Joel Kinnaman Discusses His Journey from Scandinavia to Mars, Upcoming Roles in ‘Detective Hole’, ‘For All Mankind’, and ‘Bishop’

With numerous shows to discuss, Netflix’s hit series featuring Detective Hole, based on Jo Nesbø’s acclaimed work, emerges as a timely focus.

Harry Hole

“There’s a level of extremity in his storytelling,” actor Joel Kinnaman remarks about Nesbø. Drawing from his own experience in the American adaptation of The Killing, Kinnaman notes that the author transcends the conventions of Scandi Noir. “He’s not bound by any sort of Scandinavian restraint in his storytelling. His imagination is remarkable and he’s so prolific,” he adds.

In the series, Kinnaman portrays Tom Waaler, a corrupt and volatile Swedish police officer. “He’s clearly not a good guy,” Kinnaman explains. “I defined him as a malignant narcissist. That was a psychological framework that I found useful. It’s like the step before a sociopath.”

Delivering his lines in Swedish, Kinnaman has taken the opportunity to delve deeper into Swedish-language projects.

“I realized I have another gear in Swedish that I haven’t used for 15 years,” he shares. “It has become so clear to me how important it is for me to do stuff regularly in Swedish. I’m now committed to doing at least one [Swedish-language] project every 18 months. My next project after Bishop is Swedish.”

Kinnaman describes his character as the son of a billionaire who has taken a radically different route in life. “His response to his childhood trauma was to become a police detective, but a very extreme type of police detective who flirts with death and has a need for adrenaline. It’s close to being suicidal being that adrenaline driven,” he explains.

Debriefing Becomes High Value

Shifting gears, Kinnaman discusses his role as an executive producer on High Value Target, a series now resonating amid renewed discussions surrounding conflict in the Middle East. In the show, originally developed for TNT as Debriefing the President, he plays John Nixon, the CIA agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein (Waleed Zuaiter). Although a launch date remains unconfirmed, the series is expected to debut later this year.

“It’s going to be so relevant because it’s about how the U.S. got into the Iraq War. The most maddening thing right now is how history is just repeating itself and it’s something that so clearly nobody wants. And I think this show definitely digs into some of the reasons [for the Iraq War]. It was built on a set of lies. They weren’t misunderstandings or miscalculations,” Kinnaman asserts.

The series is based on Nixon’s non-fiction book, ‘Debriefing the President.’ Kinnaman describes Nixon’s journey as compelling. “He was brought in, and he had drunk some of the Kool-Aid, but then comes to an understanding that, you know, this is all bullshit. This is just going to make things worse.”

As both lead actor and executive producer, Kinnaman expressed his enthusiasm for the project but acknowledged its demanding nature. “I’ve never worked that hard in my life. There were ten times the amount of headaches you get on a normal show and it was also a very taxing and demanding role. It was just heavy. I was close to getting burnt out. It was a bit like my ‘Heart of Darkness,’” he reveals.

Imperfect Women & For All Mankind

Following an exhausting shoot in Egypt, Kinnaman considered taking a break after finishing High Value Target. However, he soon found himself drawn to Apple’s Imperfect Women, alongside Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara.

“I said, ‘No, I’m not going back to work right away.’ Then I just started reading the material, and I thought, this is really fun. And I love all those actors so I got drawn in. I was so happy that I did it because it was so fun to be able to go in and not be the lead… just go in and just play,” he said.

Kinnaman is also involved in For All Mankind, which is currently in its fifth season. The Apple series, set against the backdrop of the Space Race, has evolved to address themes of human colonization on Mars.

“There’s tension around the movement for Martian independence and the identity of people in the Mars Colony. Their identity is moving more around being Martian. They are abandoning the internal politics of the countries that they came from and realizing that their future is there,” Kinnaman explains.

The narrative reflects contemporary terrestrial issues, he adds: “There’s very much a class struggle at its core and it’s also about immigration, because there are a lot of illegal settlers now on Mars that are coming up in containers and living in this colony.”

An attic of Husbands

Kinnaman also makes an appearance in the high-concept series The Husbands, produced by A24. “It was a fun, quick pop and sort of happened because I was already in the neighborhood,” he notes, describing his role as one of the many spouses of lead character Lauren, played by Temple. In a surreal twist, Lauren returns home to find a husband she does not recognize.

Kinnaman highlights the unique premise: “Her husband goes up in the attic, and another man comes down… all of a sudden she’s in this other version of her life with this new husband. And then when he goes up in the attic, another one comes down, and everything changes again. It’s like each husband is representing an alternate timeline. I come down and am her posh, wealthy Swedish husband and everything seems to be perfect, but actually she’s not happy.”

Amid ongoing projects as an actor and executive producer, Kinnaman also has plans for an indie film and a Swedish series. He expressed an interest in stepping behind the camera, stating, “I’m looking for projects to direct and that’s one of my next steps. I’ll probably find a project where I’m in it, but maybe not the lead. I actually have one thing in mind,” he hinted.