# Sidse Babett Knudsen

Sidse Babett Knudsen (Danish pronunciation:; born 22 November 1968) is a Danish actress who works in theatre, television, and film. Knudsen made her screen debut in the 1997 improvisational comedy Let's Get Lost, for which she received both the Robert and Bodil awards for Best Actress.
Following the critical success of her debut, Knudsen has been considered one of the top Danish actresses of her generation. In 2000, she again won both best actress awards for the comedy romance Den Eneste Ene (English title: The One and Only). In 2016, she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film Courted (L'Hermine). Knudsen has also received award nominations for her roles in Monas Verden (Mona's World) and Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding).
Knudsen achieved international recognition for her leading role as fictional Danish Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg in the Danish TV series Borgen, and for her role as Theresa Cullen in the HBO science fiction-Western television series Westworld.

## Personal life

Knudsen was born 22 November 1968 in Copenhagen, the daughter of Ebbe Knudsen, a photographer, and Susanne Andersen, a school teacher. During her childhood, the family lived in Tanzania where her parents undertook volunteer work. Upon returning to Denmark, Knudsen attended a "creative school." Knudsen is unmarried and is the mother of one son born in 2004.
Knudsen speaks native Danish, and has native fluency in English and French.

## Acting career

From 1987 to 1990 Knudsen trained in acting at the Theatre de l'Ombre in Paris despite initially knowing little French. Upon returning to Denmark, Knudsen played roles for the experimental theatre OVINE 302 as well as at the Betty Nansen Theatre and the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen.
In 1997 Knudsen debuted in the lead role of Julie in Jonas Elmer's slice-of-life comedy Let's Get Lost. The film's script was only an outline, requiring the actors to improvise their roles and dialogue. Knudsen said she was not very good at improvisation and accepted the part only because she thought it would be a lightweight summer comedy. The film became a breakout hit in Denmark and Knudsen received both the Robert Award and the Bodil Award for Best Actress. Critics called Knudsen's performance dominating. Film critic Kim Skotte of Politiken wrote that Knudsen had hit a new tone with a "special ability to capture the modern woman's uncertainty and strength".
Following her appearance in the 1998 mystery Motello, Knudsen played the lead character in Susanne Bier's 1999 romantic comedy Den Eneste Ene. The film became one of the decade's biggest box-office hits in Denmark. It marked a new direction in modern Danish romantic comedies with credit given to Knudsen's acting style. Knudsen's portrayal of Sus, a woman who becomes pregnant by her unfaithful husband while she loves another man, again earned her both the Robert Award and the Bodil Award for Best Actress.
Knudsen returned to work with Elmer in 2000 as the title character in the comedy Mona's Verden. As in Elmer's first film, Knudsen was required to improvise her dialogue and character. Knudsen's portrayal of Mona, an uptight accountant who tries to stave off the romantic infatuation of a bank robber while being held hostage, earned her a Bodil Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 2020 she starred in the BBC drama Roadkill as the mistress of a British Tory politician played by Hugh Laurie.
Knudsen reprised her role as Prime Minister Nyborg in the Netflix revival of Borgen, which was released in 2022.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1997 | Let's Get Lost | Julie | Jonas Elmer | |
| 1997 | Thérapie russe | Sidse | Eric Veniard | |
| 1997 | En stille død | Sally | Jannik Johansen | Short |
| 1997 | Fanny Farveløs | Mother | Natasha Arthy | Short |
| 1998 | Motello | Julie | Steen Rasmussen & Michael Wikke | |
| 1999 | The One and Only | Sus | Susanne Bier | |
| 1999 | Mifune's Last Song | Bibbi | Søren Kragh-Jacobsen | |
| 2000 | Mirakel | Mona Petersen | Natasha Arthy (3) | |
| 2000 | Max | Sarah 'Max' Engell | Trine Piil Christensen | |
| 2001 | Chop Chop | Rita | Niels Arden Oplev | |
| 2001 | Monas verden | Mona | Jonas Elmer (2) | |
| 2002 | Drengen der ville gøre det umulige | Woman | Jannik Hastrup | |
| 2003 | Se til venstre, der er en svensker | Katrine | Natasha Arthy (4) | |
| 2003 | Dogville : The Pilot | Grace | Lars von Trier | Short |
| 2004 | Villa Paranoia | Olga Holmgård | Erik Clausen | |
| 2004 | Fakiren fra Bilbao | Louise | Peter Flinth | |
| 2004 | Bjørno & Bingo | Bingo | Sabine Ravn | Short |
| 2006 | After the Wedding | Helene Hansson | Susanne Bier (2) | |
| 2007 | Til døden os skiller | Bente | Paprika Steen | |
| 2008 | Blå mænd | Lotte | Rasmus Heide | |
| 2009 | Over gaden under vandet | Anne | Charlotte Sieling | |
| 2009 | Æblet & ormen | Sylvia | Anders Morgenthaler & Mads Juul | |
| 2010 | Parterapi | Puk Agerbo | Kenneth Kainz | |
| 2012 | Sover Dolly på ryggen ? | Sandra | Hella Joof | |
| 2014 | The Duke of Burgundy | Cynthia | Peter Strickland | |
| 2014 | Speed Walking | Lizzi | Niels Arden Oplev (2) | |
| 2015 | Courted | Ditte Lorensen-Coteret | Christian Vincent | |
| 2016 | 150 Milligrams | Irène Frachon | Emmanuelle Bercot | |
| 2016 | Inferno | Dr Elizabeth Sinskey | Ron Howard | |
| 2016 | A Hologram for the King | Hanne | Tom Tykwer | |
| 2017 | The Eternal Road | Sara | Antti-Jussi Annila | |
| 2018 | Vitello | Vitello's mother | Dorte Bengtson | Voice only |
| 2018 | In Fabric | Jill | Peter Strickland (2) | |
| 2018 | Holly På Sommerøen | Charlotte skovmyre | Karla Nor Holmbäck | Short |
| 2019 | Kaptajn Bimse | Sophie | Thomas Borch Nielsen & Kirsten Skytte | |
| 2019 | Askeladden - I Soria Moria slott | Ohlmann | Mikkel Brænne Sandemose | |
| 2019 | Undtagelsen (The Exception) | Anne-Lise | Jesper W. Nielsen | Based on Christian Jungersen's 2004 novel |
| 2019 | The Translators | Helene Tuxen | Régis Roinsard | |
| 2020 | Kød og blod | Bodil | Jeanette Nordahl | |
| 2020 | Limbo | Helga | Ben Sharrock | |
| 2023 | Club Zero | Ms Dorset | Jessica Hausner | |
| 2023 | Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction | The Grand Duchess | Bille August | |
| 2023 | Woaca | Woaca | Mackenzie Davis | Short |
| 2024 | Sons | Eva Hansen | Gustav Möller | Premiere at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1995 | Juletestamentet | Mercedes | Nikolaj Cederholm | 23 Episodes |
| 1996 | Charlot og Charlotte | Helle | Ole Bornedal | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Drengen de kaldte Kylling | Mercedes | Natasha Arthy | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Taxa | Milla | Anders Refn | 1 Episodes |
| 1997 | Gufol mysteriet | Weeping Woman | Morten Lorentzen | 1 Episodes |
| 1998 | Strisser på Samsø | Hanne Jensen | Eddie Thomas Petersen | 2 Episodes |
| 2004 | Proof | Nina Kutpreka | Ciaran Donnelly | 4 Episodes |
| 2010-2022 | Borgen | Birgitte Nyborg | Jesper W. Nielsen | 38 Episodes |
| 2014 | 1864 | Johanne Luise Heiberg | Ole Bornedal | Miniseries |
| 2016 | Westworld | Theresa Cullen | Jonathan Nolan | 8 Episodes |
| 2017 | Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams | Jill | Marc Munden | Episode: "Crazy Diamond" |
| 2018 | The Simpsons | Woman in bar | Michael Polcino | Episode: "Throw Grampa from the Dane" |
| 2018 | Vitello | Vitello's Mother | Dorte Bengtson | 13 Episodes |
| 2019 | The Accident | Harriet Paulsen | Sandra Goldbacher | Miniseries |
| 2020 | Roadkill | Madeleine Halle | Michael Keillor | Miniseries |
| 2025 | Prime Target | Professor Andrea Lavin | Brady Hood | Miniseries |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1998 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Let's Get Lost | Won |
| 1998 | Robert Awards | Best Actress | Let's Get Lost | Won |
| 2000 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Leading Role | The One and Only | Won |
| 2000 | Robert Awards | Best Actress | The One and Only | Won |
| 2002 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Monas verden | Nominated |
| 2003 | Robert Awards | Best Actress | Se til venstre, der er en svensker | Nominated |
| 2006 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Leading Role | After the Wedding | Nominated |
| 2006 | Robert Awards | Best Actress | After the Wedding | Nominated |
| 2006 | Rouen Nordic Film Festival | Best Actress | After the Wedding | Won |
| 2006 | Zulu Award | Best Actress | After the Wedding | Won |
| 2008 | Zulu Award | Best Supporting Actress | Blå mænd | Won |
| 2010 | Zulu Award | Best Actress | Parterapi | Won |
| 2012 | Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actress - Drama Series | Borgen | Won |
| 2012 | International Emmy Award | Best Actress | Borgen | Nominated |
| 2014 | Torino Film Festival | Best Actress | The Duke of Burgundy | Won |
| 2015 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Speed Walking | Nominated |
| 2015 | Robert Awards | Best Actress | Speed Walking | Nominated |
| 2016 | César Award | Best Supporting Actress | Courted | Won |
| 2017 | César Award | Best Actress | 150 Milligrams | Nominated |
| 2017 | Lumières Award | Best Actress | 150 Milligrams | Nominated |
| 2018 | Jussi Awards | Jussi Award for Best Supporting Actress | The Eternal Road | Won |
| 2021 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Undtagelsen | Nominated |
| 2021 | Robert Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Undtagelsen | Nominated |
| 2021 | Bodil Award | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Kød og blod | Won |
| 2021 | Robert Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Kød og blod | Nominated |
| 2022 | Rose d'Or | Performance of the Year | Borgen | Won |
| 2023 | Robert Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Television Role | Borgen | Nominated |