Sven Nordin about “Commissioner Wisting”: Actors see parallels to his figure

Sven Nordin (68) has been putting on the role of Commissioner William Wisting for six years – and the connection to his figure is becoming increasingly intense. “Investigator Wisting has so much with me and my own life,” explains the 68-year-old Norwegian actor in an interview with Spot on News. “We are both twin fathers, and my work as an actor is also a 24/7 job.”

The new season of the successful crime series, which is based on the Nordic Noir novels by Jørn Lier Horst (55), runs on June 8th and 9th in the first. The case “The Lake of Forgetting” leads the Commissioner into the dark secrets of his hometown Larvik.

Why Scandinavian crime novels are so successful internationally has a simple reason for Nordin: “I think what people find fascinating abroad is the great contrast between life in open countries such as the Scandinavian and all the darkness that can still be found under the quiet surface.” “Wisting”, however, differs from other Nordic Noir formats: “I consider Wisting as a so-called Slow Crime. It is more of a police series in which the characters make mistakes and behave as people probably do in real life.”

The Norwegian landscape also plays a special role in the series – and that is no coincidence. “Jørn Lier Horst is very satisfied that we have decided to shoot most of Wisting in the landscape in which his books actually play,” reports the actor. This landscape is not often shown in Norwegian drama series, according to Nordin, “but I find the combination of the beautiful coastline and the fields of farmers in this area very fascinating and a perfect background for a crime series”.

The author personally confirmed that Sven Nordin is the right line -up for the investigator. “I remember how Jørn Lier Horst visited the set at the beginning of the first season,” says the actor and continues: “After the shooting he came to me and thanked. He said I would go like a police officer like a police officer and act like a policeman. That really sweetened the day.”

The emotional connection to his role has grown steadily over time. “During all of these years, our relationship has become increasingly narrower, I bring in more details, and the winning figure is becoming more personal and emotional for me.”

Despite the dark topics that the series deals with, Nordin manages to switch off relatively quickly after the shooting. “I am not very influenced by method acting. As soon as we end the work, I will return to my own, undramatic life,” he explains pragmatically. “I’m really looking forward to a nice meal and a good glass of wine.”

Speaking of private life, a particularly surreal moment occurred during the shooting of the current season: “One of the crime scenes was only filmed by our family holiday home. The Association of Fiction and Real Life in a very strange way,” says Nordin.

He recognizes another parallel in the relationship between Wisting and his daughter Line. “Line Wisting is very different from my two twin daughters,” he admits. “But to a certain extent I could sometimes feel bad because I always spend too much time with my own work instead of taking care of my family.”

The international success of the series opened Nordin new possibilities as an actor. “It is of course wonderful that Wisting has become such a great success worldwide,” he says. His wishes for the future are still related to the crime series: “The simple answer to this question is that Hopefully Viaplay decides to make a sixth winning relay. That would make both words and me happy.”