Origins & Early Life

Nicolas Winding Refn (Danish: [ˈne̝kolɑs ˈve̝nte̝ŋ ˈʁæfn̩]; born 29 September 1970) is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer. He directed the Pusher trilogy (1996–2005), the crime drama Bronson (2008), and the adventure film Valhalla Rising (2009). In 2011 he directed the action drama film Drive (2011) for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director. He was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Direction.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Refn's next films were the stylistically driven action film Only God Forgives (2013), the psychological horror film The Neon Demon (2016), and the science fiction thriller film Her Private Hell (2026). In 2019, he directed his first television series, Too Old to Die Young for Amazon Prime. Refn's next project took him to Netflix, returning to his native Copenhagen for the first time since Pusher 3 to film his magical realism series, Copenhagen Cowboy. In 2008, Refn co-founded the Copenhagen-based production company Space Rocket Nation. Refn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and raised partly in New York City, United States.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Refn's parents are Danish film director and editor Anders Refn and cinematographer Vibeke Winding. His half...

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