Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on Playing John Amsterdam
Denmark native, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is joining ranks of foreign-born actors starring in American TV shows. He steps out on Tuesday in his first regular TV role as John Amsterdam, the immortal detective on FOX’s “New Amsterdam.” But first he took time out to talk with reporters about the show.
What attracted you to this role?
Nikolaj: I liked the script. I heard the concept first and I was a little, does this mean I have to have false teeth and all, but then I read the script and I really liked it.
To have a character where you get to go back in his life and you have to find the common ground, like 100 years ago, for example, he was working as a coachman and there was a whole different set of social circumstances. To do that every week was just intriguing, and it’s been really interesting to make some choices that, of course, the audience would still recognize John, but also make sure that it made sense that he was who he was at that given time.
Then, on top of that, of course, for the pilot, I’ve been a fan of Lasse Hallstrom a long time. When I found out he was doing the pilot, that was also a big draw, and they offered me the part. That’s a big part.
What is your sense of John, of what he wants out of the rest of his life?
Nikolaj: I think what he wants is some kind of normality, and also experience what it’s like to be with someone, to have a relationship that lasts and to grow old with someone. I think that’s the biggest dream he has, to actually spend his life with one person and have a family and to be able to be there for his children, and also when they grow up. All of that has been something he’s only been able to watch at a distance.
In the first episode, he comes in contact with his true love, or so we suspect, because his heart can feel her. Will he use that as a barometer in the future to try and find her?
Nikolaj: Yes. I think he takes it as a definite sign that she was there, and that’s why he starts. He gets hold of surveillance tapes and tries to track her down. It’s a new energy in his life and new excitement that maybe what he’s been searching for all this time is actually just happening without him noticing.
John Amsterdam is an artisan. Do you have any hidden talents?
Nikolaj: Any hidden talents? No. I know a lot of bits and pieces everywhere that I’ve taken up, but no, I’m not a specialist in anything. That’s why I’m an actor.
I would love to be really good at history, to be able to quote various people throughout history. That would be great.
Why do you think we’re fascinated with the idea of immortality?
Nikolaj: If there’s one thing that unites all of us, it’s the fact that were dying, and for a lot of us, I think myself included, you look at he idea of death with some anxiety and fear. Of course, immortality, I guess it’s always been part of literature. We’ve had that forever really, using what would it be like. What if we were immortal, what could we do, time travel and all that stuff? Here it gives us the freedom to go back and explore, first of all, the history of New York, but also that whole thing about learning from your past mistakes. That’s very much what John does, and I guess that’s what I wish I would be able to do more. He’s able to remember and able to look back and see, well, that happened then, how can that affect my life or my work now.
If you could actually live to be 400 years old, when do you think boredom would start to kick in?
Nikolaj: I think 400 years is maybe pushing it a little bit, yes. I would say 124 years.
Can you talk about the challenges of doing a show like this?
Nikolaj: There were some surprises. Of course, the workload, before you tried it you can’t really imagine. I’d never done television before, so you work hard and you work long hours, but I had such a good time. The part is, because, I think, of the mix of stories in a way. We have the crime stories, and you have the ongoing love story throughout the show, and then you have the flashbacks. It was always exciting to go to work, because you knew there were some great scenes to do every day, and nothing really felt the same.
Were there any scenes that you preferred to film, like the flashbacks versus the modern day?
Nikolaj: Yes. Some of the flashback scenes I really enjoyed. I guess it was a change, but also, it’s always great with a character who has a lot of secrets, and this guy has truckloads. For example, in the first episode, we find out that he is a member of AA, and then four episodes later, we find out how he joined AA. That was a great show to make. Yes, it was a lot of fun to go back in time, but also, still, running down the streets as a New York detective wasn’t too bad either.
“New Amsterdam” premieres March 4 at 9:00, then watch a special episode March 6 before it moves to it’s regular time, Monday’s at 9:00 on FOX.
Photo Credit: Julie Dennis-Brothers/FOX © 2007 Fox Broadcasting Co.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: New Amsterdam
1 opinion for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on Playing John Amsterdam
Alexandra
Mar 2, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I love the premise of this show and the interview, and its awesome that he’s from Denmark.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: