Paprika Steen brings emotional conviction to women who are anxious, intense or determined to be in charge. We value her most in ensembles, where that force of personality has other people to contend with.
Fi1m perspective
In The Celebration (1998), a family birthday becomes funny and frightening, and Paprika Steen’s Helene is part of the gathering. Thomas Vinterberg’s ensemble is a good setting for an actor whose intensity works in company. We were unsettled by the film because the humour never made the family chaos feel safe. Ulrich Thomsen holds our attention even when the restless camerawork competes with him, but Steen contributes to the conviction of the group.
The Idiots (1998), directed by Lars von Trier, is a useful caution against treating those early Dogme films as equally successful. Steen appears as the High Class Lady; the tenderness we found in this one comes chiefly from Bodil Jørgensen. The public provocations repeat themselves until the film has used up more patience than its ideas deserve. The Celebration and The Idiots formed her breakthrough, with Mifune (1999) following, but the first is much the better place to begin.
Okay (2002) gave her a leading role as Nete, while Open Hearts (2002) placed her in support as Marie. She later played Thea Barfoed in Applause (2009). Across comedy and drama, she has often been cast as intense, neurotic or controlling women in family and relationship stories. What we value is the emotional conviction, particularly when she has to establish a complicated person in a supporting part.
She began directing features with Aftermath (2004), and her feel for ensembles also informs That Time of Year (2018). Her advice on directing is brisk: “Never direct the actor with more words than you can put on a stamp.” We can see the sense in keeping the explanation short and letting the actors get on with it. To watch her act, start with The Celebration, provided a frightening family birthday is your idea of an evening well spent.
Biography
Paprika Steen is a Danish actress and film director. She graduated from the Drama Academy at Odense Theatre in 1992 and has performed on stage at venues including the Royal Danish Theatre.
She is known for her roles as Helene in The Celebration (1998) and as a high-class lady in The Idiots (1998). Steen was the only performer to appear in the first three Dogme 95 films. Other notable film roles include those in Open Hearts (2002), Adam's Apples (2005) and Applause (2009). She has also directed several features, beginning with Aftermath (2004).
Steen won both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Robert Festival in the same year for Okay (2002) and Open Hearts, the first Danish actress to do so since 1949. She is married to producer Mikael Rieks.
