Don't worry about not fitting in. The things that make people think you're weird are what makes you you, and therefore your greatest strength.
Birgitte Hjort Sorensen
When I was a kid, my sisters and I used to get a little present in our stocking each day of December, usually an ornament, some sweets, or a little toy.
In Copenhagen, we all ride bicycles everywhere, partly because it is impossible to park a car, but also because you can cross the city in 20 minutes on a bike.
For me, art is like a big support group, where you go and meet people who think the same way, and you go, 'Okay, I'm not nuts.'
I think one of the reasons 'Borgen' has such a following is because the characters are quite positive people.
On Christmas Eve, we have a duck or roast pork with caramelised potatoes, braised red cabbage and gravy. For dessert, we have ris a l'amande, a rice pudding, and whoever gets the whole almond in it wins an extra present. Then we dance around the tree and sing carols.
Singing and dancing are the greatest emotional outlets you can have.
On a perfect weekend, I'll stay in bed until I am rested, though I am not someone who sleeps late. Then I'll go for a run through the parks nearby, even if it is frosty and cold, and I love meeting friends for brunch. You know you are truly on a day off if you have time to do brunch.
In film or TV work, you can have this amazingly dramatic pause, and they'll just edit it out.
Acting and singing were just a hobby, but getting into drama school made me realise I could actually do it for a living.
I was a good student - a geek, really - editor of the school paper, thought I was going to go to university.
The thing with drama is you're allowed to invent people who are maybe slightly better than real people.
When I was starring as Roxie Hart in 'Chicago,' I got my stiletto heel caught in my fishnet tights and fell flat on my face. It was incredibly painful and not something you can cover up.
If you go for an audition, you have a character description, and for the women, it's always about being beautiful, sexy. And for the men it's more about the character than how he appears physically. That annoys me.
If I can iron out my accent, it opens up another world of possible jobs. Whereas if you have that very strong European accent, it leaves you always being cast as the Hungarian maid or the stripper or whatever. I have voice lessons, and my coach has given me different tongue-twisters to rehearse at home.
At some point, they must do a 'Borgen' tour in Copenhagen. Like the 'Sex and the City' tour, but on bicycles.
Any director or writer or artist has the right to do what they want to do - freedom of expression is something I celebrate.
I've been told that no one knows what happens in the future on 'Game of Thrones.' To my knowledge, I've shot one episode. So I'm as excited as anyone else to find out what happens.
When I approach any script, I always try to find what I would relate to most in it.
After 'Pitch Perfect' premiered, I've got so many sweet expressions from people who enjoyed 'Pitch Perfect' and now the episode of 'Game of Thrones.'
I have a problem with fashion magazines sometimes - they seem to have these dogmas or uniforms. 'This is the way you must look; this is this season's must-have.' I really resent the phrase 'must-have.' I prefer to decide for myself what I think is beautiful or fashionable.
I've done so much travelling in the past few years, and when you travel, you realise that we do actually have a cool, clean look in Scandinavia - it's not just Denmark - which I think brings peace if you have it in your home.
Right before I graduated from the national theatre school, I got the part of Roxie Hart in 'Chicago' in Copenhagen. That led to me playing it here in London. I was 26 when I came over for that. It was the first thing I did as a professional, and it is still the experience of my life.
I've tried to pitch 'Borgen - the Musical,' but they just won't listen to me!
I used to watch a lot of American and British television as a child, which helped teach me the language and accents; it was partly that which landed me the part of Roxy in a London production of 'Chicago' when I was 25.
Usually, when you get early versions of scripts, they are not very good. I found 'Borgen' amazing from the very first read-through because of how fast-paced and gripping it was. It felt more international because of the way it didn't dwell on the characters' personal lives as many Danish shows used to, but still, nobody thought it would travel.
Quite a lot of British women stop working when they have children, and that is rarely the case in Denmark. We have a very flat, structured way of approaching everything. Nobody's the boss. In a sense, we're all equal.
Whenever I have a few hours to dive into a book, I am happy.
Strong female leads make more of an impact in the U.K. than in Denmark.
In the U.K., journalists are a little bit more ruthless than in Denmark. I have a feeling the tabloid press in the U.K. is pretty harsh.
It's the prerogative of the writer to rewrite the world into one he would like to exist.
I ride my bike past the Danish Parliament, and it's very accessible - there's really no security!
I adore Copenhagen, where I live, but I'm really drawn to New York.
I'd love to play a villain in BBC drama 'Sherlock' - some sort of evil, slinky blonde would be right up my street.
In many senses, 'Borgen' was a very democratic show. I was always invited to hear the writers' thoughts for the next episodes and allowed to comment on them.
'Coriolanus' deals with the birth of democracy. And that has been fascinating because I've been talking about politics so much because of 'Borgen.' It's a nice bridge.
