Christopher Heyerdahl

Christopher Heyerdahl is a Canadian actor with a substantial career in television drama, science fiction and horror. He plays the Swede in Hell on Wheels, one of the railway camp's most unsettling inhabitants.

Heyerdahl does not need much volume to make the character difficult company. His pauses, formal manner and watchful expression can put a scene on edge before any direct confrontation. The contrast with the camp's more openly aggressive personalities makes the performance particularly effective.

His other television roles include John Druitt and Bigfoot in Sanctuary, Halling and Todd in Stargate Atlantis, and Sam in Van Helsing. Film audiences may also recognise him as Marcus in the Twilight series.

Within the TV catalogue here, his credits include Dieter Braun in True Blood, Duane Pickett in Falling Skies, Dr. Schoenheiss in The Last of Us and Doctor Renolds in Dark Winds. These range from recurring work to brief guest appearances.

Read the Hell on Wheels review for more on what he brings to the Western.