelmann appeared alongside Simon J. Berger, Jon Øigarden and Pål Sverre Hagen, with much of the early filming taking place in the Oslo area. The third season expanded the production internationally, with filming in Spain, France, Morocco and the United Kingdom. During the same period, Santelmann appeared as the medieval Norwegian king Olav Haraldsson in Beforeigners (2019–2022), a science-fiction crime series set in contemporary Oslo. The programme combined recognisable city locations with a fictional premise in which people from different historical periods suddenly appear in the modern world. His performances in the two series demonstrated his ability to move between contemporary drama and historical characters while working primarily within Norwegian television.

Another major historical role followed in Atlantic Crossing (2020), in which he portrayed Norwegian Crown Prince Olav opposite Sofia Helin as Crown Princess Märtha. The series explored the experiences of the Norwegian royal family during the Second World War, particularly Märtha’s exile in the United States and her relationship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played by Kyle MacLachlan. Although the story moves between Norway, Sweden, Britain and the United States, a substantial part of the production was filmed in the Czech Republic. Filming took place in Prague and at locations including Kačina Castle, Kroměříž, Litomyšl, Opočno and Hořovice, where historic buildings represented settings in several different countries. The former Pragovka factory in Prague was converted into wartime military and broadcasting interiors, while other scenes were filmed in Norway. Santelmann’s portrayal of Crown Prince Olav added another prominent Norwegian historical figure to his screen career, following his earlier performances as Knut Haugland and Joachim Rønneberg.

He continued appearing in Scandinavian television productions, including the Norwegian rural drama Utmark (Welcome to Utmark, 2021) and the Danish crime series Den som dræber – Fanget af mørket (Those Who Kill, 2019–), in which he played Peter Vinge during its second season in 2021. His work increasingly involved productions in neighbouring Scandinavian countries, and in 2024 he appeared opposite Alexandra Rapaport in the Swedish supernatural crime drama Veronika, playing Tomas, the husband of the central character. For the role, Santelmann learned fly-fishing, spending hours practising outdoors to become familiar with an activity central to his character. He continued the hobby after filming. That same period also saw him return to Norwegian wartime drama in Konvoi (The Arctic Convoy, 2023), directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken. The film followed Norwegian merchant sailors transporting supplies through the Arctic Ocean during the Second World War, with Santelmann playing Mørk. Despite its Arctic setting, substantial filming took place in Sweden, including studio work at Studio Fares in Trollhättan, with further production work in Lithuania.

Santelmann returned to the history of southern Norway with Team Havnaa (2024), directed by Bård Breien. He portrayed Erling Havnaa, the elder brother of professional boxer Magne Havnaa, played by Odin Waage. The film followed the brothers’ sporting ambitions and Erling’s later involvement in the notorious NOKAS robbery in Stavanger in 2004. The real brothers came from the Risør area on Norway’s southern coast, giving the project a geographical connection to the region where Santelmann had grown up. His portrayal required extensive physical preparation and boxing training. He also appeared in the dystopian Norwegian television series Festning Norge (The Fortress, 2024), which imagined a future Norway isolated from the outside world. By this point, his career encompassed leading roles in Norwegian cinema alongside continuing international television work, without requiring him to relocate permanently to another country’s film industry.

In 2024, Santelmann was announced as the lead in Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (2026), Netflix’s adaptation of the Norwegian author’s crime novels. He played Harry Hole, the Oslo homicide detective, opposite Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler and Pia Tjelta as Rakel Fauke. Unlike many internationally produced crime dramas that recreate their settings elsewhere, the series was filmed extensively in Oslo. Principal photography began on 23 May 2024 and continued for 113 shooting days, involving more than 160 locations across the city. Among the places used were Restaurant Schrøder, the traditional St. Hanshaugen establishment closely associated with Harry Hole in the novels, and Frognerbadet, the outdoor swimming complex near Frogner Park. The production also incorporated residential streets, public buildings and other recognisable parts of Oslo. The series completed filming in December 2024 and premiered internationally on Netflix on 26 March 2026, bringing Santelmann one of the most prominent leading roles of his career.

His subsequent Norwegian cinema work included En nasjon i sjakk (2026), directed by John Andreas Andersen and adapted from Johan Høst’s thriller novel. Santelmann played Are Stranger in the film, which also featured Pål Sverre Hagen, Jon Øigarden and Maria Bonnevie. The story centres on the kidnapping of the Norwegian prime minister and a terrorist’s attempt to force the authorities into a deadly chess game. Although much of the action is set around Norway’s political institutions in Oslo, substantial filming took place in Innlandet, including the mountainous region around Lillehammer. The film was released in Norwegian cinemas in September 2026.

Away from his professional career, Santelmann has generally avoided discussing his private life in detail. He has been in a long-term relationship with Norwegian journalist Jennifer Bråthen, and the couple became parents to a daughter in 2015. His family life has remained largely separate from his public appearances, despite the increasing attention surrounding his television and film roles. Oslo has continued to be his principal professional base, with his work regularly taking him abroad for extended periods. His career has nevertheless retained a strong connection to the Norwegian theatre environment in which he trained, as well as to the southern Norwegian coastal region where he spent his childhood.

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