Jan Erik Berntsen

Jan Erik Berntsen (24 December 1944 – 21 August 2025) was a Norwegian actor and singer. He made his acting debut at Trøndelag Teater in 1964 and participated in over 130 productions at the theatre before retiring in 2014. At the Melodi Grand Prix 1971, he and Odd Børre performed "Ironside" and finished as runners-up.

Early life Berntsen was born on 24 December 1944 in Lillehammer. According to VG, Berntsen began performing in restaurants in Skien and Porsgrunn as a teenager. At 14, he sang as part of a travelling funfair, where his talent was noticed, and he was subsequently given the opportunity to perform at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. In December 1964, he released his debut single "Jeg vil komme når du ber meg", a Norwegian version of the Italian song "Una lacrima sul viso" on 's record company Troll Records. In 1968, he released his single "Bli her hos meg" on . He starred in the 1970 NRK music program Nye ansikter , which showcased emerging singers.

Berntsen submitted two songs to the Melodi Grand Prix 1971: "Enkle ord", performed solo, which placed eleventh, and "Ironside", performed with Odd Børre, which came second. At the Melodi Grand Prix 1972, he sang "Et hus på landet" with Eli Tanja, which placed fifth.

In the 2006 stage adaptation of Anne B. Ragde's novel , Berntsen played Krumme, the partner of Erlend . In the 2008 stage adaption of its sequel , Krumme and Erlend plan to start a family with a lesbian couple. Berntsen noted that the characters helped to normalise same-sex relationships. They had one son together called Jeppe Lund Aaker. In Bali, he met Su'udah, a woman from Java, 30 years his junior. When Leif died, he returned to Norway with Su'udah on 1 August 2002. They married on 3 March 2003 and settled in Fagerlia, Trondheim with Su'udah working as a cleaner at the theatre.