Gísli Örn Garðarsson

Gísli Örn Garðarsson (born 15 December 1973) is an Icelandic actor and director. He is one of the founders of Vesturport, a theatre and film company based in Reykjavík, and is also sometimes a scriptwriter and producer. Before focusing on acting, he competed internationally as a gymnast.

Early life and education Gísli Örn was born in Reykjavík but grew up in Oslo. His father, Garðar Gíslason, is a teacher; his mother, Kolbrún Högnadóttir, worked for the publisher Fróði. Gísli Örn finished school at Hamrahlið College in Hlíðahverfi and studied Sociology at the University of Iceland and West European Studies at the University of Oslo before completing training in drama at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. He had wanted to study drama in Oslo but failed to gain entry. For many years he was a gymnast, competing for the Icelandic, Norwegian, and Danish national teams and belonging to the elite Ármann club together with Guðjón Guðmundsson, who was national champion in his age group for several years; he considered becoming a gymnastics coach but found it unappealing. He has since directed further stage productions, including an adaptation of Kafka's The Metamorphosis in association with David Farr and the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, which toured in many European countries and the US in addition to the UK and Iceland. Büchner's Woyzeck at the BAM Next Wave Festival in 2008, directed by Gísli Örn, was Vesturport's first appearance in the US; with the American Repertory Theater production of The Heart of Robin Hood, also written by Farr, he became the first Icelander to direct on Broadway. He has also acted as producer and scriptwriter in some Vesturport projects.

Gísli Örn's directorial work draws on his gymnastics experience and is often described as very physical and highly theatrical. Beginning with Woyzeck, the productions have often included music specially composed by Nick Cave. 2005: Georg Büchner's Woyzeck, with music by Nick Cave, Barbican Theatre, London, Brooklyn Academy of Music: director. 2006: adaptation of Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus, touring production with Kneehigh Theatre: main cast 2006–2013: adaptation of Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith; Dublin; National Theatre, Oslo; Cuvilliés Theatre, Munich; Kennedy Center, Washington; Paramount Center, Boston: director, scriptwriter with David Farr, Gregor 2008–2009: Don John, adaptation by Emma Rice of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Kneehigh Theatre, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon; Spoleto Festival USA: Don John 2010: Goethe's Faust: director, scriptwriter 2011: The Heart of Robin Hood, script by David Farr; Royal Shakespeare Company: director 2013–2015: The Heart of Robin Hood, American Repertory Theater: director 2023-present: Frozen, Det Norske Teatret, Oslo; The National Theater, Iceland; the City Theater, Stockholm; the City Theater, Finland: director

Selected filmography 2001: Dramarama: main cast 2003: Karamellumyndin: main cast 2004: Niceland (Population. 1.000.002) 2005: Beowulf & Grendel 2006: Children: main cast, screenplay, producer 2006: Áramótaskaupið (television) 2007: Foreldrar (Parents): producer 2008: Mannaveiðar (I Hunt Men): main cast 2008: Country Wedding 2010: Kóngavegur (King's Road): main cast, co-producer 2010: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010: Jitters 2010: Undercurrent: main cast, screenplay, producer 2011: Borgríki (City State) 2011: Korríró 2013: Spooks and Spirits: main cast 2014: Grafir & Bein (Graves & Bones) 2016: The Oath: main cast 2016: Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands (television): main cast 2017: Prisoners (television) 2018: One Night 2020: Ragnarok (TV series) (Netflix) 2021-2022: Blackport (series) 2023: Wild Game

Honours In addition to awards won by Vesturport, Gísli Örn received a Shooting Stars Award at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival for his role in Children. In June 2010 he was awarded the Order of the Falcon, Knight's Cross, for services to Icelandic culture.

Personal life Gísli Örn has a younger sister, Rakel.