In a recent interview, Mads Mikkelsen said he was surprised by how much the story kept evolving during production. According to the actor, the script was constantly being rewritten, with scenes reworked, reshot, and improved even as filming continued.
“It kept changing,” Mikkelsen explained. “I don’t think they ever locked a draft. They kept working on it, improvising, going back and reshooting things, then coming up with better ideas.”
A Flexible Role — But a Tricky Shoot
Mikkelsen played Galen Erso, a scientist forced to work on the Death Star. He said the shifting script was manageable for his character because Galen had a clear mission from the start. However, he noted that the uncertainty was harder on the film’s younger leads, who often didn’t know exactly where their characters’ emotional journeys were headed.
Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story follows a group of rebel fighters on a dangerous mission to steal the Death Star plans. The cast included Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic, and Donnie Yen as Chirrut Îmwe.
“Freezing to Death” in a Key Scene
One of the most challenging moments for Mikkelsen was a dramatic scene where his character lies injured while rain pours down on him, delivering the line, “It must be destroyed.”
Because the story kept changing, the scene had to be reshot multiple times. Mikkelsen said the artificial rain made the experience miserable.
“When you do artificial rain, it’s almost impossible to keep the water warm,” he said. “I was lying there, freezing, trying to keep my eyes open. It wasn’t just one brutal day — it was several.”
Remembering Casino Royale
Mikkelsen also looked back on his role as villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale. He shared that both he and Daniel Craig were asked to stop improvising during filming.
In a humorous moment, Mikkelsen added that Craig — who played James Bond — was the only cast member who didn’t actually know how to play poker.
“He was the only one who didn’t know how,” Mikkelsen joked, “and he still ran away with $150 million of my dollars.”
What He’s Doing Now
Most recently, Mikkelsen starred in Dust Bunny, the feature film debut of Bryan Fuller, which premiered on December 12.
Even after working on massive franchises like Star Wars and James Bond, Mikkelsen’s stories show that big-budget films can still be chaotic, unpredictable — and sometimes freezing cold — behind the scenes.
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