[6] He decided to become an actor aged 15, when he saw a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in Øystese.
[7] He attended Romerike Folk High School, Bårdar Dance Institute,[2] and from 2003–2006, the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre.
[2] His had his first film role in 37 1/2 (2005), a comedy-drama, and got his big break in 2008 with House of Fools and Troubled Water.
[2] However, he was repeatedly told at the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre that, due to his small height (168 cm) and youthful, "feminine" features, he would be severely limited in the roles he could play.
[7][9] In order to counteract this, he sought darker, gritty parts;[5] however, he still encountered difficulty getting varied roles due to what was termed his "androgynous" appearance, and it wasn't until 2013, when he played the starring role of Fred, a boxer, in The Half Brother (for which he received the Gullruten Award 2013 for Best Actor[10]), that he was able to change his image.