What Is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Net Worth and Salary?
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is a Danish actor, producer, and screenwriter with a net worth of $16 million. He is widely recognized for his role as Jaime Lannister on "Game of Thrones," Detective John Amsterdam in the TV series "New Amsterdam," and Frank Pike in the Fox TV film "Virtuality."
Salary
For his role in "Game of Thrones," Nikolaj Coster-Waldau earned a remarkable $1.1 million per episode.
Early Life
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was born on July 27, 1970, in Rudkobing, Denmark to librarian Hanne Coster and Jorgen Oscar Fritzer Waldau. He has two older sisters and was primarily raised by his mother in Tybjerg, a small village in southern Zealand, following his parents' divorce. From 1989 to 1993, he studied at the Danish National School of Theater and Contemporary Dance, making his stage debut as Laertes in "Hamlet."
Early Career
Nikolaj's role in the 1994 film "Nightwatch" brought him fame in Denmark. He starred in and co-wrote "Wildside," followed by his appearance in "Misery Harbour." His British film debut came in 1997 with "Bent," co-starring Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Mick Jagger.
In 2001, Coster-Waldau appeared in Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" as Gary Gordon, which launched his career in the United States. He had significant roles in "Enigma," "My Name Is Modesty," and "Wimbledon," and worked again with Ridley Scott in "Kingdom of Heaven." In 2007, he starred as John Amsterdam in the TV series "New Amsterdam."
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Mainstream Success
Coster-Waldau's portrayal of Jaime Lannister in HBO's "Game of Thrones" won him numerous accolades such as a Primetime Emmy Award, Saturn Award, and several People's Choice Award nominations.
During "Game of Thrones," he starred in films such as "Blackthorn" with Sam Shepard, and "Headhunters," which became the highest-grossing Norwegian film to date. His role in "Mama" alongside Jessica Chastain debuted at No. 1 at the U.S. box office and grossed $140 million worldwide. Other notable films include "Oblivion," "A Thousand Times Good Night," "A Second Chance," "Gods of Egypt," "Small Crimes," and "Shot Caller."
In 2018, he became the global spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris's Men Expert line. He starred in "Domino" by Brian De Palma and "Suicide Tourist" by Jonas Alexander Arnby in 2019. That same year, he launched his production company, Ill Kippers, and starred in the thriller "Silencing" in 2020.
Personal Life
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau resides near Copenhagen with his wife, Nukaka, a Greenlandic actress and singer, their two daughters, Saffina and Philippa, and their two dogs. The couple married in 1997. His father-in-law, Josef Motzfeldt, is a member of the Parliament in Greenland and a former leader of the Inuit Community Party.
Nikolaj is also an avid supporter of the Leeds United football club and is a member of the Leeds United Supporters' Trust.
Philanthropy
Since 2003, Coster-Waldau has been an advocate for the Danish Red Cross. In 2015, he launched a "Game of Thrones" campaign contest to support the RED foundation for AIDS awareness. As a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador since 2016, he focuses on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to combat poverty, inequality, and climate change, emphasizing women's empowerment.
In 2017, he partnered with Google to document global warming impacts in Greenland using Street View. He also participated in a female empowerment initiative in Kenya on International Women's Day. In 2018, he signed a manifesto with other Danish artists demanding zero tolerance for sexual harassment and sexism in the film and arts industry. In 2019, he visited Rwanda to highlight the country's progress and toured the Amazon rainforest to raise awareness about climate change.
