Tobias Santelmann

Tobias Santelmann was born in Freiburg, Germany.^[1] He moved with his family to Norway when he was young. He was raised in Lindesnes, south Norway, later moving to Oslo when he was 16 years old.^[2]

He studied at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, graduating in 2006.^[2]

Santelmann worked at The Norwegian Theatre in Oslo with appearances in The Castle, The Good Person of Szechwan, and Nora.^[2] His screen credits include Norwegian films like Kon-Tiki (2012),^[1] Flukt (2012), Jag Etter Vind (Chase the wind) (2013),^[1] and Jeg er din (I Am Yours) (2013). Santelmann's film work outside Norway includes supporting performances in the films Hercules (2014),^[3] and Point Break (2015), and a starring role in the BBC television series The Last Kingdom (2015–2018).^[4]

From 2019 to 2023, Santelmann played Henrik in Exit,^[5] a series in three seasons that described the decadent lives of four men in Oslo's finance elites. It became the most streamed series in the history of Norwegian national television.^[6]

In 2021, he played the role of a serial killer in the mini series Those Who Kill.^[7]

In 2020, Santelmann, though relatively unknown in the United States, was chosen to play Prince Olav in the TV series Atlantic Crossing, a joint Norway/US production, alongside Sofia Helin and Kyle MacLachlan.^[8]

In 2026 Santelmann stars as Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole in the Netflix series Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole.^[9]