Jamie Lannister is in Ukraine. Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for playing the blonde antihero in Game of Thrones, took shelter alongside Ukrainian residents in a Kyiv metro station during a Russian air raid threat this week. Pictures and videos emerged from Nikolaj's visit to Kyiv this past week, where he interacted with locals.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau visits Kyiv
The Danish actor, who serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shared details of the experience on his Instagram Stories. He was in Kyiv as part of efforts to raise awareness about the situation in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
“Spent a night in the Kyiv Metro. Pretty rough night. I get to do it one night and tell the tale but for thousands of Ukrainians it's a necessity to be safe during the shelling. We need to keep helping the civilians and uphold the rules we all agree on,” he wrote.
Page Six obtained photos of the actor's visit to the Ukrainian capital, showing him resting on a cot inside the metro station. He was seen wearing a blue UNDP hoodie, khaki cargo pants and black sneakers. Other pictures show him inside the station alongside passengers who had also taken shelter, interacting with them and even clicking selfies. The actor was also spotted carrying a green backpack and a black bag containing his supplies as he walked past makeshift tents.
The 56-year-old actor subsequently shared a snapshot of Kyiv's air raid alerts, which remained at red level for three consecutive days, from 27 October to 29 October.
{{/usCountry}}The 56-year-old actor subsequently shared a snapshot of Kyiv's air raid alerts, which remained at red level for three consecutive days, from 27 October to 29 October.
{{/usCountry}}The actor also spoke to local media outlets about his visit. Explaining his visit, the actor said he wanted to raise awareness and ensure that the international community continued to pay attention to Ukraine. He said he was there to make sure that “people don’t forget there’s a country in need.”
“They’re doing amazing, but they need help from the international community, especially now that we’re getting closer to winter,” he added.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's career
Having begun his career in his native country, Denmark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau moved to Hollywood in 2001, appearing in films like Black Hawk Down and Kingdom of Heaven. In 2011, he earned his breakthrough role of Jaime Lannister in HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones, which ran for eight seasons till 2019.
His performance earned him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2019. The actor most recently starred in the lead role in the BBC miniseries King & Conqueror, released last year.
Beyond acting, he has served as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador since 2016, supporting initiatives related to climate action and gender equality.