Pilou Asbaek

Johan Philip “Pilou” Asbæk was born on March 2, 1982, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to gallery owners Maria Patricia and Jacob A. Asbæk. He attended Herlufsholm School, where he engaged in drama productions, and later graduated from The Danish National School of Performing Arts in 2008. His acting career began in the same year with a leading role in Niels Arden Oplev’s drama “Worlds Apart.” A significant turning point in his career came in 2010 with his breakthrough performance as the inmate Rune in the prison drama “R.” This role earned him the Best Actor award at The Danish Critic Association Award (Bodil) and the Danish Film Academy Awards (Robert). His talent was further recognized internationally when he was named a Shooting Star at the Berlinale in 2011, an honor given to ten European actors.

Asbaek gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Kasper Juul, the spin doctor for the Danish Prime Minister, in the BAFTA-winning television series “Borgen” from 2010 to 2013. His international film career expanded with roles such as Richard opposite Scarlett Johansson in Luc Besson’s 2014 film “Lucy.” He also collaborated multiple times with director Tobias Lindholm, starring in “A Hijacking” (2012) and the Academy Award-nominated “A War” (2015), where he played a soldier in Afghanistan. These roles showcased his ability to tackle complex characters in diverse settings.

His career continued to progress with prominent roles in major international productions. In 2016, he joined the cast of HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Game of Thrones” as Euron Greyjoy, appearing in seasons 6 and 7. The same year, he played Pontius Pilate in Timur Bekmambetov’s “Ben-Hur.” He reunited with Scarlett Johansson in Rupert Sander’s “Ghost in the Shell” in 2017, taking on the role of Batou. More recently, he featured as Captain Wafner in “Overlord” (2018), Alexey Pulov in “I.S.S.” (2023), Kordax in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (2023), and The Mule in the Apple TV+ series “Foundation” (2025).