WORDS Ciara Forristal
“I don’t like portraying characters that end up being fulfilled, that learn something from life.” For Pilou Asbæk, his role as troubled spin-doctor Kasper Juul in acclaimed Danish political drama Borgen, is the epitome of such a complex, engaging, and above all, human character. Asbæk described Kasper as somewhat Machiavellian in nature, “he’s a liar and a cheating bastard”, however it is his determination to overcome such flaws and failings, and his continuous progression and regression, that makes Kasper not only a nuanced, but compelling character.
In season two of Borgen, the audience sees the strain of Kasper’s continuous attempts to maintain a hold of both his professional and personal life. Like Mad Men’s enigmatic Don Draper, Kasper’s past is too shrouded in mystery and is constantly on the brink of unraveling due to his relationship with political journalist Katrine Fønsmark. However, was such a backstory necessary to provide an explanation for Kasper’s character? Asbæk believed that Kasper “would be interesting enough as being a dark lord, the guy who craved for power” and that, to a certain extent, the explanation of child abuse at the hands of his father was too convenient an explanation for so complex a character. Although, such a storyline can be seen as a cliche, Asbæk argued that it was how the cliches were used to create Kasper’s story that ensured that the quality of the show wasn’t compromised. Moreover, Asbæk stated that if it hadn’t been for the abuse storyline, there wouldn’t have been the scene with Katrine in which he presents her with a box containing the newspaper articles pertaining to the trial involving his father — “that’s one of my favourite scenes of the show”.
Along with theatre commitments, it was this sense of closure that Asbæk stated was one of the primary reasons for his limited screen time on the final season of Borgen. Had Asbæk ever envisioned that Kasper was capable of achieving such closure? “No, and I think if I had done [all of] season three . . . I would have created another sad story for Kasper Juul.” The third season jumps forward two and a half years and although Kasper and Katrine have had a son, Gustav, they are no longer together. The dissolution of this tumultuous relationship, which had been a key staple in the previous two seasons, was inevitable according to Asbæk: “He has to end on a dark note; there’s never going to be a romantic comedy with Kasper Juul.”
Asbæk insists that the blurred lines between Kasper’s personal and private life are grounded in reality due to the insularity of the Danish nation, “in Denmark a political spin doctor can be with a journalist, it’s happened many times”. Moreover, the realistic nature of the show has led to Asbæk receiving many invitations to attend political dinners, to advise Danish politicians and to recite speeches — invitations he has yet to accept, as “that’s the moment that fiction becomes real”. Perhaps, being involved in a political drama, with the power plays and machinations of the state under his belt, Asbæk has become all too aware of the threat of manipulation and exploitation: “I don’t want to be used as a pawn because that’s what they would do, they would claim Borgen, they would claim Kasper Juul or Birgitte Nyborg because they were so popular and half of the Danish population saw this show”.
However, Asbæk believes that through Borgen Danish politicians have been given a “fulfilling picture” of the compromises and struggles that are involved in negotiations involving pension plans, centre-left alliances and preparation for televised debates. Such activities, which are considered mundane by most, comprise a large section of the show that garners ratings of approximately one million viewers. It is a credit to the show that not only does it captivate audiences, but also educates Danish and international audiences alike to become more aware of their political circumstances; as Asbæk stated “that’s the beautiful thing about fiction, it can give you knowledge”. Uncannily, the show’s strong female lead, Sidse Babett Knudsen as Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg, foreshadowed real developments in Danish politics when in 2011 Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the leader of a centre-left coalition became prime minister. The show has also been responsible for the raising of issues such as the rights of prostitutes, rendition flights from Greenland on behalf of the CIA, as well as the condition of pig-farming in the production of their renowned bacon. Its issues are grounded in the realities facing Danish politicians and Asbæk stated that this attributes to the success of the show, “there’s nothing written in that television series that couldn’t happen in real life. Actually ninety-five per cent of it has happened”.
Despite its international success, Asbæk stated that it was never the intention of the writers for it to be international; it was intended primarily to be a “small Scandinavian drama with a small Scandinavian cast with a story that developed within the characters”. With talks of an American remake in development, how well does Asbæk believe this transference will be? Americans, he believes, are unaccustomed to European films and series that are “very slow tempo and character driven”. Borgen, is more realistic in its approach to politics than Sorkin’s The West Wing, which to a certain extent belittled the opposite political party. Moreover, unlike Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom, Borgen does not portray journalists as crusaders against corrupt politicians, but instead highlights the compromises and blurred lines that both professions are required to make for the benefit of the public. However, Asbæk believes that Borgen and shows like The Newsroom are in their essence idealistic and that it is important in a television series to “try to up the standards” in their content. On who Asbæk would like to play Kasper Juul in the American remake? Mad Men’s Vincent Karthesier whose portrayal of the volatile and philandering Pete Campbell would make him a prime candidate, “he’s a great actor, I would love him to play Kasper Juul”.