Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, known for playing Bond villain Le Chiffre and cannibal Hannibal Lecter, has taken on a new antagonist role as The Archer in the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. In an interview with fellow Scandinavian Andréa Oldereide, Mikkelsen discussed the game, artificial intelligence in acting, and his regrets about not serving in the military.
AI Can't Replace Actors
Mikkelsen, 60, expressed strong opposition to the idea of human actors being replaced by artificial intelligence. While he admitted it is technically possible, he said, "But it will never be the same. I mean actors are crossing their fingers, right? That that will never happen. I still think you can tell the difference whether it's actors in there or it's purely AI."
He acknowledged that the technology is here to stay but stressed the need for balance. "So we have to find a fine balance of that where hopefully we are not going to be redundant in the future. And there is a cooperation between that world and this world. So that it's not going away. So we have to find a way to do it together."
Playing The Archer
In Modern Warfare 4, Mikkelsen voices The Archer, a key antagonist in a storyline that heavily involves North Korea. Asked whether his character is a straightforward villain, he teased, "Depending on whose side you're on." He added, "He's called The Archer. It's the first time he appears kind of, but once we start rolling out the story, you will realise that he's been part of this franchise from the get-go and he has a very fantastic plan for how the world should look."
Despite joining one of gaming's biggest franchises, Mikkelsen insists he is not a hardcore gamer. He mainly knows Call of Duty through his two kids with wife Hanne, including 29-year-old son Carl. "If Pac-Man counts, yeah," he joked. "That's what I was playing when I was a kid. And then I skipped that whole next era, but then my son picked it up. So I've been watching what he's doing over his shoulder, but I can't say I'm a gamer. I'm going to play this game though, I promise."
Video Game Acting is Real Acting
Mikkelsen pushed back at the idea that video game acting is somehow "less than" film or TV. "Oh, we can definitely play the emotions," he said. "We're doing scenes and the scenes are not any different than what we do on theatre or on film. The big difference is that we don't have a real tank or we're not wearing the right clothing because it's a computer game. But we do act out the scenes as if it was a real film."
He laughed that his famous screen monster, Hannibal Lecter, would probably enjoy watching other people play the ultra-violent first-person shooter. "I think he would probably enjoy more [watching] other people playing it and see how they play it and then he will pick out which one has to live or not," he added.
North Korea Setting and Military Service
Mikkelsen called the game's North Korean setting "very exciting," offering a "different perspective on life." Asked if he would travel there himself, he said, "I would, depending on what my mission was to do that. To see the 'here is nobody starving look that way.' No."
Born in Copenhagen in 1965, Mikkelsen could have been drafted for military service, as all Danish residents are eligible for conscription at 18, though only a few places are allocated by lottery. "It's not that obligatory in the sense it's not everyone," he said. "We don't need the rest. Maybe just 15% of all 18-year-olds are getting drafted. I did not go to the military and I regret it actually. I think I would have had a great time there."
Asked what sort of soldier he would have been, he laughed: "Probably too young. I thought I was Bruce Lee for a long period of my life and that you can't really use that in the military, right?" He still believes military service can be important. "I think the discipline and camaraderie and recognising that the world is not just peace," he said. "What if someone wants the piece of your cake and your country? What are you going to do? So, I think that that's pretty healthy for everyone."
On Scandinavian rivalry, Mikkelsen said the countries share "brotherly jealousy between each other," especially in football, though they "cheer on each other when we didn't make it." He cannot picture a hypothetical Call of Duty where the Nordics fight each other: "I have a hard time seeing that… I think we figured out we have more in common. We probably just hook up and fight somebody else."
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is released on October 23 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
