A new star is taking its place amongst the constellation of Icelandic celebrities; her name is Aldís Amah Hamilton, and she is proving to be an incredibly versatile talent.
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From the theatre to immersive video games
Aldís is a graduate of the Performing Arts Department at Iceland’s University of the Arts. She starred in the TV series Prisoners, the Netflix Original Series, Katla, and the Netflix Co-Production Valhalla Murders. Aldís has also acted on stage at the Icelandic National Theatre and narrated Disney films in Icelandic. She plays the leading role of Ryn in the upcoming Icelandic adventure video game Echoes of the End from Myrkur Games.
Starring in the smash hit Black Sands
But most recently, Aldís was the star and co-writer/creator of the hit thriller/drama show Svörtu Sandar (Black Sands). All of you Iceland enthusiasts will immediately pick up that the scene is the legendary black sand beach of Reynisfjara and the neighboring town of Vík. In the series, Aldís plays a policewoman confronted with a series of murders and turmoil in her personal life. I found Black Sands different from crime thrillers; the tension in the series is built up gradually to the concluding crescendo. It is also a very Icelandic thing to mention, but I grew up in the same neighborhood as its director Baldvin Z and remember him well from when we were kids.
The Black Sands series is poised for international distribution, so my international readers should be able to binge it soon.
Hello Aldís, and congratulations on your success with Black Sands. Have you always wanted to be an actress?
Not really, I was always aiming to be a performer, but I was more interested in singing and dancing. It wasn’t until I became an adult and realized I would’ve had to work a lot harder on my skills if I’d wanted to become the next Beyoncé. At that point, the possibility of acting knocked on my door, and I decided to try out for the acting department at the academy. And I got in!
Baldvin Z is bound to become a recognized international director. What was it like to work with him?
He is! It was and continues to be a fantastic experience. We’ve become great friends, and between us, there’s a deep understanding of the story and characters, making it so much easier to work together. He excels at communication, and I’m sure that even if we hadn’t spent all this time creating the story of Black Sands, we’d still be able to work together like the well-oiled machine we’ve become, haha. But because we now know each other quite well, if my acting were off, I’d usually know it myself, and as soon as he’d come to me with a comment, it would be like, “yeah, I know what you’re gonna say, and I agree. Let’s do one more, and I’ll do the thing we both know I should do. Afterwards we’ll talk”. Every day of shooting was fun, even the tough days. I trust him entirely, and I think it works both ways. That’s what friendship does.
Did you have a lot of issues with bad weather while filming Black Sands?
Not really! We were there in April and May. It was cold, but often we’d have OK weather. It was probably our first days of shooting that were pretty bad. I had hypothermia at one point. We were shooting throughout the night, and my circadian rhythm was yelling at me to “GO TO SLEEP.” So my body had a hard time keeping me warm, there was a snowstorm going on, and the temperature was well below 0 Celsius. That was probably the biggest issue I had. My co-actors went through something similar while filming a scene on top of a cliff during the night. The storm was terrible. But afterward, it got a lot better, and it even became “warm” at the end.
You are starring in an upcoming Icelandic video game. How did that come about?
I am, and I’m so excited about it. I’m a big gamer myself, so this is a total dream come true.
I was working on a film when I’d recently graduated, and that’s where I met Daði Einarsson, the producer. A few weeks later, he contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in meeting the owners of Myrkur Games as they liked the way I looked and were interested in using my appearance for their character. I said I’d be more than happy to meet up, but only if I’d be considered for the role in its entirety. Not just as a “model” but also as the voice and motion capture actor. They were OK with that, we had a great meeting, and then we did a scene from the script. A few days later, we were signing the contract, and I would be the face, voice, and body of Ryn. I was thrilled!
Is the video game project very different from doing a “traditional” TV series?
Shooting a game is so different. We’re in a studio all day, dressed in the motion capture suits and helmets. There’s nothing around us, hardly any props, and we do short scenes (those are the cinematic scenes you see between playing). I also come in sometimes to do basic things like walking, running, standing still. Something the character does while you’re playing, just so all of her movements are “mine” and not a pre-programmed version of me.
Do you have new projects that you can discuss?
I usually wait until the ink is dry before talking about any upcoming projects.
But I’m very excited for the series Fractures coming out in Iceland this Easter. I play the small but essential (at least for me) role of Rósa, a pregnant teacher. It’s a role I did so much research for, and it changed my view of pregnancy, parenting, etc. It helped me understand and connect to the people around me that have children and made me mature as a person, I think. So I’m excited to see if that personal growth translates to the screen. Other than that, I’m working with Icelandic theatres this year which I haven’t done in years. So that’s going to be a challenge, brushing up on my stage skills. I’m also writing again. That is still “new” to me, but I have a lot of passion for writing.
What Icelandic films and TV shows do you recommend to my readers?
Oh, a great question. Can I say, Black Sands!?
I loved shooting the Valhalla Murders, and that’s on Netflix, and I enjoyed the first season of Trapped, so if you’re into crime films, I will go for those. Ordinary People is a hugely popular comedy/drama that’s playing now. The first Icelandic film that made me think wow! was Börn (Children) by Vesturport, but it might be hard to find since it was released in 2006.
Hoping for better access to Icelandic content
Heartstone by Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson is more recent. A beautiful film, very moving, and the acting is top-notch. Young talent taking their first steps as actors are just raw, brave, and amazingly shot. Guðmundur was also at Berlinale competing with his newest film Beautiful Beings, and the film won its category. So I’d recommend catching his latest work in theatres!
Baldvin’s work, Let me Fall and Life in a Fishbowl is a must-see for Icelandic film enthusiasts. Let me Fall feels as current now as it was a few years ago, especially with the popularity of series like Dopesick and Euphoria.
Sadly, it’s so hard to watch Icelandic TV abroad, but I hope streaming services make it more accessible soon.
Do you have favorite places or activities in Iceland?
I love going to my family’s cabin when I get the chance. I didn’t grow up traveling a lot in my own country, so I don’t have many favorites from childhood. Hiking is my favorite. I went on a hiking trip to Borgarfjörður-eystri in 2020. It blew my mind. The nearby Dyrfjöll and Stór-Urð are indescribable. But I felt like I’d seen them before or been at that location before somehow (knowing I haven’t). It just felt surreal and a bit supernatural, maybe. So I know I’ll go back. That might qualify as a favorite place of mine.
In love with Reykjavik walks
But in general, being a city brat, I stay within my area of Reykjavík a lot. I love taking long walks downtown with my dog. Window-shopping, meeting friends at pet-friendly cafes and just looking at the pretty little, colorful houses when the sun is shining.
What is your advice to those visiting Iceland for the first time?
Number one rule: Always follow the weather forecast. Do not take stupid chances going hiking or being near the ocean if weather warnings are in effect. Rent a good car for driving outside the city, especially during the winter. Too many people lose their lives every year in unfortunate but avoidable circumstances. If you stop to take photos, make sure you go far off the road to avoid a crash. And watch out for sheep in spring. There are often baby lambs and mothers crossing the road.
Enjoy downtown Reykjavik
With that in mind, I’d use the day tours as much as possible if you’re not used to traveling and planning things out on your own. You can drive around the island in a day if you don’t stop, but that’s no fun! Depending on how long you’re staying, I’d decide whether it’s a city or nature trip and plan accordingly. If you can stay for a week, maybe rent a van and explore 1/4th of the island properly! If it’s only a few days, stay close to the city, enjoy the downtown area, go to the local swimming pools and spas and take day tours to see the most popular and beautiful sights!
Then come back for longer 😉
