Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’s Michael Nyqvist Passes Away at 56

Swedish Actor Michael Nyqvist has passed away at the age of 56 after his bout with lung cancer on Tuesday, June 27, 2017. He was best known for his role as Journalist Mikael Blomkvist in the 2009 adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009). Photo by Knut Koivisto.

Michael Nyqvist’s Acting Achievements

Nyqvist was born on November 8, 1960 in Stockholm, Sweden. Born Rolf Åke Mikael Nyqvist, he started out his acting careed at the School of Drama in Malmö. His first major film breakthrough was back in 2000, in the film called “Together” directed by Lukas Moodysson. He then went on to star in “The Guy in the Grave Next Door,” a sSwedish rom-com, and then starred as Daniel Daréus in 2004’s “As It Is In Heaven,” one of the most-watched Swedish films and Academy Award-nominated for Best Foreign Film.

Michael Nyqvist in As It s In Heaven (2004). Photo by Lorber Films.

But with these other acting achievements, he was best known and internationally recognized for his role as Mikael Blomkvist in the Swedish adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” and “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest” back in 2009.

Nyqvist also starred in several American action films, where he played Serbian terrorist Nikola Kozlow in the Taylor Lautner-starred 2011 film “Abduction,” a madman named Cobalt in “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, and a Russian mob boss in 2014’s “John Wick.”

Samuli Edelmann and Michael Nyqvist in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). Photo by Joe Lederer/Paramount Pictures.

Aside from his acting career, Nyqist also published an autobiography titled “Just After Dreaming” in 2011. It talks about his childhood memories, his adoption and how he tracked down his biological parents at the age of 30.

Michael Nyqvist’s Cause of Death

In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Nyqvist passed away today after years of battling lung cancer. A statement by his family read:

“Michael’s joy and passion were infectious to those who knew and loved him. His charm and charisma were undeniable, and his love for the arts was felt by all who had the pleasure of working with him.”