9. A Royal Affair Probably Wouldn't Have Happened Without Her
Her role in A Royal Affair, which co-starred actor Mads Mikkelsen, was perhaps the one that brought a young Alicia Vikander to people's attention. Made back in 2012, this critically lauded motion picture tells the true story of mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and his romance with Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, played by Vikander. The film was a big success; critic Mark Kermode named it the best movie of 2012, whilst it holds an impressive score of 89% over on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. And it might never have happened if the director hadn't stumbled upon Alicia Vikander. When trying to find an actress for the part, you see, the producers couldn't find an actress they liked for the role of Caroline. They saw an endless stream of Danish girls for the part, but soon became disillusioned over their struggle to find the right person; so much so, in fact, that they genuinely debated whether or not it was a good idea to make the film. Enter Vikander, who - despite her Swedishness - instantly convinced them of her worth. Only problem? She didn't speak Danish...
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
