Game of Thrones helped raise the profiles of a lot of its cast members, but I think that Kristofer Hivju — who played the tall-talking, quick-tempered wildling warrior Tormund Giantsbane — holds a special place in fans’ hearts. It was just very hard not to like the guy, and I know I’d be interested in seeing whatever he does next.
That ended up being Twin, a drama series made in Hivju’s native Norway, and one that Hivju himself co-created. The show shows off more of Hivju’s range than he got to use on Game of Thrones. He plays identical twin brothers — Adam and Erik — who grew up to live very different lives. Erik is “a broke surfer bum,” to lift the description from the official synopsis, while Adam is a settled business owner and family man.
I’m not gonna lie: I did not realize there was much surfing in Norway. Isn’t it too cold? Whatever, clearly I need to travel more. ANYWAY, Adam and Erik reconnect, but things don’t go well. Below, we have an exclusive clip of an especially heated moment:
Finally, the Tormund vs Tormund battle we never knew we needed. With his eagerness to fight and wild laugh, obviously Erik is the more Tormund-esque of the brothers.
But he’ll find out how the other half lives soon. Eventually, a fight ends with Adam’s wife Ingrid accidentally killing her own husband. Gasp! To save his brother’s family, Erik agrees to take over his brother’s identity, “However, it soon turns out that the biggest challenge is not avoiding getting caught – it’s pretending to be someone you’re not.” Oh, s**t. Now it’s on.
The series looks really interesting, and it’ll be a pleasure to watch Hivju stretch some of his acting muscles. Twin originally aired the Norweigan government-owned public broadcaster NRK, but will be dropping on the streaming service MHz Choice — which specializes in “international mysteries, dramas and comedies with easy-to-read English subtitles” — on February 4. Head here to find out more or even to start a free trial!
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels