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Mads Mikkelsen is a man of many talents. Whether it's appearing in a Rihanna music video, using his skills as a former professional dancer in the film Another Round, or collaborating with Hideo Kojima, Mads Mikkelsen is one of the most dynamic actors working today. When he rolls up onscreen, you know he's going to do something, you're just not sure what yet. It comes as no surprise then that Mikkelsen used his poker skills during his downtime while filming Casino Royale.

"I got my first royal straight flush when we played in the hotel rooms. And I actually took everyone's per diems [laughs]... The only one who didn't know how to play was Daniel [Craig]," the actor told us recently.

I would imagine that sitting around on set pretending to play poker all day would make one hungry to actually play the game later on, with real stakes (in the form of one's per diems). Now we as a society need to confer with Jeffrey Wright to see if he remembers losing his per diems to Mads Mikkelsen. We are also left with one final question: does Mads Mikkelsen know how to play Pokémon or Magic: the Gathering?

You can watch the full interview that our video producer Ashley Victoria Robinson did with Mads Mikkelsen at ECCC 2025 here, if you're already a Popverse member. If you're not a Popverse member, consider joining! A membership unlocks tons of additional perks, like access to panel videos and interviews from events like ECCC, New York Comic Con, C2E2, and more. 

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