Mikael Åke Persbrandt (born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films he usually has lead roles and “tough guy” parts. He is known for his recurring role as the no-nonsense police officer Gunvald Larsson in the latest installment of the Martin Beck movies. Other parts include the role of Carl Hamilton from the novels by Jan Guillou, as well as Beorn in the final two films of Sir Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014).
Persbrandt was arrested in April 2014 and sentenced to jail for five months for buying twelve grams of cocaine, which explains his 10 second screen time during The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)