Sometimes, acting feels really far and detached from reality while at other times, it feels so real and believable. Tarjei Sandvik Moe has made a huge impact on teenagers and forever changed the way art, especially acting, influences real life. Despite being a young actor, he has managed to rise to the point of prominence which is not only in his native country Norway but all over the world and this is thanks to his portrayal of Isak Valtersen – a young gay teenager in the TV series Skam. Below is everything you need to know about the skillful youngster and the roles he has played in his fledgling career.

Tarjei Sandvik Moe’s Movies

Tarjei who was born in Oslo Norway on the 24th of May 1999 grew up with a keen interest in acting. He got the opportunity to audition for a role in Skam when they came to his school to audition prospective actors within a particular age range. He revealed that he was gunning for the role of Jonas who he felt was very ‘cool’ and didn’t think much of his audition when he got the call that he was being offered the role of Isak. This was his second audition and his first professional role in his budding acting career. He played the role of Isak from 2015 – 2017 appearing in the show’s four seasons.

Tarjei’s character had a main role in the 3rd season and his character and the season received worldwide acclaim. He was commended for portraying homosexual love away from the stereotypes of popular storylines. His believable portrayal and the exploration of themes like homosexuality and mental health made the series a global phenomenon.

His performance in the series really opened up his career and opportunities began to open up for him after the series ended. He appeared in an episode of Melk in 2017 and also had a voice role in The Emoji Movie in the same year.

In 2018, he landed the role of ‘Marcus’ in En Affare (An affair) the feature film centers on a teacher/student affair.

He appeared as ‘Jens’ in the short film En Dag I Juli (2018) and also played the role of ‘Filip’ in Ostkant/Ventkant. In 2019, Tarjei featured in the short romance movie We Should Be A Movie.

Although Skam remains his biggest and most celebrated work, for now, he has shown lots of prospects in his acting career.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Tarjei Sandvik Moe

• His Sexual Orientation

Considering his outstanding performance as the gay Isak in Skam it is easy to make an assumption about Tarjei’s sexual orientation. He has also fueled rumors by refusing to state if he is gay or straight. On the issue, he responds that sexual orientation is a private matter and he doesn’t want to make headlines about being gay, straight or heterosexual. He reiterates that he is an actor and that is what should be focused on.

• Awards and Recognitions

The third season of Skam which has Tarjei in the lead role earned him several awards and nominations. It broke various streaming records in Norway and TV viewership records in Sweden and Denmark. It trended all over the world, especially on social media with several unofficial translations as the original was shot in the Norwegian language. The actor got nominated in the Best Actor category at the Gullruten Awards 2017. Although he didn’t win in that category, he won the ‘Audience Award’ alongside his co-star Henrik Holm and also TV Moment of the Year. He also got a Golden Screen, Norway Best Actor nomination and also won the People’s Choice Award.

• Royal Recognition

In February 2018, Tarjei Sandvik Moe, alongside Inan Mestini, was invited for dinner at the Royal Palace where he met Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge. The Prince and Duchess also visited the school where the filming of Skam took place and they discussed the effect and impact of the show on people around the world with the members of the cast.

• Similarities with his Isak Character

Ironically, Tarjei is the same age as Isak the character he portrayed in Skam. He also attends Hartvig Nissen in real life like his character in the series.

• He is a Great Dancer

Asides from his acting talent, Tarjei is also a good dancer. He was one of the dancers in the music video of the song “Don’t Worry” by Madcon. He also landed the role of ‘Doody’ in the Norwegian production of the ‘Grease‘ in 2018. This was his first role in a musical with singing and dancing and he got great reviews for his performance.