Why Tormund From Game Of Thrones Looks So Familiar

For three generations, Hivju family has been in the acting business—but growing up, he was more interested in music. In fact, Hivju originally wanted to play bass for a living, but when he was cast in a Hamlet production, it ignited his love for acting. After landing some parts in theater productions, he broke into TV with a small role in the 2001 Norwegian crime drama Fox Grønland. Supporting appearances in a number of TV shows followed, and he made his big screen debut in the 2008 Norwegian horror film Manhunt. 

Although his roots are in the theater, Hivju has said he now prefers screen projects—after all, he can just do the performance once and walk away instead of having to perform the same part night after night.

The Thing may not have lived up to expectations, but Hivju's next movie, After Earth, gave him a real crash course in how badly things can go wrong for a major motion picture. Problems started for the actor when he showed up on set and the makeup artists decided to cut off his long hair and bushy beard—a decision he fought, and even got star Jaden Smith to back him up, but the makeup crew won in the end. After Earth was mauled critically, earning a measly 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe losing the beard was worth it—it makes him nearly unrecognizable in a movie he'd probably rather forget.

The same year he appeared in Force Majeure, Hivju played a gangster in the darkly funny revenge drama In Order of Disappearance, which follows a father (Stellan Skarsgård) who goes after a local drug gang in revenge for killing his son. The film, acclaimed for its artful blend of black comedy and bloody violence, has been described as a Scandinavian version of Fargo.

Hivju jumped at the opportunity to act with Skarsgård, telling Nordic Noir & Beyond: " If you're asked to act in a film starring opposite Stellan Skarsgård, you don't ask what kind of part it is!" Hivju wasn't the only Game of Thrones connection in the movie, either: Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, who'd later play the Wildling leader Karsi in the episode "Hardhome," was also part of the cast.

Cold settings seem like Hivju's specialty, especially when they involve medieval settings and fighting. In 2016 he got to act out one of the most important events in Norwegian history: the protection of future king Håkon Håkonsson during the Norwegian Civil Wars by the Birkebeinerne, a group of patriotic warriors. 

Hivju grew up learning the story in school and was excited about the role. The characters in the movie spend a lot of time on skis, since that was the fastest way for medieval Norwegians to get around, so he also got to show off his skill on the slopes, even though the role was incredibly dangerous. As he told the Observer, "I did a lot of work to get good. Some [of the more complex moves] were stunts the insurance company wouldn't allow us to do. But I will say this: I sacrificed my life in some of those [stunts] to make it look real."

While Hivju usually plays dark, violent roles, he can certainly be silly when it's called for—like when he started playing the eccentric, wild-eyed Wyndham Rewards Wyzard in the hotel chain's string of commercials. Obviously a fun role for Hivju, the commercials are also entertaining for Game of Thrones fans used to seeing him as a violent Wildling—and his enthusiasm in the spots really sold the campaign. 

As Game of Thrones fans may already be aware, Hivju isn't the first veteran of the show to take a commercial gig. Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, has also filmed his share of ads, appearing in campaigns for Jimmy Choo and Infiniti, among other brands. Despite their differences, it seems the Wildling and Night Watch commanders have one thing in common: a love for advertising campaigns.