Birgitte Hjort Sørensen

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen
Hjort Sørensen in the poster for The Passion of Marie.
Born	(1982-01-16) 16 January 1982 (age 35) Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen (born 16 January 1982) is a Danish actress who made her debut on the television series The Eagle in 2005. She followed this by playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago in Copenhagen and on the West End. Sørensen's breakthrough role was as journalist Katrine Fønsmark in the television political drama Borgen (2010–13).

Sørensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 16 January 1982. Both her parents are doctors and she has two elder sisters. While on a school trip to London, she watched the West End production of the musical Chicago which motivated her to become an actress. Sørensen spoke of the experience in an interview for The Guardian, "It was so amazing and sexy, and I sat there thinking, 'I want to be on that stage one day.'". She continued her studies at the Danish National School of Theatre, during which time Sørensen made her acting debut in 2005 as a receptionist on the television series The Eagle. Two years later she played the lead role of Roxie Hart in the 2007 production of Chicago at the Det Ny Theater in Copenhagen. Sørensen then reprised the role in the West End production in 2008 at the Cambridge Theatre.

In 2010, she made her breakthrough by playing the idealistic journalist, Katrine Fønsmark, in the DR political drama Borgen. Sørensen received critical acclaim for playing a strong female protagonist on the show, and international recognition especially in the United Kingdom. She also appeared in the action film Ved verdens ende (2010) opposite Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau which garnered her first nomination for the Robert Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. In 2012, Sørensen portrayed painter Marie Krøyer in The Passion of Marie which earned her second Best Actress nomination at the Robert Awards.