Renate Reinsve and Nils Ole Oftebro have joined Haugesund’s Walk of Fame.
“It’s a celebration of hard work and [a sign of] someone rooting for you and appreciating what you’re doing, giving you this loving push in the direction you’re going,” Reinsve told Variety.
“I never thought it would be possible. I was a very nerdy, shy kid, and although I loved the craft, I never saw myself being honored like this.”
She couldn’t attend the lively ceremony in person, however, as she’s now on set having recently reunited with her “The Worst Person in the World” director.
“We started shooting Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’ this week. It’s surreal and fantastic to actually be on set together again, after everything that happened last time,” she told Variety.
Renate Reinsve
Credit: Haugesund Film Festival
Their last collab, nominated for two Academy Awards, brought Reinsve a BAFTA nomination and an award at Cannes for Best Actress.
“I’ve worked in theatre my whole life. I loved that, and even though I dreamed of being in films, it seemed very far away,” she recalled. Since then, she has acted in “A Different Man,” “Another End” and “Presumed Innocent,” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
“I feel that Norwegian cinema is really coming up and that directors inspire each other to push boundaries and find their own voices,” she said, admitting she feels “proud” to be celebrated alongside her “colleagues and teachers.” But she approaches stardom with caution.
“When I was younger, I used to think I would be scared of losing the joy of the craft if anything like that ever happened. I guess I’m still a little scared. I try to focus on work, but I enjoy the praise. Being able to do projects in an environment you know, with the people you’ve known for a long time, might make it harder [for you] to lose yourself.”
To actor Nils Ole Oftebro, local events like the one in Haugesund are crucial.
“Not every film gets into international markets. Local festivals are what all these ‘young trees’ need in order to grow, feel seen and appreciated. If it wasn’t for events like this, so many people would never receive any kind of recognition. Imagine: no applause, no acclaim, no nothing,” he said.
Nils Ole Oftebro
Credit: Haugesund Film Festival
“Renate is a young woman starting out in the industry – I’m an old man on my way out. The industry is changing a lot, and politicians are questioning whether they should even give governmental support to artists, but these ‘young trees’ will die without it. Only the biggest ones will survive.”
Recently seen in the series “Pernille” – “It was among the best things written in Norway, it had the warmth and the depth” – Oftebro also appeared in “Black Lake” or “Thrane’s Methode,” which scored him his second Amanda Award. Still, he isn’t too interested in the past.
“I don’t like to talk too much about it or about the things I am proud of or not. When you make a film or a show, it’s like a love affair. The question is not whether I love my wife but if my wife loves me. We make films for the audience and they decide if we should get this thing planted on the street. When they do, maybe it means all this effort was actually worth something,” he laughed.
“What I really think about my films is not so important. What the audience thinks about them – that’s what matters.”
According to Nina Samdal of the Walk of Fame committee, Reinsve and Oftebro were chosen for their contributions to the “professionalism and quality of the Norwegian acting community.”
“Since his theatre debut in 1967, Nils Ole Oftebro has worked himself into the role of Norway’s perhaps most beloved actor. He has starred in close to 100 films and series, while Renate Reinsve skyrocketed after the Cannes premiere of ‘The Worst Person in the World.’ We are looking forward to honoring these great actors,” she said ahead of the ceremony.
