Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson
- Actor
- Writer
Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson is an award-winning Icelandic actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He is best known internationally for portraying Harald Hardrada, the last Viking king, in the BBC/CBS series King & Conqueror.
Sveinn Ólafur graduated from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts in 2006, having previously studied philosophy at the University of Iceland. He works extensively in film, television, and theater.
His film credits include Summerlight and Then Comes the Night (2022), The County (2019), and Heartstone (2016), for which he received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Edda Awards. He also starred in the TV series Happily Never After (2019, 2024), earning a nomination for Best Leading Actor.
Sveinn Ólafur co-wrote and starred in Either Way (2011) and the TV mini-series Manners, receiving a Best Leading Actor nomination for the former and winning Best TV Drama for the latter. He was additionally nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Metalhead (2013).
In addition to his Icelandic work, he has appeared in European and American productions.
