Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau ([ˈne̝koˌlɑjˀ ˈkʰʌstɐ ˈvæltɑw]; born on 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor. His breakthrough role was in Denmark with the film Nightwatch in 1994. He played Jaime Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Coster-Waldau has appeared in numerous films in his native Denmark, other Scandinavian countries, and the U.S. These include Headhunters (2011) and A Thousand Times Good Night (2013). In the U.S., his debut film role was in the war film Black Hawk Down (2001), playing Medal of Honor recipient MSG Gary Gordon. He then played a detective in the short-lived Fox television series New Amsterdam (2008), and appeared in the 2009 Fox television film Virtuality, originally intended as a pilot. As of 2021 Coster-Waldau is a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, drawing public attention to issues such as gender equality and climate change.