Nicolai Cleve Broch
Encyclopedia
Nicolai Cleve Broch is a Norwegian
actor
of theatre
and film
. He rose to national fame playing one of the leading roles in the 2002 drama series Lekestue, which aired on NRK in 2002. He is also known for playing the protagonist in Buddy
, a romantic comedy
from 2003. Other major film credits include Uno
, Uro
and Den siste revejakta
. More recently, Cleve Broch was nominated for an Amanda Award
for his portrayal of World War II resistance fighter Gregers Gram
in Max Manus
. Often appearing alongside Aksel Hennie
, the two have been referred to as "Norway's Ben Affleck
and Matt Damon
".
from 1996 to 1999. He made his debut in the play Hjalmar og Frode.
From 2005, Cleve Broch has been at Nationaltheatret
, where he has portrayed Julian the Apostate
in Henrik Ibsen
's Emperor and Galilean
. He has previously been employed at Oslo Nye Teater
and Det Norske Teatret
, where he has appeared in plays such as The Seagull
by Anton Chekhov
, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
by Edward Albee
. Cleve Broch was named "Theatre Talent of the Year" in 2002 by Dagbladet
.
-Norwegian coming-of-age film Sebastian. In 2002, Cleve Broch became well known for playing Roger, a kindergarten teacher, on NRK's 2002 drama series Lekestue. Critics praised him for his "dreamlike charisma" and "expressive, awkward, body language", and he was nominated for an award in the category "Best male actor" in Gullruten
for his performance. The following year, Cleve Broch got his big break in Buddy
, a romantic comedy directed by Morten Tyldum
. The film revolves around two friends, played by Cleve Broch and Aksel Hennie
, and their ascent from being billboard hangers to getting their own segment in a popular talk show. According to Cleve Broch, "it was a challenge to make all the storylines affect my character and the way he sees things". The film was well received by critics, who highlighted its "perfect cast", and were impressed with what was coined a "new generation of [Norwegian] film actors".
In 2004, Cleve Broch took on another film role alongside Aksel Hennie, this time in Uno
(2004), a drama
set in a shady gym
in Oslo
. Cleve Broch plays Morten, the best friend of David (Hennie). The film was a critical success. Verdens Gang
and Dagbladet
both rated it 5 out of 6, while Birger Vestmo of NRK P3
gave it 6/6. Vestmo praised Cleve Broch for believably portraying the cowardly Morten, while Adresseavisen
commended Cleve Broch and Hennie for their "spontaneous interplay". In 2006, Cleve Broch starred opposite Ane Dahl Torp
in Uro
, a crime film
directed by Stefan Faldbakken
. His portrayal of the undercover
police officer Hans Petter "HP" Hansen was generally well received. Nettavisen
s reviewer felt that Cleve Broch carried the film, and praised him for "brilliantly unfolding Hans Petter's troubled mind". Both he and Dahl Torp were nominated for Amanda Awards, for "Best Leading Actor" and Best Leading Actress", respectively.
Cleve Broch once again starred alongside Hennie in Max Manus
, a 2008 war film
based on real events from the life of resistance fighter Max Manus
, played by Hennie. Cleve Broch portrays Gregers Gram
, fellow resistance fighter and best friend of Manus. Cleve Broch found it easy to play Hennie's best friend. "Once, many years ago, we were going to play friends, and while preparing for that, we hung out together every day for a whole summer", he recalled. In an interview on TV 2, he expressed pride that he performed all the stunts himself. In preparation for the film, the actors got to fire live ammunition, something "one rarely gets to do" in Norwegian film, according to Cleve Broch. He was once again critically lauded for his on-screen interactions with Hennie, particularly for being able to emphasize the special friendship and humour between Manus and Gram. He received an Amanda Award
nomination in the category "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" for his performance.
As an actor, Cleve Broch is noted for radically changing his appearance for his different roles, such a getting physically fit for Uno and Uro, growing a large beard and long hair for Den siste revejakta
, and bleaching his hair for his role in Max Manus.
, and the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre
. She got her break playing Eliza Doolittle
in Oslo Nye Teater
, and has also received attention for her roles in Mamma Mia!
, and particularly as Édith Piaf
in Piaf
. The couple has two sons, Jakob and Jørgen. Cleve Broch is the half-brother of actress Ida Elise Broch.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. He rose to national fame playing one of the leading roles in the 2002 drama series Lekestue, which aired on NRK in 2002. He is also known for playing the protagonist in Buddy
Buddy (2003 film)
Buddy is a Norwegian film from 2003. It was directed by Morten Tyldum after a script by Lars Gudmestad. The music was composed by Lars Lillo-Stenberg, known from the band DeLillos...
, a romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
from 2003. Other major film credits include Uno
Uno (film)
Uno is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Aksel Hennie, who also stars in the film. The film was hailed by critics, and won Hennie an Amanda Award for Best Director.-Plot:...
, Uro
Uro (film)
Uro is a 2006 Norwegian crime film starring Nicolai Cleve Broch and Ane Dahl Torp. It was directed by Stefan Faldbakken. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
and Den siste revejakta
Den siste revejakta
Den siste revejakta is a Norwegian film from 2008 based on the novel by the same name. The movie is a comedy/drama. It was filmed in 2007 and premiered on 29 August 2008. The movie is directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen....
. More recently, Cleve Broch was nominated for an Amanda Award
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
for his portrayal of World War II resistance fighter Gregers Gram
Gregers Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram MC MM was a Norwegian resistance fighter and saboteur. A corporal and later second lieutenant in the Norwegian Independent Company 1 during the Second World War, he was killed in 1944....
in Max Manus
Max Manus (film)
Max Manus is a Norwegian 2008 biographic war film based on the real events of the life of resistance fighter Max Manus . The story follows Manus from the Winter War against the Soviet Union, through the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation of Norway until peacetime in 1945...
. Often appearing alongside Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie is a Norwegian actor, director and writer. He has acted in a number of successful Norwegian movies, and has received several awards....
, the two have been referred to as "Norway's Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
and Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
".
Theatre
Cleve Broch received his education at the Norwegian National Academy of TheatreNorwegian National Academy of Theatre
The Norwegian National Academy of Theatre was established as a three-year theater-education in 1953, under the name of Statens teaterskole.The school was given collegiate status in 1982...
from 1996 to 1999. He made his debut in the play Hjalmar og Frode.
From 2005, Cleve Broch has been at Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
, where he has portrayed Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
in Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's Emperor and Galilean
Emperor and Galilean
Emperor and Galilean is a play written by Henrik Ibsen. Although it is one of the writer’s lesser known plays, on several occasions Henrik Ibsen called Emperor and Galilean his major work...
. He has previously been employed at Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater in Oslo is one of Norway's most visited theatres.The theatre opened in 1959 as a merge between Det Nye Teater and Folketeatret, and consists of four stages; Oslo Nye Hovedscenen, Oslo Nye Centralteatret, Oslo Nye Trikkestallen and Oslo Nye Caféscenen.-External links:*...
and Det Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 1913, touring with two plays, Ervingen by Ivar Aasen and Rationelt Fjøsstell by Hulda Garborg...
, where he has appeared in plays such as The Seagull
The Seagull
The Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov. The Seagull was written in 1895 and first produced in 1896...
by Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a play by Edward Albee that opened on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theater on October 13, 1962. The original cast featured Uta Hagen as Martha, Arthur Hill as George, Melinda Dillon as Honey and George Grizzard as Nick. It was directed by Alan Schneider...
by Edward Albee
Edward Albee
Edward Franklin Albee III is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story , The Sandbox , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , and a rewrite of the screenplay for the unsuccessful musical version of Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's . His works are considered well-crafted, often...
. Cleve Broch was named "Theatre Talent of the Year" in 2002 by Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
.
Film and television
Cleve Broch made his film debut in 1995, in the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-Norwegian coming-of-age film Sebastian. In 2002, Cleve Broch became well known for playing Roger, a kindergarten teacher, on NRK's 2002 drama series Lekestue. Critics praised him for his "dreamlike charisma" and "expressive, awkward, body language", and he was nominated for an award in the category "Best male actor" in Gullruten
Gullruten
Gullruten is an annual award for the Norwegian TV business, founded in 1998 by Norske Film- og TV-produsenters forening. The awarding committee has representatives from the major national TV companies, NRK, TV2, TV3 and TVNorge...
for his performance. The following year, Cleve Broch got his big break in Buddy
Buddy (2003 film)
Buddy is a Norwegian film from 2003. It was directed by Morten Tyldum after a script by Lars Gudmestad. The music was composed by Lars Lillo-Stenberg, known from the band DeLillos...
, a romantic comedy directed by Morten Tyldum
Morten Tyldum
Morten Tyldum is a Norwegian film director. He had his feature film debut with Buddy in 2003, a film that won great popular and critical acclaim. Previously he had worked with television, music videos, commercials and short films, and he had been named "Film talent of the year" by the newspaper...
. The film revolves around two friends, played by Cleve Broch and Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie
Aksel Hennie is a Norwegian actor, director and writer. He has acted in a number of successful Norwegian movies, and has received several awards....
, and their ascent from being billboard hangers to getting their own segment in a popular talk show. According to Cleve Broch, "it was a challenge to make all the storylines affect my character and the way he sees things". The film was well received by critics, who highlighted its "perfect cast", and were impressed with what was coined a "new generation of [Norwegian] film actors".
In 2004, Cleve Broch took on another film role alongside Aksel Hennie, this time in Uno
Uno (film)
Uno is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Aksel Hennie, who also stars in the film. The film was hailed by critics, and won Hennie an Amanda Award for Best Director.-Plot:...
(2004), a drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
set in a shady gym
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Cleve Broch plays Morten, the best friend of David (Hennie). The film was a critical success. Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
and Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
both rated it 5 out of 6, while Birger Vestmo of NRK P3
NRK P3
NRK P3 is one of three nation-wide analogue radio channels operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established as NRK's third radio channel in 1993, and focuses on youth culture: principally music, together with humour, entertainment, and health education.Over the years NRK P3...
gave it 6/6. Vestmo praised Cleve Broch for believably portraying the cowardly Morten, while Adresseavisen
Adresseavisen
Adresseavisen is a regional newspaper published daily, except Sundays, in Trondheim, Norway. It is an independent, conservative newspaper with a daily circulation of approximately 85,000. It is also informally known as Adressa. The newspaper covers the areas of Trøndelag and Nordmøre.Adresseavisen...
commended Cleve Broch and Hennie for their "spontaneous interplay". In 2006, Cleve Broch starred opposite Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp is a Norwegian actress. Her first film appearance was in The Woman of My Life . She has received an Amanda award for her roles both as Trude Eriksen in Svarte penger, hvite løgner , and as Nina Skåtøy in the film Gymnaslærer Pedersen .Torp was named a "Shooting Star" at the Berlin...
in Uro
Uro (film)
Uro is a 2006 Norwegian crime film starring Nicolai Cleve Broch and Ane Dahl Torp. It was directed by Stefan Faldbakken. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
, a crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
directed by Stefan Faldbakken
Stefan Faldbakken
Stefan Faldbakken is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. His film Uro was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Kosmonaut * Anolit * Uro...
. His portrayal of the undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
police officer Hans Petter "HP" Hansen was generally well received. Nettavisen
Nettavisen
Nettavisen was the first Norwegian online newspaper that was not established in relation to a pre-existing real-life newspaper. It started up on 1 November 1996...
s reviewer felt that Cleve Broch carried the film, and praised him for "brilliantly unfolding Hans Petter's troubled mind". Both he and Dahl Torp were nominated for Amanda Awards, for "Best Leading Actor" and Best Leading Actress", respectively.
Cleve Broch once again starred alongside Hennie in Max Manus
Max Manus (film)
Max Manus is a Norwegian 2008 biographic war film based on the real events of the life of resistance fighter Max Manus . The story follows Manus from the Winter War against the Soviet Union, through the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation of Norway until peacetime in 1945...
, a 2008 war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
based on real events from the life of resistance fighter Max Manus
Max Manus
Maximo Guillermo "Max" Manus DSO, MC & Bar was a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II.Manus was born in Bergen to a Norwegian father and a Danish mother...
, played by Hennie. Cleve Broch portrays Gregers Gram
Gregers Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram MC MM was a Norwegian resistance fighter and saboteur. A corporal and later second lieutenant in the Norwegian Independent Company 1 during the Second World War, he was killed in 1944....
, fellow resistance fighter and best friend of Manus. Cleve Broch found it easy to play Hennie's best friend. "Once, many years ago, we were going to play friends, and while preparing for that, we hung out together every day for a whole summer", he recalled. In an interview on TV 2, he expressed pride that he performed all the stunts himself. In preparation for the film, the actors got to fire live ammunition, something "one rarely gets to do" in Norwegian film, according to Cleve Broch. He was once again critically lauded for his on-screen interactions with Hennie, particularly for being able to emphasize the special friendship and humour between Manus and Gram. He received an Amanda Award
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
nomination in the category "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" for his performance.
As an actor, Cleve Broch is noted for radically changing his appearance for his different roles, such a getting physically fit for Uno and Uro, growing a large beard and long hair for Den siste revejakta
Den siste revejakta
Den siste revejakta is a Norwegian film from 2008 based on the novel by the same name. The movie is a comedy/drama. It was filmed in 2007 and premiered on 29 August 2008. The movie is directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen....
, and bleaching his hair for his role in Max Manus.
Personal life
Nicolai Cleve Broch is married to his long-time girlfriend Heidi Gjermundsen Broch, who has received education at the Liverpool Institute for Performing ArtsLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts is, despite its young age, one of the United Kingdom's leading institutions for the performing arts. The university is situated in the English city of Liverpool...
, and the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre
Norwegian National Academy of Theatre
The Norwegian National Academy of Theatre was established as a three-year theater-education in 1953, under the name of Statens teaterskole.The school was given collegiate status in 1982...
. She got her break playing Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Sophie Caird , better known by her stage name Eliza Doolittle, is an English singer–songwriter from London, who signed to the Parlophone record label in October 2008. Her debut self-titled album, Eliza Doolittle was released on 12 July 2010, where it debuted at number 3 in the UK...
in Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater in Oslo is one of Norway's most visited theatres.The theatre opened in 1959 as a merge between Det Nye Teater and Folketeatret, and consists of four stages; Oslo Nye Hovedscenen, Oslo Nye Centralteatret, Oslo Nye Trikkestallen and Oslo Nye Caféscenen.-External links:*...
, and has also received attention for her roles in Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, and particularly as Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
in Piaf
Piaf
Piaf is a French word:* Édith Piaf* Musée Édith Piaf* Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record* Piaf * 3772 Piaf , a main-belt asteroid discovered on 1982 by L. G. Karachkina...
. The couple has two sons, Jakob and Jørgen. Cleve Broch is the half-brother of actress Ida Elise Broch.
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Sebastian | Ulf | |
| 2003 | Buddy Buddy (2003 film) Buddy is a Norwegian film from 2003. It was directed by Morten Tyldum after a script by Lars Gudmestad. The music was composed by Lars Lillo-Stenberg, known from the band DeLillos... |
Kristoffer Haukeland | |
| 2004 | Uno Uno (film) Uno is a 2004 Norwegian drama film, directed by Aksel Hennie, who also stars in the film. The film was hailed by critics, and won Hennie an Amanda Award for Best Director.-Plot:... |
Morten | |
| 2006 | Uro Uro (film) Uro is a 2006 Norwegian crime film starring Nicolai Cleve Broch and Ane Dahl Torp. It was directed by Stefan Faldbakken. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Hans Petter "HP" Hansen | Nominated - Amanda Award for Best Actor |
| 2007 | Lønsj | Marius | |
| 2008 | Den siste revejakta Den siste revejakta Den siste revejakta is a Norwegian film from 2008 based on the novel by the same name. The movie is a comedy/drama. It was filmed in 2007 and premiered on 29 August 2008. The movie is directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen.... |
Robert | |
| 2008 | Max Manus Max Manus (film) Max Manus is a Norwegian 2008 biographic war film based on the real events of the life of resistance fighter Max Manus . The story follows Manus from the Winter War against the Soviet Union, through the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation of Norway until peacetime in 1945... |
Gregers Gram Gregers Gram Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram MC MM was a Norwegian resistance fighter and saboteur. A corporal and later second lieutenant in the Norwegian Independent Company 1 during the Second World War, he was killed in 1944.... |
Nominated - Amanda Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 2010 | Essential Killing Essential Killing Essential Killing is a 2010 Polish political thriller film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski, starring Vincent Gallo and Emmanuelle Seigner.- Plot :... |
Helicopter Pilot | |