On the COUCH
Actor and playwright,
Thomas Levin, was born in Copenhagen. He studied acting in New York and became famous playing journalist Ulrik Mørch in Borgen. Other credits include Strike Back and Alex Rider. Thomas is currently starring as Carl in RTÉ’S mystery series Smother, which reaches its conclusion this week
How much TV do you think you watch every week?
I usually watch a couple of lms a week. A mix of older stu that I like and a new title. Then a couple of episodes of a series: either documentary or ction. And some sports, usually a basketball game. I guess it adds up to about 10 hours a week. I rarely turn on the telly to see what’s on: besides a bit of news and some sports, I usually stream/rent/buy online.
What’s the best and worst aspect of your character Carl on Smother?
I try to avoid too much judgment on the character I’m playing, but I think Carl is a pretty good father. He respects, loves and listens to his daughter. The worst aspect might be that he’s quite afraid of making any mistakes. Not only when it comes to his daughter but other important relationships. I guess this insecurity occasionally leads to behaviour that could be perceived as arrogant or judgmental.
Did you suspect from the start that Borgen would become such a huge phenomenon?
No. I guess none of us did. We felt it was very local. It’s been almost 10 years now, so it’s not something I think about a whole lot. But it’s nice that it found a big audience outside Denmark. It opened
Are you a “telly on, laptop on the knees and phone for tweeting” over-load kind of person?
I’m actually really bad at focusing on too many things at once. I like to let myself be involved in whatever I might be doing. If I watch a lm, I watch a lm. I have two wonderful kids and can’t really focus on a call or email if they’re in the same room.
How does acting in English differ from acting in Danish?
I lived in New York, I have relatives there, and am used to speaking in English when not working. Of course, there might be the occasional loss of nuance with speci c words and it can be a challenge for me to fully understand the socio-cultural meanings of certain expressions. But then I’ll ask English-speaking friends to clarify. The last couple of years the majority of my work has been in English. Carl’s accent is more-or-less my own: pretty Americanised but with a hint of something Danish.
All-time favourite TV drama, comedy, soap, documentary and live TV event?
This is a hard one. I guess The Wire is still up there on the list, but there’s so much good stu being made. A show like Succession is really impressive, or Euphoria or Atlanta. I don’t really watch soaps but just nished the last season of the documentary Last Chance U, about a junior college basketball team in Los Angeles. That was really beautiful and moving.
Which is more difficult to work in: Scandinavian cold or Irish dampness?
I guess every actor will tell you that working in the cold is the worst. Your senses just shut down and you’re trying to survive. Fortunately, Scandinavia is not always cold.