Sven-Ole Thorsen

Last updated

Sven-Ole Thorsen
Born (1944-09-24) 24 September 1944 (age 80)
Occupation(s) Actor, bodybuilder, stuntman, strongman
Years active1977–2011
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Spouses
  • Anniqa
    (m. 1982;div. 1991)
  • Birgitta Sunding Thorsen
    (m. 2013)
Children5
Competition record
Strongman
Representing Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Denmark's Strongest Man
1st1983
Europe's Strongest Man
10th1982

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

Contents

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]

Career

He is known for his frequent appearances in movies featuring close friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, like Conan the Barbarian , as the hammer-wielding Thorgrim; The Running Man , as the ultimately-sympathetic bodyguard Sven; and in Predator as a Soviet advisor that executes a hostage. His other characters have included the boater-wearing security guard La Fours in Mallrats , the fighter Tigris of Gaul in Gladiator , Lt. Michael 'Tank' Ellis in Captain Power , and the alien villain Secundus in Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe .

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.[ citation needed ] 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.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

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]

Thorsen lives in Santa Monica, California and had two dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier named Jake and an American Bull Terrier named Cleo (now deceased). He won the Danish "Show of Winners" Award of the Year 2006, honouring people who have a special affiliation with dogs. [6]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1977 Pas på ryggen, professor (Mind Your Back, Professor)Russisk Håndlanger (Russian Henchman)
1982 Conan the Barbarian Thorgrim(as Sven Ole Thorsen) [1]
1984 Conan the Destroyer Togra(as Sven Ole Thorsen) [1]
1985 Red Sonja StuntmanStunts (uncredited) [1]
1986 Raw Deal a.k.a. Triple IdentityPatrovita's Bearded Bodyguard (uncredited)Stunts [1]
1987 Lethal Weapon Mercenary(as Sven Thorsen)
Predator Russian Officer (uncredited) [1]
The Running Man Sven(as Sven Thorsen) [1]
Overboard Olaf, Stayton Flunky (uncredited)
1988 Red Heat Nikolai, Georgian Mafia [1]
Twins Sam Klane [1]
1989 Pink Cadillac Birthright Thug
Ghostbusters II StuntmanStunts
1990 The Hunt for Red October Russian Chief of The Red October
Total Recall TrainerTrainer [1]
1991 Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe Secundus(as Sven Ole-Thorsen)
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man David
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Galleria Security Guard [1]
1992 Death Becomes Her StuntmanStunts (uncredited)
Dead On: Relentless II a.k.a. Relentless II: Dead OnPatrick Vergano, MechanicStunts
Lethal Weapon 3 Henchman #2
Bram Stoker's Dracula StuntmanStunts (as Sven Thorsen)
1993 Cyborg 2 Doorman(as Sven Thorsen)
Nowhere to Run Prisoner
Nemesis Cyborg Interrogating Old Woman (uncredited)Stunts
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story The Demon
Last Action Hero Gunman [1]
Hard Target Stephan
1994A Little Tailor's Christmas StorySchultz
The DangerousSven
On Deadly Ground Otto(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
Mallrats La FoursStunts (as Sven Thorsen)
Heat StuntmanStunts (uncredited)
1996The Undercover Kid a.k.a. How I Saved the PresidentTerrorist #1
Fox HuntHuge Man
Eraser Russian Gunman (uncredited)Stunts [1]
Bulletproof Gunman At Motel (uncredited)Stunts
Jingle All the Way StuntmanStunts (as Sven Thorsen) [1]
1997 Breakdown StuntmanStunts Only
Back in Business a.k.a. Heart of StoneStuntmanStunts Only
Batman & Robin StuntmanStunts Only [1]
George of the Jungle Mercenary(as Sven-Ole-Thorsen)
Kull the Conqueror King Borna
1998 The Bad Pack Sven
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning Boris
Soldier StuntmanStunts Only
Winchell German Man
1999 Foolish Paris
The 13th Warrior Would-Be King
End of Days Thug (uncredited)also Utility Stunts [1]
2000 Ready to Rumble StuntmanStunts Only
Façade a.k.a. Death ValleyGeneral Schweinkopf(as Sven Ole-Thorsen)
Gladiator Tigris of Gaul (Tiger)Won Stunt Award
The Alternate a.k.a. Agent of DeathSecret Service Agent (uncredited)
2001The GristleButcher Boy
Bandits (2001 film) Oregon State Prison Guard On Watchtower (uncredited)
Route 666 Sergei, Russian Hitman
Extreme Honor a.k.a. Last Line of Defence 2Baker's Bodyguard
2002Hollywood Next 8 ExitsThe Landlord
Collateral Damage Bomb Victim (uncredited) [1]
The Sum of All Fears Haft
2003 Masked and Anonymous StuntmanStunts (as Sven Thorsen)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Machine Gun Mongol (uncredited)
The Rundown a.k.a. Welcome to the JungleGoon (uncredited) [1]
Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision SS Bodyguard(as Sven Ole Thorson)
2004 In Enemy Hands a.k.a. U-BoatU-429: Hans
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Lumberjack Hit By Ball (uncredited)Stunts (uncredited)
Collateral StuntmanStunt Driver Only
Hidalgo The Laughing Raider (uncredited)
2005 Hostage Hooded Thug Guarding Hostages (uncredited)
2011 Ronal Barbaren (Ronald the Barbarian)The General (voice only)Animated feature

Notes

1 ^ Arnold Schwarzenegger also appeared in this movie.

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
17 October 1986 The A-Team Rolf"Quarterback Sneak" (episode # 5.4)
1987 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the FutureLieutenant Michael 'Tank' EllisEntire series
11 May 1991 The Flash Cyborg Omega"Alpha" (episode # 1.19)
13 May 1996 Nowhere Man Phone Repairman/Assassin"Marathon" (episode # 1.24)
8 February 1997 Baywatch Nights Viking"Frozen Out of Time" (episode # 2.13)
18 March 1997 The Guardian Baiya"Pilot" (episode # 1.1)
1 February 1998 Mike Hammer, Private Eye Rolf (as Sven Ole Thorsen)"The Art of Murder" (episode # 2.3)
21 September 1998 Baywatch Hans Ulpan"Crash: Part 1" (episode # 9.1)
28 September 1998 Baywatch Hans Ulpan"Crash: Part 2" (episode # 9.2)
1999 Biker-Jens i USAas himselfepisode "Hos Sven-Ole Thorsen"
1 December 2000Helle for Høgsbroas himself"Dovenskab" (episode # 1.13)
27 December 2005 Go'morgen Danmark as himself
3 February 2006Showtimeas HimselfEpisode #2.1
17 February 20062 Kaffe, Takas himself
6 February 2006Go' Aften Danmarkas himself
15 March 2007 Andy Barker, P.I. Thug #1Pilot (episode # 1.1)
October 2009Vild med dans (Strictly Come Dancing)first two programs as himself
14 December 2009 Kristian as Sven Ole"Sekten" (episode # 1.5)
13 December 2010Go' Aften Danmarkas himself

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