LE: I was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. At age 19 I moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, but my family still lives in Stockholm.
PL: How and when did you first get into performing?
LE: My first acting role was in a musical that was based on "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." I played the leading role of Edmund. When I moved to Gothenburg I got involved with the improv company Rattle which tours regularly and is well known throughout Sweden for putting on hilarious shows. I was one of the original members.
PL: Can you tell us a little bit about the television and film projects you’ve done?
LE: While I was still in Sweden I was cast in the lead role of Jonas in the film "Something Begins, Something Ends." The film was written and directed by Mikael Bundsen and it took over a year to complete, but at the end of the day it was worth it because it turned out to be an incredible story. After that I was approached by Fanni Metelius to audition for her film "Unruly". The film debuted at the Gothenburg Film Festival in 2011, and was also shown at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as aired on SVT, which is Sweden’s national television network. Both of the films were included on a DVD released by the Swedish film magazine FLM.
PL: What made you choose to participate in these projects?
LE: I love when young people get to tell stories about young people. Metelius and Bundsen both know how to tell honest stories with very human characters. Although they are two very different directors, they are both very trusting and generous, and they know how to evoke natural emotion in their actors.
PL: You get approached all the time to work on projects with people, what makes you pick one role over another?
LE: Character and story. Exploring and building a character is one of the exciting parts of this profession. To be able to tell a story honestly, no matter how absurd it may seem, is one of the most important things in film. It is very important to me to be surrounded by people who are both passionate and positive, so I definitely consider whether they have good energy or not.
PL: Can you list some of the theatre projects you've participated in up until now, and the roles you’ve played?
LE: Since moving to LA I have played Martin in Theresa Rebeck's "Seminar," Williamson in "Glengarry Glen Ross" and Eddie in "Hurlyburly." Most recently, I played Trent Conway in "Six Degrees of Separation" directed by Academy Award winner Milton Justice.
PL: What has been your favorite role so far and why?
LE: Playing Eddie in David Rabe's "Hurlyburly" was incredibly challenging, but extremely rewarding. It was such an intense journey, and a long play, so each show felt like running a marathon.
PL: As for genre, what is your favorite? (Comedy, Drama, Horror, etc.)
LE: I have a background in improv and I love comedy. Drama is a whole other kind of experience! Like I said it's about character, and you can find great one's in all genres.
PL: What projects do you have coming up?
LE: I am currently working on a pilot that will be pitched to Swedish TV. I also play one of the leads in an upcoming web series called "Gur Talk".
PL: What are your plans for the future?
LE: Right now I am focusing on the projects I mentioned above, but I would love to do another play this year as well.
PL: What is your advice to other aspiring artists?
LE: Work on your craft. Take classes, read, learn, and be nice, you never know who is going to be your next boss. It’s pretty easy to get a job purely based on talent, but if you are hard to work with or simply a dick to be around, you can pretty much bet those people won’t hire you again.
PL: What kind of training have you done?
LE: I majored in Theater in high school, and after that I relocated to Gothenburg where I mainly focused on improv. I performed with Rattle for over 3 years before moving to Los Angeles where I enrolled in the two-year program at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Hollywood.
PL: Why did you choose this profession?
LE: I chose to be an actor because of the endless stories. To me acting is like a strange and beautiful mix of escapism and self-exploration. The least pretentious answer is because it is so much fun!