Joel Kinnaman

A handsome Swedish-American actor who crossed over internationally, Joel Kinnaman became a star in his native country with a starring role in the romantic drama "I skuggan av värmen" ("In Your Veins") (2009) and for his role in the "Johan Falk" (2009) miniseries, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Guldbagge Award nomination, the Swedish equivalent of the Oscar.

He starred as a man trying to maintain a double life in the thriller "Snabba Cash" ("Easy Money") (2010), which marked the first part of a trilogy and became the highest grossing Swedish film of all time. Subsequently, he was tapped to screen-test for the lead roles in "Thor" (2011) and "Mad Max 4: Fury Road" (2015).

In the meantime, he nabbed the juicy role of an inexperienced cop partnered to lead homicide detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) on "The Killing" (AMC 2011-13; Netflix, 2014), the American adaptation of the hit Danish murder mystery, which helped Kinnaman book major film roles in such projects as the alien invasion thriller "The Darkest Hour" (2011) and the highly anticipated American adaptation of the global phenomenon "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011).

He built on those successes by alternating between arthouse prestige films such as Terence Malick's "Knight of Cups" (2015) and starring roles in high-profile hits like "RoboCop" (2014) and supervillain showcase "Suicide Squad" (2016). Kinnaman reprised his role as Colonel Rick Flag in James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" (2021).

Born Nov. 25, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden, Charles Joel Nordström was the son of an American father and a Swedish mother. He had five sisters, including Swedish actress Melinda Kinnaman, who was most famous in America as the female lead in "My Life as a Dog" (1987).

A graduate of the prestigious Swedish Academic School of Drama -- whose alumni include Stellan Skarsgård, Peter Stormare and Lena Olin -- Kinnaman cut his professional teeth on a variety of projects such as "Hannah med H" (2003) and "Tjenare Kungen" ("God Save the King") (2005).

He broke through as a star in the romantic drama "I skuggan av värmen" ("In Your Veins") (2009) and that same year followed up as Frank Wagner in the "Johan Falk" series of films, earning a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Guldbagge Award, the Swedish equivalent of the Oscar.

He became a superstar in his native country and a rising international commodity with his Best Actor Guldbagge Award-nominated turn in the smash double-life thriller "Snabba Cash" ("Easy Money") (2010). Directed by Daniel Espinosa, the critically acclaimed film was the first installment of a trilogy based on the international bestseller written by Jens Lapidus and became the highest grossing Swedish film ever made.

Tapped to make the crossover to the U.S. market, Kinnaman made headlines around the world when he screen-tested for the lead roles in Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" (2011) and George Miller's long-gestating "Mad Max 4: Fury Road," though he ended up losing both roles.

After the actor moved to Los Angeles, he landed the juicy role of Stephen Holder, a dogged, rough-edged former narcotics detective promoted to partner lead homicide detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) on "The Killing" (AMC 2011-13; Netflix, 2014). The stylishly dark American adaptation of the successful Danish murder mystery wowed critics and audiences, with Kinnaman's turn as an inexperienced but resourceful cop proving a true standout.

Between seasons of the series, Kinnaman played the villain in the Russia-set alien invasion thriller "The Darkest Hour" (2011) alongside Emile Hirsch and essayed a supporting role in the American adaptation of the international phenomenon "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) as well as continuing his star-making role of Frank Wagner in the Johan Falk series and completing the "Easy Money" trilogy with "Easy Money II" (2012) and "Easy Money III" (2013).

After the end of "The Killing," Kinnaman starred in the remake of '80s action hit "RoboCop" (2014). Supporting roles in Terence Malick's experimental drama "Knight of Cups" (2015) and Liam Neeson action thriller "Run All Night" (2015), Kinnaman joined the ensemble cast of DC Comics blockbuster "Suicide Squad" (2016).

Kinnaman played Colonel Rick Flag, straight-arrow commander of a squadron of captured supervillains used by the U.S. military to foil terrorist plots.