Actor Jørgen Langhelle is dead – VG

The famous actor Jørgen Langhelle turned 55 years old. He died of cardiac arrest on the night of August 3 in his own home. Among other things, he leaves behind two children. The family is aware that the death is mentioned.

– The family is in mourning, says his former manager Harald Singsaas Dal, who worked as the actor’s manager from 2006–2015.

– It is with great sadness that we have learned about his untimely death, says Dal on behalf of himself and Langhelle’s agent Martin Braathen.

He describes Langhelle as a warm and empathetic person.

– As a professional, there was no one above and no one next to when he was at his best – with his charisma and presence. He was a particularly good and strong actor. Many are in mourning in the film community today, says Dal.

– He was generous and very concerned with people around him, and has done fantastic roles throughout.

– A gifted man

Langhelle is known from theater, and a number of Norwegian films and TV series, such as “The man who loved Yngve”, “The Kautokeino uprising”, “Elling”, “Torpedo”, “Kristin Lavransdatter” and “Sunday angels”.

He probably also remembers many for his guest role as the character Arild Iversen in the series Hotel Cæsar.

He made a name for himself internationally with the horror film “The Thing” in 2011. Langhelle’s character was highlighted as one of the most memorable characters in the film.

– It was sad to hear that Jørgen Langhelle is dead. We have played a lot together and he was a gifted man with a special charisma. But I also know that he struggled and had a hard time in the end, says Nils Ole Oftebro to VG.

– There was love in what he did

Per Christian Ellefsen, who himself played Elling in the Elling films, remembers Jørgen Langhelle especially for his efforts in precisely these films.

– He had so much warmth and security to give to people around him. But maybe not so much to give to oneself. I really enjoyed working with him and I will miss him. He made a fantastic character in the Elling films in the role of the social worker Frank Åsli. It was no easy role to make, in many ways more difficult than the Elling role itself. But Jørgen brought out the man in this social worker. It was love in what he did, says Per Christian Ellefsen to VG.

Warm and trustworthy

Jon Selås, a long-time critic in VG, says that Jørgen Langhelle often added a very special depth and fervor to his roles.

– He could be warm and trustworthy like almost no one else. But also infamous and frightening in a really devilish way when needed. He was an actor who was able to give breadth and depth to the unadulterated humanity – for better or worse in Norwegian film and theater, says Selås.

Actor Dennis Storhøi writes in an SMS to VG that he has read the sad news.

– The thoughts immediately go to his family in grief.

– Tragic with Jørgen, writes Ellen Horn, former theater director at the National Theater in an SMS to VG.

Film director and friend of Jørgen Langhelle, Cato Ekrene mourns the loss of his good friend. On sin facebook-side he writes, among other things, this:

– We developed a warm friendship and I will miss the warm teddy bear hugs I got from you. The time we had together has left deep traces.

Happy «Oscars America»

In a interview with the online newspaper iTromsø in 2017, Langhelle was asked what are his best memories among the 66 productions he has participated in.

Then he answered the following:

– “Elling” was very fun to do. Some of those lines became iconic, and I am stopped by strangers who ask me to say the lines: “Now you have to decide; pussy or apartment? ». Otherwise, I am very fond of “The Thief the Thief” and the TV series “Torpedo”. But I have probably never had more heart for a film than “Oscar’s America”, he replied at the time.

Langhelle was born in Sandnes and graduated from the Norwegian Theater Academy in 1993. He has had roles at, among others, Det Norske Teatret, Oslo Nye Teater, Nationaltheatret, Riksteatret and Rogaland Teater.

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