- Connie Nielsen
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Connie Nielsen 
Nielsen at the 2009 Toronto International Film FestivalBorn Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen
3 July 1965
Frederikshavn, DenmarkYears active 1986-present Partner Lars Ulrich (2004-present) 1 son Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born 3 July 1965) is a Danish actress. She is known for her roles in the English language films Gladiator, The Devil's Advocate, Basic, and The Ice Harvest.
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Early life
Nielsen was born in Frederikshavn, Denmark. Her father, Bent Nielsen, was a bus driver, and her mother was an insurance clerk who also acted and wrote musical revues.[1][2][3] She was raised a Mormon[4] and grew up in a village named Elling.[5] She began her acting career working alongside her mother on the local revue and variety scene. At 18, she traveled to Paris, France, where she worked as an actress and model, which led to further work and study in Italy—at drama school in Rome and in master classes with Lydia Styx, a teacher at il Piccolo Teatro di Milano in Milan. She lived in Italy for many years, before moving to the United States, where she still resides.
Career
Nielsen's feature film debut was the Jerry Lewis French film Par Où T'es Rentré? On T'a Pas Vu Sortir in 1984, followed by a role in the Italian mini-series Colletti Bianchi in 1988. She appeared in the Italian film Vacanze di Natale '91 (1991) and the French film Le Paradis Absolument (1993).
She moved to the United States in 1996 and made her first appearance in a major English-language film in 1997 as Christabella Andreoli in The Devil's Advocate, starring opposite Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. This first minor breakthrough led to roles in the films Permanent Midnight (1998), Rushmore (1998), and Soldier (1998).
In 2000, Nielsen became known to worldwide audiences as Lucilla in Ridley Scott's internationally acclaimed Academy Award–winning epic Gladiator, starring opposite Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. Since then, she has starred in some notable American films, including Mission to Mars (2000), One Hour Photo (2002), The Hunted (2003), and Basic (2003). She also starred in the acclaimed French thriller Demonlover (2002), directed by Olivier Assayas. She becomes the delightful Irish mom to an orphan in "A Shine of Rainbows" (2009).
In 2004, Nielsen made her Danish film debut in the drama, Brødre (also known as Brothers) for which she won the Danish Best Actress Award, the Bodil, as well as Best Actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. She was also nominated for Best Actress at the European Film Awards. In 2006, Nielsen appeared in several episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Det. Dani Beck. She filled in for Mariska Hargitay who was on maternity leave at the time of filming.
Personal life
Nielsen has a son, Sebastian (born 2 June 1991), from a previous relationship. Since 2004, Nielsen has been dating Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, and on 21 May 2007, they welcomed a boy, named Bryce Thadeus Ulrich-Nielsen. The couple and their son, Bryce, as well as Ulrich's two children from a previous marriage, Myles and Layne, currently reside in the San Francisco area.
Nielsen's favorite band is The Clash, and she is a big fan of Danish movie directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. The latter directed Metallica's music video for their song The Day That Never Comes.
She speaks eight languages: Danish, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish.[6]
Filmography
Film Role Notes 1984 Par Où T'es Rentré? On T'a Pas Vu Sortir Eva 1991 Vacanze di Natale '91 Brunilde/Vanessa 1993 Voyage Ronnie Freeland Television movie 1994 Le paradis absolument Sarah Television movie 1997 The Devil's Advocate Christabella Andreoli 1998 Permanent Midnight Dagmar Rushmore Mrs. Calloway Soldier Sandra 2000 Dark Summer Megan Denright Mission to Mars Terri Fisher Gladiator Lucilla 2002 One Hour Photo Nina Yorkin Demonlover Diane de Monx 2003 The Hunted Abby Durrell Basic Osborne 2004 Brødre Sarah Return to Sender Charlotte Cory 2005 The Great Raid Margaret Utinsky The Ice Harvest Renata Crest 2006 The Situation Anna Molyneux 2007 Battle in Seattle Jean 2008 Danny Fricke Danny Fricke 2009 A Shine of Rainbows Maire 2010 Mellem linierne Cora Tonight at Noon Laura 2011 Perfect Sense Television
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2006) - Det. Dani Beck
In 2011, she will star opposite of Kelsey Grammar in the cable drama series Boss.
References
- ^ "Connie Nielsen Biography (1965-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/87/Connie-Nielsen.html. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ Stewart, Susan (9 March 2003). "Double Danish / Connie Nielson (sic)". Newsday. p. D7. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/303549941.html?dids=303549941:303549941&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+09%2C+2003&author=Susan+Stewart.+Susan+Stewart+is+a+freelance+writer.&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=Double+Danish+%2F+Connie+Nielson&pqatl=google.
- ^ "Star Dentist Drilled for $20M". New York Post. 7 August 2004. p. 6. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nypost/access/676702381.html?dids=676702381:676702381&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+07%2C+2004&author=&pub=New+York+Post&desc=STAR+DENTIST+DRILLED+FOR+%2420M&pqatl=google.
- ^ Cavagna, Carlo (December 2005). "Interview: Connie Nielsen". AboutFilm.com. http://www.aboutfilm.com/movies/i/iceharvest/nielsen.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "Connie Nielsen". Aniston.dk. http://aniston.dk/connie-nielsen.2830.ahtml. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ Vaughan, Brendan (2007-03-01). "A Woman We Love: Connie Nielsen". Esquire Magazine. http://www.esquire.com/women/ESQ0303-MAR_NIELSON_rev_2
External links
Empire Award for Best Actress 1996–present Nicole Kidman (1996) · Frances McDormand (1997) · Joan Allen (1998) · Cate Blanchett (1999) · Gwyneth Paltrow (2000) · Connie Nielsen (2001) · Nicole Kidman (2002) · Kirsten Dunst (2003) · Uma Thurman (2004) · Julie Delpy (2005) · Thandie Newton (2006) · Penélope Cruz (2007) · Keira Knightley (2008) · Helena Bonham Carter (2009) · Zoe Saldana (2010) · Noomi Rapace (2011)Categories:- 1965 births
- Best Actress Empire Award winners
- Danish film actors
- Danish television actors
- Living people
- People from Copenhagen
- People from Frederikshavn Municipality
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