Per Christian Ellefsen started his impressive stage career at Sogn og
Fjordane's Theatre at the age of 23. In 1980 he became an employee of
Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo's New Theatre) where he soon met friend and
colleague Sven Nordin. Through the 1980s Nordin drifted into success in
television while Ellefsen remained a respected stage actor, well known
to the theater-going public, but far from a household name.
Ellefsen proved himself to be a cheerful comic actor in comedies and
musicals, turning in some memorable performances in children and family
plays such as the title role in Oslo Nye Teater's 1988 version of
"Karlsson på taket", based on Astrid Lindgren's popular childrens book.
His portrayal of Karlsson was hysterically funny sending kids and
adults alike screaming with laughter.
Despite rave reviews on stage, some supporting roles in TV and films,
it wasn't until 1999's Absolutt blåmandag (1999) he made a mark for himself on the big
screen, with a scene-stealing supporting role as an accident-prone
hairdresser in one of that years most popular Norwegian movies.
In 2000 success on the small screen followed, as the retarted 'Trosten'
in the popular drama-series Soria Moria (2000). Then, to finally seal his fate as
one of Norway's best loved actors, the same year he co-starred with his
old friend Sven Nordin on stage in "Brødre i blodet" (Brothers in
Blood), playing the mentally handicapped Elling opposite Nordin's
somewhat dim-witted oaf Kjell Bjarne. The show was based on a
successful series of books by Ingvar Ambjørnsen, and the huge stage
success made the public cry out for a Elling/Kjell-Bjarne-movie.
The movie-version, titled Elling (2001), premiered in 2001 with Ellefsen and
Nordin re-creating their roles for the big screen. "Elling" quickly
turned into a wide-spread phenomenon! Seen by 800,000 Norwegian
moviegoers (in a country with just 4.2 million people) it also became
the most successful Norwegian film in neighbouring Sweden and Denmark
ever!
As if this wasn't enough, the charming audience-pleaser "Elling" in
2002 received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language
Film, sending Ellefsen, co-star Sven Nordin, director Petter Næss and
producer Dag Alveberg on a (in Norway) highly publicized trip to
Hollywood celebrating the movies success. Per Christian Ellefsen had
finally hit the big time, not only becoming a household name in Norway
but also one of it's most recognizable and loved actors.
