My schooling in Denmark was quite a mess. I went to something like eight or nine primary schools. My parents moved around a lot and then they got divorced. I had new classmates every Monday.
We did a play in high school. Someone said, “Would you like to be in it?” and I said, “How could I? I’m not an actor.” They said, “Let’s just try, it might work.” I was terrified of applying to drama school. I was sure they would say: “Thank you very much for coming, but no thanks.” I was lucky to have been accepted.
It’s Claes to rhyme with face. That’s the easiest way. But I respond to whatever.
I’m more or less fluent in English, German, Swedish and Danish. You have to learn a couple of languages if you want to talk to people because nobody in the whole world speaks my language. I was fine playing Danish roles; I never went to Hollywood hoping something would happen. And then I was cast in The Square, which was like driving the Ferrari of acting. After it won at Cannes it all went from there.
I’m in a band called This Is Not America. I don’t think it’s true that every actor wants to be a musician and every musician wants to be an actor. If it is true, it saddens me a bit. For me it’s more of an antidote to being on stage or a film set, where people say, “Wear these clothes, stand in this light, say these lines in this way…” When I sit down with my piano or guitar, I get to call all the shots.
I’m not a method actor and I’m not an interpreter. I’m more like a piano that the director can play whatever he wants on. I’m an instrument that the music flows through. It sounds a bit stupid, but it makes total sense for me to work like that.
I’ve done so much naked stuff – I don’t have a problem with it. In Dracula I said, “OK, I’ll do it naked, then we’ll have so much more footage…” We filmed in Slovakia, so the only problem was it was freezing cold.
I call it “my naked duty”. I did an English play called A Bucket of Eels as my final production at drama school. I was naked for the entire play. My father left at the interval because he couldn’t bear it. I did a Danish play called Sauna that takes place in a sauna with four people who are fighting and fucking and shagging. The theatre only seated 50 people – the audience were so close they could have touched us if they wanted to.
The great thing about playing Dracula is that he’s a real people person. He doesn’t care if [his victims] are male, female, black, white, or anything in between. He’s just interested in a lovely conversation and a decent meal.
Is there a God? Um, I’m sure there is. I’m just waiting for him to make himself known to me.
When I came out of theatre school, some reviewer who was obviously very much in love with Pierce Brosnan said that she thought that I reminded her of him. I really liked him, but I’d be extremely displeased if someone came up to me and asked me for his autograph.
Could I do Bond? No. I don’t think so. Do you realise how old I am? When Daniel Craig started, he was in his late 30s. When they do the next Bond, I’ll be 60.
The Bay of Silence on is out on DVD
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