I've read that you lived and acted in Iceland until you were about twenty years old and I was wondering: when did you first know that you wanted to go to the USA to pursue your dream overseas?
The States was always a destination for me, ever since I was a kid. I used to go to an area outside of DC, Great Falls, Virginia--my father's sister lives up there with her husband. I spent summers over there as a kid. Also, just from all of the American television and films... growing up I watched a lot of movies. There was always a pull, a definite pull to the US. I guess that Los Angeles came out of the acting part of it. I went to drama school in London, UK, and I went there knowing that I would eventually end up in the States. I've been there for four years now.
I'm sure that you're under very strict restrictions here, but what are you allowed to tell us about your character on 'Dexter?'
(laughs) Well he's finally getting introduced next week. There's very limited information out there. I guess I can say that he's a building inspector? (laughs)
Okay, great.
What I can say is that he's actually dating a character... Cassie [played by Bethany Joy Lenz], she's such a talented actress and a very fun girl. In that sense it's sort of mirroring my part in 'Last Resort:' playing the boyfriend of an interesting female character. I think that's about all that I can actually talk about. It's very exciting to see how it plays out. Read the rest of the interview after the jump.
Our fans know you best, of course, as Robert Mitchell. What can you tell us about landing that role on 'Last Resort?'
That was just a bit of a mix between great luck and great casting people. I owe them a lot. There's a girl named Emily Schoner who got me in, she was a casting associate on the show. It's a huge thanks to her, really. Then also, the actual producers themselves made something good out of the role.
Did you know at the time that 'Last Resort' was a big break?
Yeah for sure. The whole thing ever since I got to the States was just that it was so hard even getting your foot in the door. I definitely felt like it brought me to the managers that I have now. They're just a great bunch of people. They have very much elevated my career to the next stage.
Well keeping it vague then, can we expect any similar personality traits to Robert Mitchell? Or is the fact that you're introduced as a boyfriend where the similarities end?
I think that's pretty much where it ends.
Okay, so without saying too much, we know that he's very different from Robert Mitchell. (laughs)
I mean, I guess you could say that Robert Mitchell was somewhat charming and this guy is pretty charming, in his own way.
Well we all look forward to meeting him ourselves. Were you already a fan of 'Dexter' before you landed this role?
Oh yeah. I was just so grateful to be a part of this show because it was one of the few shows that I actually watched. Because I travel a lot and the way that my life has been, I find it hard to actually keep up with shows but I watch them in spurts. With 'Dexter' I had gotten up to the fifth season. But of course, once I landed the role, I caught up all the way. I was always going to; it's one of those shows where I would very much like to go back and watch from beginning to end.
I'm sure that a lot of fans did just that, now that we know this is the final season.
Yeah, my sister, she went all the way back and watched from the beginning recently. She had seen some of it but she really wanted to do the whole thing.
Nice! So, after 'Dexter,' what's next for Darri Ingolfsson?
I'm actually back and forth in Iceland, shooting a film there for a friend I've always wanted to work with. We saw an opportunity so he flew me over, we're shooting that one as fast as possible.