Claes Bang
Biography
Claes Bang is a Danish actor and musician who first drew attention in his home country through the 1997 television series Taxa. Born in Odense, he trained at the Danish National School of Theater and graduated in 1996, then joined Aalborg Teater from 2001 to 2004. He performed a monologue based on Jan Guillou's novel Evil nearly 400 times across several countries. International fame came with the lead role of museum curator Christian in Ruben Östlund's The Square (2017), which won the Palme d'Or, and the performance brought him the European Film Award for Best Actor, a first for a Dane. He went on to play Count Dracula in the 2020 BBC and Netflix series Dracula, Fjölnir in The Northman (2022), the title role in William Tell (2025), and the yakuza leader in The Wrecking Crew (2026). He has also released music as This Is Not America.
59years old
Turns 60 on April 28in 196 days
- Born Odense
- Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 13
- Career span
- 9 years2017 to 2026
First and latest
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Early training
Bang's interest in acting began during his third year of high school, when he took part in the musical Hair, and he went on to amateur theater after leaving school.
Early training
At 23, Bang applied to the Danish National School of Theatre once he learned the age limit was 25. He did not get in, but his second try succeeded five days before his 25th birthday, and he graduated with a diploma in 1996.
About the name
Bang used the alias This Is Not America to get around DR's rule against airing songs by actors, and to stop his acting work from shaping how listeners heard his music.
Getting ready for a role
Bang learned to use and shoot a crossbow for his role as the Swiss mythical figure William Tell in Nick Hamm's 2024 film.
Languages
Bang learned French to play Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen in the 2025 historical drama The Great Arch, and his co-star Sidse Babett Knudsen praised the skill.
Claes Bang movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Six actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Ben Kingsley's page
August Diehl's page
Stephen Merchant's page
Vicky Krieps's page
Emily Beecham's page
Roland Møller's page
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2017 | European Film Award for Best Actor | The Square | Won |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.