What has changed?

“I have always been very affected by how in demand I was. And when there’s been little demand, I’ve interpreted that as me not being a good actor. I’ve rarely ended a job without knowing what came next, but often there’s been a few months’ waiting time before the next production began. Which is a problem because of no money.”

How have you been handling that?

“Taking charge of my own career, I’ve worked a lot with the idea of me being not only an actor, but also an entrepreneur. I was employed by Aalborg Teater but I only had minor roles. Why the hell did they hire me in Aalborg if they weren’t using me for anything, I thought to myself. Frustrated. So I asked my director if it was okay for me to work on a monologue on the side. So I did. I turned the situation into something else and managed to get something out of it.”

What was the monologue?

“Ondskab (The Evil) by Jan Guillou. It’s 70 minutes long and it’s been a part of me ever since. I used it when I was searching for an agent in the UK. I rented a theater and performed the role for a group of agents I’d invited, and then picked one of the interested agents afterwards.”

To push your own career. That’s very proactive!

“Indeed. But nothing compares to the boost I got from The Square.”

You got a major breakthrough with that film. Tell us about it. How has that materialized?

“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but it has been crazy. When a film wins the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival everyone in the industry sees it.  It’s a showcase like no other. Producers, directors, casters. Suddenly they are looking my way. I have a great age for many roles. My English is good. I have 25 years of experience. And I’m strong enough to lead a film for 2,5 hours.
The film came out in 2016 and won in Cannes in May 2017. And then things went ballistic. I received 2-3 manuscripts each week that I could choose between. Some films were historic, some were contemporary, some were naturalistic. It was a cornucopia. And it still is. Today I’m basically free to choose a film based on the director, the script and the pay.”

Does it even feel like going to work at all?

“Yes it does. But there’s a playful element to the work that is very satisfactory. We’re playing. It’s cowboys and Indians. We are on set, we only have this scene and this day, and now is the time. It’s time to deliver. There’s a great sense of curiosity in it. It’s still interesting to see where we can take each scene, and I really like that exercise. But yes – it very much feels like work. You get up at 2 am in the middle of the night. Pick-up is at 3, you arrive at the set at 4, make-up from 4-6, shoot all day and then transfer back to your hotel. That’s what I call a day, to be honest.”

How much better an actor are you today that just a couple of years ago?

“Experience accumulates over time. You only get better by working. We grow when we do something we love, and I sense that I slowly but securely become a better actor day by day.

I guess the international part of your career has also done quite a bit?

“There is no proportionality between the amount of potential work I’ve been presented for in the last three years and my skillset. The actor who went to the casting for The Square was not 500% worse than he is today. I couldn’t have made The Square without the accumulated amount of work before that. And then it was just pure luck that Ruben needed a guy like me, and not a blond 26 year old.”

How do you land a role? Like what’s the actual process?

“Through my agent. He is the sales man, I’m the product. He receives a script, I read it. He’s doing a good job trying to pitch me to various roles, and then it’s up to me to deliver. With The Square I went to the casting in January and waited until March until the director Ruben Östlund called me back and told me I got the role.”

Is it always like that?

“No. Some productions are way faster. I did a casting with Netflix on Wednesday. On Thursday my agent called and told me that I was basically the only option for the role. On Saturday they confirmed.”

And when the job lands you get to work.

“When the job lands, I have to have the skills to do the job. My job is to serve the narrative and the director. I’m an instrument they can play. My job is to keep that instrument in tune and be able to deliver as many chords as possible. I’m incredibly proud that I’m able to fulfill another person’s vision.”

A Headlight alumni with a clear vision for his professional career, Claes Bang has seen an incremental rise in international roles over the latest years. From the tv-series The Affair and Dracula to film successes like The Square, Claes Bang continues to explore and develop his skills on the big screen.

We are always looking for people to be a part of our ever-growing community of alumni who wants to change work for the better. If you want to know how Headlight can play a role in your worklife, do not hesitate to get in touch. Take me to Headlight