Iceland review - 2016, Page 18

16 ICELAND REVIEW
established, and who ruled. The sagas are, in essence, our
mirror.
In recent years, your focus has been more on theater
than film or television. Do you prefer the theater?
The fact that I’ve focused on theater has been determined
by the roles I’ve been offered, but surely I like theater the
most. My energy fits the stage much better and that’s what
I’m much better at and what I’m trained in. Also, I’m not
the typical Icelandic beauty. If I’m offered a role in film,
it’s oftentimes the role of a strange German or French
woman. [Brynhildur later adds that she doesn’t get offered
many film roles that interest her but says she hopes that
will change.]
Which character has appealed to you the most?
I think I understand Njáll better than any other charac-
ter. I understand what it is that defeats him and makes
him realize that he must give up. [Saga hero Egill
Skallagrímsson’s nurse, the slave] Brák is the voice that
breathes through a play of more than 30 characters, all
of whom I played. That’s a different story. [Édith] Piaf
is a role that has always been with me. I got to know her
through song, but she and I are complete opposites.
To what do you attribute your suc-
cess as an actress?
I guess I’ve been the right person at
the right time, and directors, such as
Þorleifur Örn, who gave me the role
of Njáll, have had the guts to give me
demanding roles. This is endless work,
and I’ve put tremendous effort into get-
ting to where I am. You need to put ener-
gy and ambition into every role, big and
small. You’ve got to be professional and
be ready to work with others. Theater
is all about cooperation. We’re nothing
without one another. I’m just insanely
hard-working.
What makes a good director?
The best director says: “Yes, and…”
but never, “No, but…” He’s unafraid to
listen and he waits, and he lets you take
on the role, and he allows you to make
mistakes, and he helps you reach shore,
and he has courage, and he trusts. A good
director doesn’t have a clear idea of what
the show will be like. He chooses people
to work with and he works with them.
That’s professionalism and courage, and
that’s what it means to be an artist
throughout. The dangerous, flammable
works are the most exciting, where you
don’t know where you’re going. Þorleifur
Örn and Baltasar Kormákur are directors
who take this route and whose courage
amazes me.
What’s the role of theater in society?
I find it fascinating that in a nation of
330,000 people, we have three profes-
sional theaters and that every year people
are willing to lend us money by purchas-
ing season tickets. In most other coun-
tries, theater is for the elite alone, but not
the general public. Here, ticket prices
are kept at a minimum, while abroad
they’re often expensive. Theater is essen-
tial, because it reflects our society. If we
don’t look at ourselves in the mirror that
theater is, then we can’t understand who
we are. u
X Q
“The issue
was not
whether the
actor was
a man or
a woman.
The
question
was who fit
the role
and was
best able to
interpret it.”