Mads Mikkelsen thinks villains aren’t always dark characters.
The 50-year-old actor has played a string of murderous psychopaths, such as Kaecilius in ‘Doctor Strange,’ super-villain Le Chiffe in ‘Casino Royale’ and cannibal doctor Hannibal Lecter in TV series ‘Hannibal’, but has claimed that such characters often see beauty in the world and want to make it a better place.
Asked whether it is disturbing playing so many villains, Mads said: "No. Villains are people on a mission who see life in a different kind of way. It’s rarely the villain that is dark. He is looked on as that but a good psychopath rarely goes around thinking that are a dark person. "Hannibal is a fallen angel, he sees beauty where the rest see horror – he wants to make a better world. So it’s not something dark and heavy that you carry back home."
Mads trained as a gymnast during his formative years and has claimed that his love of fitness and sport has proved useful for his energetic movie roles.
He told Metro newspaper: "There’s a certain stamina you have when you’ve done things like that… I jump on a racing bile or I box or go out and play tennis.
"I’m very much into finding a perfect backhand. Sports are my escape. I forget myself when I play tennis. I can easily play for a couple of hours and not notice."
Mads Mikkelsen: Villains aren’t always dark
