Sofie Gråbøl

Sofie Gråbøl, born on 30 July 1968, is a celebrated Danish actress appreciated for her diverse acting range. She shot to fame with her role in Astrid Henning-Jensen's 1986 Danish film Early Spring while she was only 17 years old. Her other notable television appearances include roles in Taxa and Nikolaj og Julie. Gråbøl is popular in Denmark for depicting emotional characters. However, she achieved international recognition as the cool-headed Inspector Sarah Lund in all three series of The Killing (Danish: Forbrydelsen), causing a sensation in the UK when it was broadcast on BBC4, winning a BAFTA award, and turning Gråbøl into a household name.

All her life, Gråbøl has lived in Copenhagen, raised by her mother, Mette Koustrup, after her father, Kaj Fladhede Gråbøl left before she was born. At the onset of her career, she studied theology and worked in a bookshop before acting became her calling. Her significant contributions to the character of Sarah Lund in The Killing saw her earning popularity beyond Denmark. The series, initially intended to break stereotypes of female characters, won tremendous success in Europe. Over half of Denmark's population tuned in, and even in the UK, it was more successful than Mad Men in the ratings, catapulting Gråbøl to fame. On the personal front, she survived a bout of cancer in 2012 and returned to work in the British TV series Fortitude in 2014.