Nordic Film Talks: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson is proud that his new series Reykjavik Fusion doesn’t look like a typical Nordic crime show. “We didn't want to go down the Scandi Noir, slow brooding look – I love that genre, but we wanted this to be a little more vibrant, and with faster editing. And I think that has worked.”

Ólafsson explains in the latest episode of the Nordic Film Talks podcast: “The show is about a chef who is coming out of prison; he’s been in for 18 months for arson and insurance fraud. And he's trying to re-enter society, trying to win back the trust of his ex-wife and his kids.” His new restaurant has some shady backers, which could threaten to draw him back into criminal activity.

The show has its world premiere at Canneseries (April 24-29), and will premiere on Síminn in Iceland this autumn, alongside an international rollout (Erik Barmack’s Wild Sheep Content handles sales and co-production.) The series has international financing and Nordisk Film & TV Fond support.

Ólafsson hopes the story is about more than just one guy’s road to redemption. “I think we as a society, we constantly debate whether or not we're punishing people (who go to prison) and whether or not we're trying to help them find their way.” He adds: “The show is also about family, and about unlikely friendships.”

Ólafsson has juggled important Icelandic work like Trapped (Ófærð), The Deep (Djúpið), The Minister (Ráðherrann), to name just a few, with other demands in major US and international productions like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Missing, The Tourist, True Detective, The BFG, and lately a string of top series: Severance, Somebody Somewhere, and Your Friends & Neighbors.

He remembers advice that Stellan Skarsgård gave him about how he could work in a big international career and yet stay in his hometown. “It’s been important to me to keep my base here in Iceland…and also to not force my family to be a big part of my career.”

He has even more reason to stay in Reykjavik thanks to ACT4, the production outfit that Ólafsson founded in early 2023 alongside veteran producer Hörður Rúnarsson (now the creator of Reykjavik Fusion), Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson.

The ACT4 team plans to work on a full slate of both TV and film projects. “We just want to tell good stories in whatever form they come,” he adds. They are now preparing their next series, Death of a Horse (Bless bless Blesi), a murder mystery about the poisoning of an award-winning Icelandic horse. They also have an animated feature, Stormy Island(Stormsker) in development with Germany’s Ulysses Filmproduktion.

In the interview, Ólafsson also talks about joining two hit American shows he’s loved – Severance and Somebody Somewhere. Of Severance he says: “It is really a privilege to become part of something that you you've already seen and loved. It was exhilarating, and also kind of terrifying, because I wanted to do well. I wanted to play someone who's believable in that world.” He calls his character, Mr. Drummond, “a scary, scary person”.

In Somebody Somewhere he plays the love interest of Sam (Bridget Everett) – in a role the show’s team wrote for him (he’s known Everett for a decade). The hazard on the set was that his character, known as Iceland, had to be quiet and reserved around Sam, but Ólafsson found himself too enamoured acting opposite his friend. “I remember the director had to come over and say ‘you're a little bit too charming, you're a little bit too smiley’ - and she was right. Because that's the way I am around her. So I had to tone it down.”

When they shot the date scene with [spoiler alert] Iceland and Sam’s first kiss, he recalls, “It was just kind of magical that day, really. I remember people [on set] were crying. Bridget is just so beautiful in that scene, and you can just see the vulnerability, the tenderness of Sam.”

In the full podcast interview, Olafsson shares more experiences of combining his domestic and international careers. He also talks about how Michelin-star chef Þráinn Vigfússon cooked the dishes seen in Reykjavik Fusion; why he’s been lucky not to be typecast as a bad guy; and why he might borrow Björk’s swan dress if he’s ever nominated for an Oscar.

Listen to the episode here:

All Nordic Film Talks episodes are available on NFTVF’s website on the Industry Insights section (CLICK HERE), and are distributed through major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon, Castbox, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Podchaser and JioSaavn.