---
name: "Michael Nyqvist"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-nyqvist"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 November 1960"
died: "27 June 2017"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-17T09:11:36.230027+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Nyqvist

Actor. Born 8 November 1960 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. Died 27 June 2017.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 November 1960, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
- **Died:** 27 June 2017
- **Active:** 2011–2019
- **Also known as:** Michael Nykvist, Michael Nyquist, Micke Nyqvist, Mikael Nyqvist, Rolf Åke Michael Nyqvist, Микаэл Нюквист, 麥克・恩奎斯特, مایکل نیکویست
- **Frequently works with:** [Paula Patton](https://film.one/person/paula-patton.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 74 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Action 2, Thriller 2, Adventure 1, Drama 1, History 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $785m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q382278, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0638824/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/6283

## Coming up

- *Disconnect* (2013-04-12), as Stephen Schumacher — [page](https://film.one/film/disconnect.md)

## Streaming the US now

- **Paramount+:** [*Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol*](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol.md) (82)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*John Wick*](https://film.one/film/john-wick.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Michael Nyqvist

> Michael Nyqvist could make a threatening man seem tired, amused and still worth fearing. We rate him most when a role gives his restraint something to work on; Hollywood did not always oblige.

In *John Wick* (2014), Michael Nyqvist gives Viggo Tarasov a weariness that makes room for humour without making him harmless. We laughed at the contrast with Alfie Allen’s less restrained Iosef Tarasov, because Nyqvist keeps the menace so matter-of-fact. Neither part has much depth, but his gives us a welcome break from the fighting. He can suggest that a man has lived with trouble for years without asking the screenplay to stop and explain him.

That ease also served the ordinary men under pressure in his Swedish work. *Together* (2000) helped establish him domestically, while *As It Is in Heaven* (2004) gave him a leading role as Daniel Daréus. Wider recognition came with Mikael Blomkvist, the investigative journalist in *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* (2009) and the other Millennium adaptations that year. His understated sympathy in that part is worth remembering when the later thrillers ask chiefly for authority and threat.

*Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol* (2011) shows the limits of that casting. Brad Bird makes a tense, funny adventure, but Nyqvist’s Hendricks is too thinly written to keep the pursuit urgent between the action sequences. André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum supply more inventive obstacles than a compelling threat, leaving the actor little to develop. We recommend the film for its team and its clear action, though anyone looking for Nyqvist to do something distinctive will find little opportunity here. His presence cannot make the villain matter as much as the next difficult job.

Chad Stahelski gives Nyqvist more useful work in *John Wick*, even within another thin role: his scenes provide welcome interruptions to the violence. That makes it our first choice of these two for his performance, although we rate Bird’s film a little higher. The caveat is that neither gives much space to the vulnerable side of his acting. Try *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* for that.

## Biography

Michael Nyqvist was a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm in 1960, he trained at the School of Drama in Malmö. He first gained prominence in Sweden for his role as police officer John Banck in the Beck television series (1997–1998) and for leading roles in films including Grabben i graven bredvid (2002) and As It Is in Heaven (2004).

Nyqvist achieved international recognition for portraying Mikael Blomkvist in the Millennium film trilogy (2009): The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. He later appeared in English-language films such as Abduction (2011), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) as Kurt Hendricks, Disconnect (2013) as Stephen Schumacher, and John Wick (2014) as Viggo Tarasov. He died in Stockholm in 2017.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *A Hidden Life* (2019), Fi1m 82, as Bishop Joseph Fliessen — [page](https://film.one/film/a-hidden-life.md)
- *John Wick* (2014), Fi1m 80, as Viggo Tarasov — [page](https://film.one/film/john-wick.md)
- *Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol* (2011), Fi1m 82, as Hendricks — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol.md)

## Complete filmography (84)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *A Hidden Life* (2019), as Bishop Joseph Fliessen — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/a-hidden-life.md)
- *John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum* (2019), In Memory Of
- *Hunter Killer* (2018), as Captain Andropov
- *You Disappear* (2017), as Bernard Berman
- *Madiba* (2017), series, as H.F. Verwoerd
- *Frank & Lola* (2016), as Alan
- *I.T.* (2016), as Henrik
- *A Serious Game* (2016), as Markel
- *Colonia* (2016), as Paul Schäfer
- *The Girl King* (2015), as Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna
- *The Girl in the Book* (2015), as Milan Daneker
- *100 Code* (2015), series, as Mikael Eklund
- *John Wick* (2014), as Viggo Tarasov — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/john-wick.md)
- *Days and Nights* (2014), as Johan
- *My So-Called Father* (2014), as Martin
- *Paris Follies* (2014), as Jesper
- *The Girl from Nagasaki* (2013), Acting
- *Europa Report* (2013), as Andrei Blok
- *Disconnect* (2013), as Stephen Schumacher — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/disconnect.md)
- *Zero Hour* (2013), series, as White Vincent
- *The Chinese Man* (2011), series, as Staffan Roslin
- *Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol* (2011), as Hendricks — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol.md)
- *Abduction* (2011), as Nikola Kozlow
- *Kennedy's Brain* (2010), as Lars Hakansson
- *Arn: The Knight Templar* (2010), series, as Magnus Folkesson
- *Millennium* (2010), series, as Mikael Blomkvist
- *Among Us* (2010), as Ernst
- *The Woman Who Dreamed of a Man* (2010), as Johan, mąż K.
- *The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest* (2009), as Mikael Blomkvist
- *The Wedding Photographer* (2009), as Stage actor
- *The Girl Who Played with Fire* (2009), as Mikael Blomkvist
- *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* (2009), as Mikael Blomkvist
- *Iscariot* (2008), as Masen
- *The Night Sister* (2008), series, as Tage Wolter
- *Downloading Nancy* (2008), as Stan
- *The Kautokeino Rebellion* (2008), as Lars Levi Laestadius
- *Kaotokeino-opprøret (TV-serien)* (2008), series, as Lars Levi Laestadius
- *Arn: The Knight Templar* (2007), as Magnus Folkesson
- *The Black Pimpernel* (2007), as Harald Edelstam
- *Suddenly* (2006), as Lasse
- *Search* (2006), as Janne
- *Wallander: Mastermind* (2005), as Lothar Kraftzcyk
- *Bang Bang Orangutang* (2005), as Sven Blomberg
- *Mother of Mine* (2005), as Hjalmar Jönsson - isä Ruotsissa
- *Skattejakten* (2005), series, as Are Sterner
- *Next Door* (2005), as Åke
- *Wallander* (2005), series, as Lothar Kraftzcyk
- *Om Stig Petrés hemlighet* (2004), series, as Stig Petré
- *As It Is in Heaven* (2004), as Daniel Daréus
- *Day and Night* (2004), as Jacob
- *ABBA - The Last Video* (2004), as Michael Nyqvist
- *London Voodoo* (2004), as Magnus
- *Details* (2003), as Erik
- *Slim Susie* (2003), as Mörka Rösten
- *The Guy in the Grave Next Door* (2002), as Benny
- *We Can Be Heroes!* (2002), as Giuseppe
- *The Fifth Woman* (2002), series, as Bo Runfeldt
- *Olivia Twist* (2002), series, as Fagerlund
- *Home Sweet Home* (2001), as Kent
- *His and Hers* (2001), as Doctor
- *Shadow Boys* (2001), as Christoffer
- *The Confession* (2001), as Thorn
- *Hr. Boe & Co.’s Anxiety* (2001), Acting
- *Hjärta av sten* (2000), as Lev
- *Together* (2000), as Rolf
- *Beck* (1999), series, as John Banck
- *En dag i taget* (1999), series, as Henrik Boström
- *On the Last Verse: A Small Film About Death* (1999), as Raymond
- *Breaking Out* (1999), as Diego
- *Personkrets 3:1* (1998), as Karl-Erik
- *Beck 08 - Trails in Darkness* (1998), as John Banck
- *Waiting for the Tenor* (1998), as The Director
- *Beck 07 - The Money Man* (1998), as John Banck
- *Beck 05 - The Boarding House Pearl* (1998), as John Banck
- *Beck 04 - Eye for an Eye* (1998), as John Banck
- *Beck 03 - White Nights* (1998), as John Banck
- *Beck - The Man with the Icons* (1997), as John Banck
- *Tic Tac* (1997), as Resturant owner
- *Beck 01 - The Decoy Boy* (1997), as John Banck
- *Such Is Life* (1996), as Kalle Andersson
- *Jerusalem* (1996), as Carpenter #1
- *Kvällspressen* (1992), series, as Journalist
- *Jim and the Pirates Blom* (1987), Acting
- *Comrades* (1982), as modellen

## Gallery

- ![Michael Nyqvist](https://film.one/media/person/94003/gallery-8caa96546294.jpg) Michael Nyqvist — Image via TMDB
- ![Michael Nyqvist](https://film.one/media/person/94003/gallery-3cd8ca3291a4.jpg) Michael Nyqvist — Image via TMDB
- ![Michael Nyqvist](https://film.one/media/person/94003/gallery-5830a29e5054.jpg) Michael Nyqvist — Image via TMDB
- ![Michael Nyqvist](https://film.one/media/person/94003/gallery-9afdfbdf2e4a.jpg) Michael Nyqvist — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role 2003: Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (won), for *Grabben i graven bredvid*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-nyqvist