Sofia Helin is an internationally acclaimed Swedish film and television actress whose work has earned her multiple honors and widespread critical recognition. She won major acting prizes including the Danish Robert Award and Sweden’s Kristallen for her performance as Saga Norén in The Bridge, the four-season Scandinavian crime series that became one of the most successful Nordic TV dramas ever and brought her broad international fame. She has also received Guldbagge nominations for Dalecarlians and Masjävlar, as well as additional international nominations including the Monte-Carlo TV Festival and the UK Crime Thriller Awards. She stars in the forthcoming short film Boatlift 9/11, in which a seasoned tugboat captain and her daughter are called into action on the morning of September 11, 2001, joining the largest maritime evacuation in history as more than 500,000 people were rescued from Lower Manhattan. Boatlift 9/11 is produced by Suzanne DeLaurentiis Productions and the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation.
Sofia Helin and Preslea Elliott in Boatlift 9/11
Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in a small village in Sweden, very close to nature. I come from a family with very ordinary professions, so acting wasn’t something that felt like an obvious path. It took me a while to even understand that it could be a real possibility for me.
I also spent several months every year in the far north of Sweden, where my parents grew up. That landscape—both harsh and incredibly beautiful—is still where I feel most at home. Later, when I was twenty, I moved to Hamburg and discovered how much I also love the energy of big cities. I think I’ve always been drawn to contrasts.
My mother was a nurse—very strong, very funny, and very clear about what she believed in. She built her life as a single mother, and I think that gave me a kind of confidence to trust my own choices. And from the age of sixteen, I worked with elderly people with dementia during weekends and holidays. That experience has stayed with me. It taught me something about people—about presence, about patience.
Can you share a story about what brought you to this career path?
I was studying philosophy at university, and at some point I started asking myself a very simple question: when have I felt most alive? And the answer was always the same—it was in acting, in creating. So in a way, it was actually quite an intellectual decision. I loved philosophy, but I also felt a bit frustrated by how structured it was. At the same time, it helped me reflect more deeply on my life.
When I found my way into the theatre world, it honestly felt like finding my people. I had felt a bit out of place growing up, and suddenly the things that made me feel different—my sensitivity, my emotions—became strengths. Getting into the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, which is very competitive, was a big moment. It made everything feel real. And it also taught me early on that rejection is part of the process—and that you have to keep going anyway.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that has happened to you since you began your career?
Working with playwright and director Lars Norén was very important for me. His way of working was about stripping everything away and going inward.
And then, of course, playing Saga Norén changed my life in ways I never expected. I didn’t anticipate how strongly people would connect to her, or that the series would travel so far internationally. Meeting people who felt seen through that character was incredibly moving—to receive such a direct response to something I was trying to communicate.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson did you learn?
In the beginning, I made a lot of mistakes—and I still do. I remember hoping no one would notice my mistakes, even though they must have been obvious to everyone. It’s touching, really—and very human. It wasn’t funny then but now I need to laugh when I think about it…
Also, I’m not very good with faces, so I’ve had quite a few awkward moments… which I’m still learning to laugh at.
Is there a particular person who helped get you to where you are?
My group of close actress friends means a lot to me. I’ve also worked several times with director Maria Blom, whose method comes from clowning. She really encouraged me to push boundaries and take risks in a very freeing way—to be ugly or silly if the character demands it. I love that. Those collaborations have stayed with me.
Do you have any words of advice for others who feel daunted by failure?
Let the most shameful things out, investigate them and create art from it together with the people you work with. That’s where you can find the real gold because it creates connection. Because the truth is, everyone struggles with the same things. The important thing is to stay open—and to stay curious.
What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and film? What change do you want to see in the industry?
What drives me is curiosity—trying to understand people, what’s underneath. I just want to be in that creative space as much as possible. I just love stories in all forms.
I would love to see more space for complex, human stories—especially for women, and also in big-budget films. And I hope that what is truly human in storytelling will always remain important.
What are some of the most exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading?
I’m about to shoot the third season of Fallen in Sweden. It’s a very dark, complex character, but also with unexpected humor, which I really enjoy. It’s written by the same writer as The Bridge so it’s fun working together again.
Since my family now lives in the U.S., I hope to continue working more here as well. Playing Jan in the short film Boatlift 9/11, {which will be released later this year}, was an intense and very personal experience. What stayed with me most was exploring the human side of such a large-scale tragedy—the quiet, intimate moments behind it. Meeting people who had actually been there in 2001 gave the work a real sense of responsibility, and it made everything feel very immediate. It really made me reflect on how people respond under pressure, and how those moments can stay with you long after.
I’m also developing a few projects with a production company, which I find very exciting—being part of something from the very beginning, building a creative team around an interesting story.
Why is diversity in film and television important?
Because it reflects reality. Everyone wants to feel seen. For younger generations especially, it shapes how they understand themselves and others. At a deeper level, it reminds us that we are one humanity—not “us and them.” That’s why it’s so important that all kinds of audiences can identify with what they see.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”?
That vulnerability is a strength.
That you’re not doing this alone—this is a collective art form.
That I need to take care of myself.
Stay curious.
Stay open.
Can you share any self-care practices?
Talking with close friends helps me a lot. Walking, nature, and quiet moments are very important to me. I also love sauna and cold bathing in the sea at our house on an island in the Stockholm archipelago. It brings me back to myself in a very simple way.
What is your favorite life lesson quote?
“There is in the forest an unexpected clearing that can only be found by those who get lost.” — Tomas Tranströmer
If you could inspire a movement, what would that be?
Issues around women and girls are very important to me. I work with WaterAid, and many girls can’t continue school due to lack of water and sanitation. Thousands of children die every day because of unsafe water.
In conflict zones, infrastructure is often destroyed, and when girls can’t go to school—especially during their periods due to lack of toilets or water—the risk of child marriage increases. I believe in empathy—and that sometimes pausing leads to better decisions.
Is there a person you would love to have lunch with?
Meryl Streep. Just call me!
Are you on social media? How can readers follow you?
Instagram: actress_sofia_helin
