Alexander Ally Karim (born Ally Kimbugwe Karim; 26 May 1976) is a Swedish actor and writer. His role as Frank Nordling in the Viaplay/TV3 series The Lawyer (Advokaten) earned him a Kristallen nomination for Best Actor in 2018.[1]

Alexander Karim
Karim in 2023
Born
Ally Kimbugwe Karim

(1976-05-26) 26 May 1976 (age 48)
Uppsala, Sweden
NationalitySwedish
OccupationActor
Children3

He is also known for his roles as Dr. Sigur Johanson in The Swarm, and as Ihab Rashid in FX's Tyrant.[2]

Background

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Karim was born Ally Kimbugwe Karim on 26 May 1976 in Uppsala, Sweden to a family of refugees from Uganda who came to Sweden in 1975 to escape despotic president Idi Amin.[3] He has two brothers: director Othman "Osmond" Karim and director Baker Karim.[4]

Karim is married with three children.[4]

Career

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After completing high school, he moved, as well as his brothers before him, to the United States and City College in Los Angeles, where they all trained as actors. He later worked at The Hudson Theater in the same city. In 2000, Karim moved back to Sweden and started working in film.[5] In his first movie from the same year, the short film Rampljus (Stage Lights), which is about an unemployed actor in Helsingborg, he collaborated with his brother Baker. The film was a great success[6] and won the best film in the category "heavyweight" at the November festival in Trollhättan.

In the jury in Trollhättan was Lukas Moodysson. Together with Lars von Trier they contacted the brothers Karim, who played in their biofilm Fyra kvinnor (2001), written and directed by Baker Karim. Shortly after this, Alexander Karim played the title role in Malcolm (2002), to which he also wrote a script. The same year he also participated as Amir in the short film Tompta Gudh. Malcolm won both the audience prize and the jury prize at the Gothenburg Film Festival 2002, was nominated for a Guldbagge Awards, and was nominated on the critic week in Cannes. Also Karim's next movie The Apple Tree (2003), which is about two African brothers struggling in chilly Sweden, was nominated in Cannes.[7] In 2005 he participated in his brother Osmond's film Om Sara and 2006 in Amir Chamdin's Om Gud vill.

Karim has also participated in several TV series, including Orka! Orka! (2004), En decemberdröm (2005), Lasermannen (2006) and Andra Avenyn (2007). In 2009 he participated in the autobiographical SVT series about the family Babajou, which he also scripted together with his brother Baker. He was also included in the 2006 set at the Fredriksdalsteatern in Herrskap och tjänstehjon where he played Florindo Al Dente in the 19th century Venice.

He played Vanheden in the reboot of Jönssonligan 2015, called Jönssonligan – Den perfekta stöten.[8]

Karim has starred in television series such as SVT's Äkta människor, TV3's Advokaten, and FX's Tyrant.[9][10] He has also had roles in films such as the Johan Falk series, Double Play, Dying of the Light, and Zero Dark Thirty.[10][2] In 2019, Karim was a celebrity guest on Stjärnorna på slottet, where he spoke about his life and career.[11]

In 2019, Karim published his first book, novel Den extraordinära berättelsen om Jonas Paulssons plötsliga död, followed by a children's book called Modigast i världen, which he co-wrote with his wife, Malin Karim.[12][4] In June 2021, Karim and best-selling author Camilla Läckberg released an audiobook based on their co-written script Glacier.[13] The story has also been adapted into a film starring Karim and Lena Endre and directed by Baker Karim.[2][14]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Other notes
2004–2005 Orka! Orka! Kenny 2 episodes
2005 Lasermannen Beraki 2 episodes
2005 En decemberdröm Vaktis 7 episodes
2006 Tatort Bartender Episode "Mann über Bord"
2006 Poliser Roger Zettman Episode "#1.5"
2007 Andra Avenyn Fredrik Fersen 8 episodes
2009 Familjen Babajou Pappa 2 episodes
2010 Vid vintergatans slut Crona 2 episodes
2012 The Last Weekend Milo 3 episodes
2013 Skrotarna Zapp Mysko
2013–2014 Äkta människor Douglas 7 episodes
2014 Söder om Folkungagatan Mårten 4 episodes
2015 Arne Dahl: En midsommarnattsdröm Bengt Åkesson 2 episodes
2015 Arne Dahl: Dödsmässa Bengt Åkesson 2 episodes
2015 Arne Dahl: Mörkertal Bengt Åkesson 2 episodes
2014–2016 Tyrant Ihab Rashid 30 episodes
2018 The Sandhamn Murders Carsten Episode "I maktens skugga"
2020 Thin Ice Viktor Baker 6 episodes
2020 We Got This Alex 6 episodes
2018–2020 Advokaten Frank Nordling 18 episodes
2019–2020 Bröllop, begravning & dop Schiff 5 episodes
2020 Lyckoviken Niklas 2 episodes
2020 LasseMajas detektivbyrå Jean Pierre Episode "Modemysteriet"
2021 The Box Detective Thomas Lovell 7 episodes
2021–2023 The Wheel of Time Lews Therin Telamon 2 episodes
2023 Maternal Lars Nordström ITV drama[15]
2023 The Swarm Sigur Johanson 8 episodes

Film

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Year Original title Title in English Role Director
2001 Fyra kvinnor Four Women Alexander Baker Karim
2002 Malcolm Malcolm Malcolm Baker Karim
2002 Tompta Gudh Amir Ted Kjellsson
2002 Capricciosa Kamal Reza Bagher
2005 Om Sara About Sara Pelle Osmond Karim
2005 Det odödliga Fragments of an Unfinished Journey Adrian Baker Karim
2006 Om Gud vill God Willing Mohammed Amir Chamdin and Erik Eger
2006 Herrskap och tjänstehjon Jan Hertz
2006 Du & jag Du & jag Annas kille Steve Emil Larsson and Martin Jern
2008 Det som ingen ved What No One Knows Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
2009 Äntligen midsommar! A Midsummer Comedy Micke Ian McCrudden
2011 Varg Veum - Svarte får Black Sheep Alexander Latoor Stephan Apelgren
2012 Johan Falk: Spelets regler Rules of the Game Niklas Saxlid Charlotte Brändström
2012 Johan Falk: De 107 patrioterna The 107 Patriots Niklas Saxlid Anders Nilsson
2012 Johan Falk: Alla råns moder Mother of All Roberies Niklas Saxlid Anders Nilsson
2012 Johan Falk: Organizatsija Karayan Niklas Saxlid Richard Holm
2012 Johan Falk: Barninfiltratören The Child Infiltrator Niklas Saxlid Richard Holm
2012 Johan Falk: Kodnamn: Lisa Codename Lisa Niklas Saxlid Charlotte Brändström
2012 Zero Dark Thirty Detainee on Monitor Kathryn Bigelow
2013 För Sverige i tiden Markus Jonas Westbom
2013 Passagerare Sila Mathew Moore
2013 Lev stærkt On the Edge Jobbe Christian E. Christiansen
2014 Allt vi delar Samir Jerry Carlsson
2014 Dying of the Light Muhammad Banir Paul Schrader
2014 Jönssonligan - Den perfekta stöten The Master Plan Ragnar Vanheden Alain Darborg
2015 Beginning of the End Beginning of the End Kristof Olof Spaak
2015 Johan Falk: Tyst diplomati Silent Diplomacy Niklas Saxlid Peter Lindmark
2015 Johan Falk: Blodsdiamanter Blood Diamonds Niklas Saxlid Peter Lindmark
2015 Johan Falk: Lockdown Lockdown Niklas Saxlid Richard Holm
2015 Johan Falk: Slutet The End Niklas Saxlid Richard Holm
2016 The Box The Box Douge Leo Josefsson
2017 Double Play Double Play Bubu Ernest Dickerson
2018 The Mission The Mission Justin Anahmi Michael Offer
2019 Ring mamma! Call Mom! Alex Lisa Aschan
2021 Jordbundna Earthbound Max Baker Karim
2021 Glaciär Glacier Erik Baker Karim
2021 Bröllop, begravning och dop - Filmen Schiff Colin Nutley
2021 The Woman Under the Bed The Woman Under the Bed Ferris Robin Sherlock Holm
2024 Gladiator II Gladiator II Ravi Ridley Scott

Bibliography

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  • 2019 - Den extraordinära berättelsen om Jonas Paulssons plötsliga ISBN 9789113086903
  • 2019 - Modigast i världen ISBN 9789178034604

References

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  1. ^ Pham, Annika (2018-08-17). "Swedish Kristallen TV award nominations 2018 announced". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Archived from the original on 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  2. ^ a b c "Alexander Karim". IMDb. n.d. Archived from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  3. ^ Clark, Stuart (2019-06-21). "The Lawyer was the most-watched Swedish show last year - we talk to its charismatic lead actor". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  4. ^ a b c Howse, Martin (2019-06-14). "Interview: Alexander Karim Discusses New Walter Presents Show The Lawyer". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  5. ^ "Alexander Karim". Malmö Stadsteater (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  6. ^ "Alexander Karim". Malmö Stadsteater (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  7. ^ "Alexander Karim". Malmö Stadsteater (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  8. ^ "På lek och blodigt allvar". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2015-01-25. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  9. ^ "Stjärnorna klara för SVT-succén". Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Alexander och Malin Karim om kärleken och gemensamma boken". Allas. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  11. ^ TT, Sara Ullberg / (11 January 2019). "Gråtfest med Alexander Karim på slottet". Svenska Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Alexander Karim: "Ett mysterium att inte fler av oss skriver böcker"". Dagens Nyheter. 2019-10-09. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Camilla Läckberg and Alexander Karim write epic love story exclusively for Storytel". Storytel. 2021-02-20. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  14. ^ "Nordic Thriller Writer Camilla Läckberg Behind Pandemic Movie "Glacier"". Mystery Tribune. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  15. ^ "ITV commissions six part medical drama, Maternal". itv.com/presscentre. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
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