"Game of Thrones" actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau arrives in Kyiv: spends night in metro shelter. VIDEO&PHOTOS
Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for playing Jaime Lannister in the American TV series "Game of Thrones", visited Kyiv and went down into the capital’s metro on 28 October to spend the night.
India Global Review and Reuters reported this, according to Censor.NET.
Night in the metro
According to Reuters, which published a series of photographs, the actor went down into the metro amid the threat of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. The photographs show him first riding in a carriage and then setting up a folding bed on the platform.
Coster-Waldau explained his visit: "It’s all about raising awareness and making sure that people don’t forget that there is a country that is holding up well but needs help from the international community, especially now as winter approaches."
Spotted in Podil
Coster-Waldau was also spotted at a bar in Kyiv’s Podil district. Threads user Vita Zadorozhnia posted a photograph with the actor, captioning it: "Everyday life in Kyiv with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau."
Veteran’s performance
During his visit, the actor attended a performance of an excerpt from the one-man show "One-Day Hero", a production by the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theatre. The show’s author and performer is Volodymyr Tuka, a theatre actor, musician and veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Coster-Waldau told Suspilne that the performance had made a powerful emotional impression on him: "I was very moved by the performance, and I think the attempt to put the madness of the last four years into words was a very brave step; the actor’s generosity in sharing his story was very moving."
He also spoke about meeting a man named Serhii who had lost his sight and both legs in the war. Coster-Waldau added that he struggles to grasp the scale of what Ukrainians have experienced.
According to the actor, the realisation of how easy it is to become detached from the war when living in another country is what troubles him:
"People are people, we all… we are very, very similar, whether you are Danish, Ukrainian, American or Japanese — it doesn’t matter, it’s the same. And I think we must insist on telling this story of our shared humanity."
Who is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau?
A Danish actor, producer, and screenwriter who rose to worldwide fame for playing Jaime Lannister in HBO’s "Game of Thrones" (2011–2019), earning two Emmy nominations for the role. He was born on 27 July 1970 in Rudkøbing, Denmark, and graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993. He became known in his home country after starring in the thriller "Nightwatch" (1994), and made his Hollywood debut in Ridley Scott’s war drama "Black Hawk Down" (2001).
He appeared in "Headhunters", "Oblivion" and the historical drama "Against the Ice", which he also co-wrote.
Since 2016, he has served as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on climate change and gender equality.
Coster-Waldau has repeatedly voiced strong support for Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In April 2022, he joined the global Stand Up for Ukraine campaign organised by Global Citizen. The initiative aimed to raise funds and draw global attention to the needs of refugees and people affected by the war.
