Sofie Grabol

She’s the Danish actor who made her breakthrough as detective Sarah Lund in The Killing, which ran for three seasons. It also inspired a TV comedy cameo in Absolutely Fabulous and a role in the US version of the Scandi crime smash. Ten years on from The Killing, she’s starring in Sky’s Arctic-set thriller Fortitude.

- James Rampton

How is the community of Fortitude coping after the traumatic events of Series 1?

The first series was about surviving and about life and death. In my personal life, I recognise that in any real crisis you use all your resources, but actually it’s the moment after that’s really interesting. Who am I now? Why am I alive? What has happened? That atmosphere of having survived and at the same time being completely lost is fascinating. The community in Fortitude is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s carrying a lot of scars, definitely.

What is the emotional state of your character, Hildur, the governor of Fortitude?

She’s not in a great place. I think she’s traumatised – or maybe I’m just projecting my own life! She is a doer, she’s a solver. She’s a woman of power and leadership. So the worst thing for a person like that is that she couldn’t guard her town. I see her as the mother of Fortitude.

So the writers have taken the trouble to show the enduring impact of the cataclysmic events of Season 1?

Yes. We’re so used to watching crime stories where the characters are very driven. I think it’s really interesting that my character and others have these moments where they just fall into a void.

How do you find the “out-there” moments that Fortitude is wellknown for?