We were lucky to catch up with Gjermund Gjesme recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gjermund thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Oh, boy. There are so many I could choose from — touring the U.S. for a year, learning how to play ice hockey for my first feature film, performing Macbeth in New York, or filming Troll 2 last year. Each of those marked a milestone, a highlight, or a fresh challenge. But the project I’m most excited about right now is a little short film called Manhattanite — a goofy, surprisingly layered mockumentary premiering at the Norwegian Short Film Festival in June.

Sometimes, it’s incredibly freeing to break away from the constraints—however brilliant—of honoring Shakespeare’s language or navigating a blockbuster budget. Manhattanite gave me that freedom. Shot on a Super 8 camera from the ’70s, it felt like a love letter to my adopted home, New York City, and a celebration of its eccentric characters.

Directed and written by my longtime friend and collaborator, Sascha Taylor Larsen, the film follows an energetic but lost New Yorker who seeks connection and identity by slipping into the lives of others. It’s absurd and funny—and something I’m proud of.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Outside of acting, I’m into rock climbing, reading, writing, and photography. But enough about me—how are you? Good? Okay, great.

It’s been about ten years since I graduated from acting school, and thankfully, I’m still learning. Not just about the craft itself, but about what I actually want to spend my time on. These days, I look for projects that offer some kind of artistic reward or creative challenge. I’ve found myself drifting away from the types of jobs I took on earlier in my career. I do fewer projects now, but I think the ones I choose hold a higher standard — and I make a real effort to maintain artistic integrity. That said, sometimes it’s enough if a job is just a good time.

Looking back at this past year, I’m proud of the range: I voiced the lead in a stunning animated adaptation of Sult (Classical Norwegian novel by Knut Hamsun), returned to the stage for Macbeth, acted in the blockbuster action film Troll 2, and wrapped it all up with the wonderfully chaotic short film Manhattanite. That’s a satisfying slate for me—one that reflects the kind of career I want to keep building: versatile, challenging, and full of surprises.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In February 2020, I was filming the Netflix horror film Cadaver in the Czech Republic — actually in the same casino used in Casino Royale — when the pandemic hit. Everything shut down. I had to return to Norway, and with no acting work in sight, it felt like the momentum I’d built vanished.

So, I eventually borrowed my brother’s car and drove three days north — past the Arctic Circle — where I got a job cutting Atlantic cod on the docks. I worked 100-hour works weeks in the cold until I could eventually make it back to the U.S.

It wasn’t the plan, but it kept me moving. And I’m really good at cutting fish now.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

To consistently work on projects that bring me joy. That joy might come from the playfulness of the process, the impact the work has on audiences, or from feeling myself grow through the challenge.

That doesn’t mean the projects have to be “joyous” in tone — some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done has been dark or emotionally difficult. But if the experience offers meaning, discovery, or connection, that’s the kind of work I want to keep doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gjermundgjesme.com
• Instagram: gjermspiration

Image Credits

All images are stills from Manhattanite, by Sascha Taylor Larsen