Michael Nyqvist: five great roles played by the Swedish actor

Michael Nyqvist, the Swedish actor who died of lung cancer aged 56, is best known for his starring role in the original Swedish film series The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

In the films, adapted from Stieg Larsson's bestselling Millennium Trilogy of novels, Nyqvist plays Mikael Blomkvist, a grizzled investigative reporter trying to redeem himself after being convicted of libel, who teams up with the damaged but feisty computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace).

The first film was remade by Hollywood with Daniel Craig taking on the role that Nyqvist had already defined with his quietly intense and ironic performance. Nyqvist was already a popular and established actor in Sweden, but the role brought him to new audiences and won him new roles. Here are five of his best known and acclaimed performances:

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John Banck in Beck

Nyqvist first came to attention in Sweden but also internationally for his role as police officer John Banck in the first series of the popular crime show Beck. Nyqvist appeared in seven episodes of the series between 1997-98 alongside Peter Haber's eccentric police detective Martin Beck, winning praise for his assured performances that led to more substantial roles.

Daniel Dareus in As it is In Heaven

In 2004 Nyqvist played the lead role in this Swedish film about a renowned conductor turned local choirmaster. After suffering heart problems, the demanding but unsatisfied Dareus returns to the childhood village he once fled to avoid terrible bullying and finds new purpose in leading the local choir. His moving performance contributed to the film's nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2005 Academy Awards.

Viggo Tarasov in John Wick

Nyqvist gained new fans with his role as the formidable Viggo Tarasov in the 2014 neo-noir action thriller John Wick starring Keanu Reeves as a legendary hitman. Tarasov plays Wick's former employer, a notorious Russian crime boss and head of the Tarasov family. When Tarasov's son kills Wick's dog, Wick comes out of retirement seeking revenge. The two men become locked in a battle to the death.

Kurt Hendricks in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Once again Nyqvist's coolly brooding persona scored him a villain role, this time as a Swedish-born Russian terrorist battling wits against Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in the 2011 spy thriller. As Hendricks he aims to start a nuclear war between the US and Russia by using a Kremlin bombing to cover up his theft of a nuclear control device.

Alan in Frank & Lola

Nyqvist gave a memorable performance as Alan, a troubling ex-boyfriend in this quietly acclaimed 2016 noir love story. Frank (Michael Shannon), a Las Vegas chef travels to Paris determined to avenge Alan's crimes against his girlfriend Lola (Imogen Poots) but all is not what it seems. The Hollywood Reporter praised Nyqvist for a "fine" Dominique Strauss-Kahn-inspired performance that leaves audiences in doubt about this "suave but possibly predatory bigwig".