Sven-Ole Thorsen

Sven-Ole Thorsen (born 24 September 1944) is a Danish actor, stuntman, bodybuilder and strongman competitor. Thorsen won Denmark's Strongest Man in 1983.[1]

Sven-Ole Thorsen
Born (1944-09-24) 24 September 1944
OccupationActor, bodybuilder, stuntman, strongman
Years active1977-2011
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Spouse(s)Birgitta Sunding
ChildrenMichael and Martin
Competition record
Strongman
Representing  Denmark
Denmark's Strongest Man
1st 1983
Europe's Strongest Man
10th 1982

Using his stature he often plays imposing giants and villains in his films who are somehow beaten by smaller opponents in a David and Goliath manner, but he has also played heroic characters such as Gunnar the legendary warrior in The Viking Sagas. His autobiography Stærk mand i Hollywood (Strong Man in Hollywood) was published on 26 October 2007, and was very well reviewed. The first printing of the book reportedly sold out in 24 hours.[2][3]

Biography

Career

He is known for his frequent appearances in Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, like Conan the Barbarian, as the hammer-wielding Thorgrim; The Running Man, as the ultimately-sympathetic bodyguard Sven; and in Predator, where he played a one-second role as a Russian military advisor ('Knock Knock'). His other most characters have varied widely, from the gritty boater-wearing security guard La Fours in Mallrats, to the unbeaten fighting legend Tigris of Gaul in Gladiator, and the witty Lt. Michael 'Tank' Ellis, Ground Assault Unit in Captain Power, to the menacing alien villain Secundus in Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, who is always hunting for the Anti-Life Equation without any success.

Thorsen has been credited in fifteen Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (as of 2006) (twelve as actor, three as stuntman or trainer), making him Schwarzenegger's most frequent collaborator. It began with Conan the Barbarian, when Schwarzenegger brought Thorsen and other of his bodybuilder friends (like Franco Columbu) with him to shoot the movie. Later, when Thorsen moved to the United States, he met Schwarzenegger again while he was acting in the movie Commando. Thorsen helped with some of the stuntwork in that movie, and quickly found work in many of the subsequent Schwarzenegger films.

In spite of Thorsen's thick Danish accent, his voice is almost never dubbed (an exception being Hard Target). Thorsen pursued his role as Tigris (of Gaul) in Gladiator for over a year, beating Lou Ferrigno for the part. The part won him two TAURUS World Stunt Awards[4] in the ceremony's inaugural year.

Thorsen has founded various federations, including The Danish Bodybuilding Federation in 1979 and Cigar Night at Schatzi in Santa Monica, California along with Schwarzenegger. He has a black belt in Shotokan karate and holds championship titles.

Personal life

Sven-Ole Thorsen is 193 centimetres (6 feet, 4 inches) tall and while appearing in Conan the Barbarian (1982) he weighed 138 kilograms (304 lbs), according to his autobiography (page 24 & 110).[5]

He has two sons, Michael and Martin, from his first marriage.

Thorsen met his second wife, the Danish-swedish circus-artist, snake-charmer, pop-singer and athlete Anniqa (born Anniqa Järle) in the 1970s, when she married his close friend, boxing champion Hans Jørgen Jacobsen; Anniqa and Sven-Ole Thorsen were married in 1982.

On his 40th birthday, Anniqa and Sven-Ole Thorsen decided to move from Denmark to the US, which they did in April 1985. The couple divorced in 1991.

Thorsen started dating singer/actress Grace Jones in 1990, and as of 2007 they have maintained an open relationship. According to his autobiography, all his romantic relationships, marriages included, have been open relationships since the late 1970s.

In 1995, Thorsen started dating Erica Huff, daughter of the soul-singer Leon Huff. Sven-Ole Thorsen lives in Santa Monica, California and had two dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier named Jake and an American Bull Terrier named Cleo (now dead). He won the Danish "Show of Winners" Award of the Year 2006, honouring people who have a special affiliation with dogs.[6]

In his spare time, Thorsen creates wooden sculptures and enjoys art, which he showed in Danish magazine Euroman. He is also famously fond of cigars, another thing he shares in common with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1977Pas på ryggen, professor (Mind Your Back, Professor)Russisk Håndlanger (Russian Henchman)
1982Conan the BarbarianThorgrim(as Sven Ole Thorsen) [1]
1984Conan the DestroyerTogra(as Sven Ole Thorsen) [1]
1985Red Sonja-Stunts (uncredited) [1]
1986Raw Deal a.k.a. Triple IdentityPatrovita's Bearded Bodyguard (uncredited)Stunts [1]
1987 Lethal WeaponMercenary(as Sven Thorsen)
PredatorRussian Officer (uncredited)[1]
The Running ManSven(as Sven Thorsen) [1]
OverboardOlaf, Stayton Flunky (uncredited)
1988 Red HeatNikolai, Georgian Mafia[1]
TwinsSam Klane[1]
1989 Pink CadillacBirthright Thug
Ghostbusters II-Stunts
1990 The Hunt for Red OctoberRussian Chief of the Red October
Total Recall-Trainer [1]
1991 Abraxas, Guardian of the UniverseSecundus(as Sven Ole-Thorsen)
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro ManDavid
Terminator 2: Judgment DayGalleria Security Guard[1]
1992 Death Becomes Her-Stunts (uncredited)
Dead On: Relentless II a.k.a. Relentless II: Dead OnMechanic (Patrick Vergano)Stunts
Lethal Weapon 3Henchman #2
Bram Stoker's Dracula-Stunts (as Sven Thorsen)
1993 Cyborg 2Doorman(as Sven Thorsen)
Nowhere to RunPrisoner
NemesisCyborg Interrogating Old Woman (uncredited)Stunts
Dragon: The Bruce Lee StoryThe Demon
Last Action HeroGunman[1]
Hard TargetStephan
1994 A Little Tailor's Christmas StorySchultz
The DangerousSven
On Deadly GroundOtto(as Swen-Ole Thorsen)
A Low Down Dirty Shame a.k.a. Mister CoolMob Boss' Bodyguard (uncredited)Stunts (as Sven Thorsen)
1995 The Viking Sagas a.k.a. The Icelandic SagasGunnar
No Exit a.k.a. Fatal CombatDarcona
The Quick and the Dead'Swede' Gutzon
MallratsLa FoursStunts (as Sven Thorsen)
Heat-Stunts (uncredited)
1996 The Undercover Kid a.k.a. How I Saved the PresidentTerrorist #1
Fox HuntHuge Man
EraserRussian Gunman (uncredited)Stunts [1]
BulletproofGunman at Motel (uncredited)Stunts
Jingle All the Way-Stunts (as Sven Thorsen) [1]
1997 Breakdown-Stunts Only
Back in Business a.k.a. Heart of Stone-Stunts Only
Batman & Robin-Stunts Only [1]
George of the JungleMercenary Gunther(as Sven-Ole-Thorsen)
Kull the ConquerorKing Borna
1998 The Bad PackSven
Best of the Best 4: Without WarningBoris
Soldier-Stunts Only
WinchellGerman Man
1999 FoolishParis
The 13th WarriorWould-Be King
End of DaysThug (uncredited)also Utility Stunts [1]
2000 Ready to Rumble-Stunts Only
Façade a.k.a. Death ValleyGeneral Schweinkopf(as Sven Ole-Thorsen)
GladiatorTigris of Gaul (Tiger)Won Stunt Award
The Alternate a.k.a. Agent of DeathSecret Service Agent (uncredited)
2001 The GristleButcher Boy
Bandits (2001 film)Oregon State Prison Guard on Watchtower (uncredited)
Route 666Sergei, Russian Hitman
Extreme Honor a.k.a. Last Line of Defence 2Baker's Bodyguard
2002 Hollywood Next 8 ExitsThe Landlord
Collateral DamageBomb Victim (uncredited)[1]
The Sum of All FearsHaft
2003 Masked and Anonymous-Stunts (as Sven Thorsen)
Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottleMachine Gun Mongol (uncredited)
The Rundown a.k.a. Welcome to the JungleGoon (uncredited)[1]
Timecop 2: The Berlin DecisionSS Body Guard(as Sven Ole Thorson)
2004 In Enemy Hands a.k.a. U-BoatU 429: Hans
Dodgeball: A True Underdog StoryLumberjack hit by ball (uncredited)Stunts (uncredited)
Collateral-Stunt Driver Only
HidalgoThe Laughing Raider (uncredited)
2005HostageHooded Thug Guarding Hostages (uncredited)
2011Ronal Barbaren (Ronald the Barbarian)The General (voice only)Animated feature

Notes

1 ^ Arnold Schwarzenegger also appeared in this movie.

Television

Year Title Role Notes
17 October 1986The A-TeamRolf"Quarterback Sneak" (episode # 5.4)
1987Captain Power and the Soldiers of the FutureLieutenant Michael 'Tank' EllisEntire series
11 May 1991The FlashCyborg Omega"Alpha" (episode # 1.19)
8 February 1997Baywatch NightsViking"Frozen Out of Time" (episode # 2.13)
18 March 1997The GuardianBaiya"Pilot" (episode # 1.1)
1 February 1998Mike Hammer, Private EyeRolf (as Sven Ole Thorsen)"The Art of Murder" (episode # 2.3)
21 September 1998BaywatchHans Ulpan"Crash: Part 1" (episode # 9.1)
28 September 1998BaywatchHans Ulpan"Crash: Part 2" (episode # 9.2)
1999Biker-Jens i USAas Himselfepisode "Hos Sven-Ole Thorsen"
1 December 2000Helle for Høgsbroas Himself"Dovenskab" (episode # 1.13)
27 December 2005Go'morgen Danmarkas Himself
3 February 2006Showtimeas HimselfEpisode #2.1
17 February 20062 Kaffe, Takas Himself
6 February 2006Go' Aften Danmarkas Himself
15 March 2007Andy Barker, P.I.Thug #1Pilot (episode # 1.1)
October 2009Vild med dans (Strictly Come Dancing)first two programs as Himself
14 December 2009Kristianas Sven Ole"Sekten" (episode # 1.5)
13 December 2010Go' Aften Danmarkas Himself

References

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