007's latest nemesis on dancing, fighting with ashtrays and sinking ships� In his native Denmark Mikkelsen is already a big star. After appearing alongside Clive Owen as Tristan in King Arthur he went back to his roots for the sequel to his movie debut Pusher. A hard-hitting Danish Mean Streets, the Pusher trilogy is available on DVD now but you can catch Mikkelsen on the big screen slugging it out with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.

What's your favourite Bond film and who's your favourite villain?

I thought Jaws was great in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.

Are you happy to be the latest Hollywood hard man?

I don't know if I am that. Coming from Denmark it's mad to get this chance in a big Hollywood movie. I like the idea of being able to make films at home and have the opportunity to experience the big budget stuff too. It's the balance that as an actor I'm lucky to have found.

Who's harder � you or Daniel Craig?

You'll have to watch the movie to find out!

Does your background as a dancer help you with the physicality of your recent roles?

Yes, it's second nature for me to tap into the energy of a character like Tristan in King Arthur or Le Chiffre in Casino Royale. In the Pusher films Tonny is a livewire - he can't sit still. He's an edgy guy who you root for despite or even because of the fact that he's high all the time and on the verge of violence.

Did you always want to be an actor?

When I was a kid I wanted to be a policeman. The slow shift to becoming an actor began when I was a gymnast and was asked to be in a contemporary dance stage show. I landed on my feet and was a dancer for ten years. Then I went to theatre school. After graduating when I was 30 I got my big break when Nic Refn cast me as Tonny in Pusher.

Were you able to draw on any of your own life experiences when building Tonny's character in Pusher?

My emotional intensity is there but Tonny does things I would never do. Refn's script gave me the context but sometimes as an actor you go to dark places to relate to your character.

What was Nic Refn like to work with as a director?

He's the best. He works in a way that actors love. He gives us a lot of freedom as we talk about the script, research together and come up with new ideas. Then we are prepared to improvise on set but always aware of the end point of a scene so the story doesn't lose focus.

Is being given that 'freedom' by a director rare in your experience?

I try to bring that thought process to all the work that I do. Some movies, like Casino Royale, are more structured and you can't get away with it but it always helps me to build my character in this way.

Do you have ambitions to direct?

I already direct myself to some extent so maybe one day� But I've been fortunate to work with people who work with you instead of telling you where to stand, how to speak and so on.

Was it important for you that the shocks and violence in Pusher were credible and had resonance with the context of the story?

Definitely. It had to feel real. There are a lot of ways to do action. In the Pusher trilogy it's not about stunt men and explosions it's the raw interaction of two people.
 
Do you see the Pusher trilogy as a Danish Mean Streets?

Scorcese is the greatest. That kind of energy in film inspired Nic Refn and I. There are parallels between Jonny Boy and Tonny. Tonny is a fuck-up like De Niro's character - and they are both loveable rogues.

How do you see Tonny's future at the close of Pusher 2? Has he achieved redemption?

I don't think he's going anywhere. For once in his life he has taken a positive action in rescuing the child from its drug addict mother but I don't see hope for him. There are always going to be cops or bad guys around the corner.

How were the sequels received in Denmark?

The first film was a cult hit and Pusher 2 did very well. I think though that audiences � and critics � found the third instalment a difficult viewing experience. It's unflinching in tone and is perhaps Nic's way of celebrating his favourite film Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Body parts and food disposal units put some people off. (Laughs) But I like the different styles of the three films that follow three different characters.

Were you glad to go back to this character nearly ten years later?

Because I knew that there was a gallery of characters to support the story and make it believable I was happy to be involved. It was a challenge to portray a different side of Tonny in the sequel - plagued by his own demons and fighting failure.

What was it like shooting in public?

The first time nobody knew me. I think people thought we were shooting a documentary. We were nobodies. But for Pusher 2 we had to use smaller environments (by this time Mikkelsen had become a big star having won a Danish Oscar) to preserve the reality of the improvised scenes.

Have you changed as an actor ten years on?

I don't think I've changed but my surroundings have. From Hollywood back to Denmark I had some reservations about being Tonnny again. Did I have the energy to be this idiot again? But when I shaved off my hair it was like � OK he's back!

What actors have inspired you?

The American actors of the 70s had a big impact on me, particularly Harvey Keitel and Christopher Walken.

What do you love about making movies?

I like the way the camera can look into a character's soul. You can actually transform yourself into somebody else and not just pretend. You don't have to go to the audience you can bring the audience in to you. I enjoy the subtlety that film allows an actor.

What were the hardest scenes you had to shoot for Pusher?

In the first film I have a big fight with Frank (Kim Bodnia) in a bar. We traded some real blows but agreed beforehand to the rule that we would use each other's real name when we were hurt. But during the scene Kim hit me with a sugar glass ashtray that was supposed to break but he hit me in the temple and I blanked out and forgot the rule so he hit me with another ashtray. It was really heavy � a tough scene for both of us. In Pusher 2 it was kind of personally embarrassing for me in the scene with the two hookers where Tonny is snorting coke like a hoover but can't get it up. I was stood butt naked for seven hours!

What's next for you?

After Casino Royale I'm gonna have a break then start shooting with Refn for his next film Valhalla. It will have a big budget by Danish standards (�6m) because we need to build a replica Viking boat and sink it.