00:02
Clara Rugaard
I chose Delhoved Wood near Lake Skarre, Zealand. Afternoon Light by P.C. Skovgaard.

00:12
Clara Rugaard
We're in a forest and you can just glimpse the top of a body of water in the background and the sun's reflecting the light off of it. And there's a bunch of people. In my mind, they're a family, maybe a couple of families, and there's a dog. They look like they're just having a great time. Maybe they're out foraging, finding something.

00:41
Clara Rugaard
There's something about the use of color and light that brings me a real sense of comfort. It's capturing the simple life and they're nestled in between these beautiful big trees.

00:55
Clara Rugaard
It makes me feel really safe, comforted. I recognize this, I recognize this scene. I feel like I've been there before somehow. I'd like to be there.

01:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
My name is Tina Jøhnk Christensen, and I'm the host of Danish Originals, a podcast series created in partnership with the American Friends of the National Gallery of Denmark and the National Gallery of Denmark. Our goal is to celebrate Danish creatives who have made a significant mark in the US.

01:332
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Today, our guest is Clara Rugaard, a Danish actor, singer and dancer. Welcome, Clara.

01:38
Clara Rugaard
Thank you very much.

01:40
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
It's so lovely to have you here. Just so the listeners get an idea of where you are in the world, would you describe what it looks like where you are at the time being?

01:51
Clara Rugaard
Yes, of course. I am in my little flat in West London in my kitchen right now, looking outside the window.

02:01
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
And outside the window, you have greeneries. Do you have a little garden in the background there?

02:05
Clara Rugaard
I've got a little garden. We've got a few roses and a few chairs. And what else do we have out there? We've got some very old candles that need to be changed out quite soon. And the weather's not too bad, which is nice for London.

02:24
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I imagine that you often move around from place to place with your work. Where was the last place that you were with your job and what did you do?

02:36
Clara Rugaard
For my last job, I was in Bristol shooting a show for Paramount+, called The Crow Girl, in which I play a girl called Victoria. And she's a very tormented soul. I guess to a certain degree, she's the antagonist of the show, but she's pretty cool too. And yeah, it was really fun to play a villain.

03:01
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
How does one get a role like that? How do you end up playing Victoria in The Crow Girl?

03:06
Clara Rugaard
Actually, I had a conversation with the executive producer months and months before the casting process started. And we got chatting about it and he was like, you know, there's this show that I'm about to do and I feel you'd be great for it. And can I send the tape over whenever we're doing the casting process? And I was like, yeah, absolutely. And I went in for a casting in person and yeah, got the job.

03:32
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Does it happen often, a conversation with somebody you meet leads to a role in a big show like this one?

03:40
Clara Rugaard
It was a set up meeting by my agents, a general meeting where you discuss what you've got going on and could we potentially work together in the future, all that stuff. And we could, which is really nice.

03:55
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Last time you and I met was at Madison & Park Coffee on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. It's a few years ago now. And you told me then that it was your first time in Los Angeles. How often are you in LA and what is your relationship to the city? I'm in Los Angeles right now.

04:14
Clara Rugaard
In a very sunny place.

04:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Yes.

04:16
Clara Rugaard
I'm very jealous. Gosh, that's crazy. That was the first time I'd been there. I have been there quite a few since then. I lived there for a year and a half, and it was during COVID. It was a mixed experience. I moved in February 2020. So literally a month before the world shut down.

04:37
Clara Rugaard
Great timing. And yeah, for many reasons, it was scary and I didn't see my family for a year and a half because I was stubborn and I packed up my suitcase and I'd done the thing and I was going to go there and live my dream, pursue my dream. And yeah, the world collapsed.

04:57
Clara Rugaard
So that was a not so great part of being in LA at the time, because I felt so far away from home. LA is a really lonely place, can be a very lonely place, if you don't have a sense of community, I guess. But the flip side of it was that I made some really beautiful connections and friendships in the time that I was there, and I look back on that time with a lot of fondness.

05:24
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What is your impression of LA? A lot of people see it as the place where they can run into movie stars on the street corners, and there's a premiere all the time with glamorous dresses. What was your experience with that part of LA life like?

05:42
Clara Rugaard
That's obviously a part of the intrigue when people want to go there, they want to be a part of that bubble and do the same thing and succeed and be perceived as being a part of that bubble. And it's all really exciting and inspiring to be a part of a buzz and a part of a community and a place that tells you that anything is possible.

06:02
Clara Rugaard
But obviously there wasn't much of an LA scene when I was there in COVID. It was a lot of me taking Ubers over to my friend who lived very close by and just switching between staying at hers and coming over and staying at mine. Yeah, it definitely has an air of anything is possible.

06:23
Clara Rugaard
And growing up in Denmark, it feels very much the opposite in some way. The sky is the limit. And there's definitely no Jante Law, which is the tall poppy syndrome of don't think you're gonna make it further than the rest of us and don't think you're better than anyone else. Which is humbling in some ways, but also I think probably quite problematic in others. And there was something so exciting about a place where you're encouraged to fly free and pursue the dream.

06:57
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You were in Los Angeles when you shot an episode of Black Mirror, a TV series of stand-alone dramas currently in its sixth season. And you play the titular role as Mazey Day, a famous actress involved in a hit and run while she's intoxicated.

07:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Your character's followed by paparazzis. She's basically harassed by them. They follow her around everywhere she goes. They are like spies finding out where is she, so that we can get these shots and make a lot of money. What is your experience with the world of LA from the star perspective? You are not an unknown actress at this point. Do you have any experiences like Mazey Day of Black Mirror?

07:42
Clara Rugaard
God, no, I'm very grateful to say that that hasn't been my experience. Shooting that show solidifies for me, at least how wrong we've gotten this whole perception of fame and celebrities, and this dehumanization of people who inherently are just good at doing something and they get pushed up to this extreme onto this pedestal.

08:09
Clara Rugaard
And the whole question of, was it their choice or was it not their choice? Should they be entitled to their privacy? I understand it, but I still feel everyone should be entitled to their own privacy regardless of what you do and how good you are at it.

08:27
Clara Rugaard
The way the system is built up is very backwards in many ways, I think. And I think it's counterproductive to the art. But no, I have not experienced that and I hope that I won't experience it. I think that happiness has to be the ultimate goal in life. And I don't think it's in fame. So yeah, I really admire people who have managed to keep their feet on the ground and maintain a happy life, but still experiencing those kinds of things.

09:04
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You had experience with a different kind of paparazzi, not the kind that follows people around, but the kind who had the red carpet. That was at Sundance, I believe, with I Am Mother, which you shot with Hilary Swank in Australia. And I remember you told me that you were a little intimidated by that experience. Talk about what that was like, being at Sundance with your film being photographed on the red carpet.

09:28
Clara Rugaard
I mean, it was completely surreal. I still don't really believe that it happened. And of course I know that it did, because there's photos of it and my parents keep telling me. It's an amazing reminder of how it's very easy to lose sight of how far you've come and what you've experienced and how hard you've worked.

09:50
Clara Rugaard
And I think that thinking back on a moment like that is incredible. I was there, stood next to Hilary Swank, who was saying lovely things about me and I was saying lovely things about her.

10:02
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
She said you were going to be a big star. I remember that clearly.

10:06
Clara Rugaard
God, that's crazy. Yeah, very surreal and we were also on top of a mountain somewhere. Yeah, very cool experience for sure.

10:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Can you talk a little bit about how were you prepped to do press at the time?

10:19
Clara Rugaard
To be honest, if I was taught how to do press, I can't remember it. I still don't know how to do it. I mean, I was just completely flailing. I showed up and there were so many photographers, and Hillary is so self assured as a human in general, but also that evening just knows exactly what to do, and yeah, I remember it being incredibly intimidating. I had no fucking clue what I was doing. Again, as I said, I still don't.

10:51
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You did very well.

10:52
Clara Rugaard
Thank you.

10:55
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
At the same time, you shot a film called Teen Spirit with Elle Fanning, which was partly shot on the Isle of Wight in the UK, and it was directed by Max Minghella. He's also an actor in one of the big roles in The Handmaid's Tale. What was it like for you to all of a sudden be in these movies with Elle Fanning and Hilary Swank, big stars that everybody knows around the world?

11:20
Clara Rugaard
It all feels a bit like a fever dream to me. I think that from a young age, I jumped on this snowball and it kept growing and going faster and I just was rolling with it and I never stopped to look back or breathe even. And I definitely think that's what COVID did for me. And I think that that was a good thing to self reflect and look back on your life.

11:51
Clara Rugaard
And I think especially as an artist, it's important to look inward. So I think I just did it and certain coping mechanisms set in where it all feels completely insane. It all feels completely insane. It's not normal. And I know now, I didn't know then. Back then I probably would have been like, oh yeah, it's so nice, yeah, having a great time.

12:18
Clara Rugaard
But looking back on it now, with the awareness that I have now, it's bonkers. And there's no way that a young girl, I'm sure there are people out there who could do it, but I definitely, coming from Denmark and suddenly being dropped in this pool of people whom I knew and looked up to, it was really exhilarating, but so scary. And yeah, I can't believe it's all happened. How strange.

12:52
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
It doesn't show when you watch the movies. You're very professional, so all that intimidation doesn't shine through your performances. And you've talked about being in Toronto at the film festival there, too, surrounded by stars. Talk a little bit about that, how as a young actress who's there with a movie herself, representing her movie, and then walking into a room full of movie stars.

13:21
Clara Rugaard
Yeah again, that's another very strange experience. I was at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017, with a film called Good Favour, my first international film. And I remember hearing that there was going to be a party, and I went there with my agent. I was so young and bright eyed and bushy tailed. I had no clue what was going on.

13:43
Clara Rugaard
Someone would tell me what to do and I would just follow. But I remember walking in and Jude Law was there, and Emma Stone, and these people whom I really looked up to. And there were too many emotions in my body, I didn't know what to do with them. And again, the coping mechanism sets in and you're like, oh, it's all great, I'm having a great time, what's going on? Help! But I remember leaving that party and feeling quite shit about myself.

14:13
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Why would you feel that?

14:15
Clara Rugaard
It just felt voyeuristic. It felt like I was looking into people's lives. And I know that it's a party of course, and you're supposed to go there. I just found myself staring at these humans, human beings, just trying to live their life. This brings us back to the whole Mazey Day thing of, they should be able to just enjoy that time and so should I. I shouldn't just be — like I'm not talking to anyone. I'm just staring. I just stood here like a numpty. It definitely made me reflect on that whole scene quite a bit.

14:46
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
But that is the situation where they're all at work. They're all at the film festival to present their movies.

14:53
Clara Rugaard
Yeah, no, of course.

14:54
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I think it's okay to look at them. Because they're also at work.

15:00
Clara Rugaard
It is work for them. Exactly. And this is the whole thing, like this is a part of the job. And it comes with the job, doesn't it?

15:09
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
It does, in that particular situation. They were not having dinner privately in a restaurant.

15:14
Clara Rugaard
No.

15:145
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
It's okay for you to look at them, I think.

15:18
Clara Rugaard
I needed that reassurance. Felt guilty about it ever since.

15:21
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You should not, you should not. Let's talk about how it all began. You did grow up in Denmark with a Danish father. Your mother was from Northern Ireland. So I assume that you grew up speaking both languages, and your English is certainly British.

15:40
Clara Rugaard
I mean this goes into the whole idea of identity and who are you? And because I grew up in a bilingual household, I guess I never really felt I was either or. I always felt a little bit of a mutt, I guess, a blend of places and identities and situations. And I think I carry quite a lot of shame around that for a long time because — well, in my industry, in the industry that I'm in, but also just in the world, people need or feel they need to be able to categorize you and put you in a box.

16:22
Clara Rugaard
And I didn't know which box I fit into and that scared me. And then I moved to London and I went to drama school and I remember my drama teacher saying, darling, you're gonna have to get rid of that accent or you'll never work. And then I was fucking terrified because that I was like, oh well, off to work I go.

16:46
Clara Rugaard
And yeah, I just worked really hard to try and fit into any situation because that's what I needed to do. And it's so ridiculous in retrospect to think that that's what society tells you that they have to be able to put a label on you in order for you to fit into society properly. But now, after having done so much trying to fit into places and realizing that it's a lost cause, you're just gonna be you at the end of the day. I'm so proud of being a mix and being so Danish undeniably.

17:25
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What is it about you that makes you Danish, you think? How do you pinpoint the things that are Danish about you? If you can. I know that's not always something we think about.

17:37
Clara Rugaard
My yearning for home, I guess, is probably the biggest one. I miss what Denmark represents to me because everything is still so foreign. Being in London, even though I've been here for ten years, it's still — There's a familiarity that comes with walking the streets of Copenhagen and drinking the beer there, and taking a bike ride. And whether it's my sense of fashion or my accent or the way I put together a home, or my shoes-off policy at home, I think yeah, I am undeniably Danish. And I'm incredibly proud of that.

18:24
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You moved to the UK when you were 16 and you're 26 now. You went to Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, but before that you were already a singer and an actor. You'd done a lot of work back in Denmark, theater work. Jane Banks was your character in Mary Poppins, and then later on, you performed in the leading role as Annie in Annie, also at Det Nys Teater, which is a theater in Copenhagen.

18:55
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
And you also performed in some movies back in Denmark before you went to London to get an education. How did you get the acting bug? I don't believe that anyone in your family were actors, right?

19:09
Clara Rugaard
No, yeah, it was just a little old me. I don't know, I've always been such a sucker for expressing myself and I think singing was the earliest form of that. I would get my dad to get out the video camera and I'd sing some Mariah Carey karaoke song. I still have it somewhere and I'm giving it everything I've got and I'm literally like eight, just loving it so much.

19:37
Clara Rugaard
You can tell that I just wanted to perform. I loved it. I guess there's an element of escapism in there as well. And then storytelling. I couldn't tell you, but all I can say is that maybe it's that thing of wanting to fit in somewhere. And the first time I stepped onto that stage, Det Ny Teater, for the audition, I had an overwhelming sense of belonging, and it really just felt like the place I needed to be at the time.

20:06
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
So in a way, that's where you found your identity.

20:09
Clara Rugaard
Yeah. I think so. I definitely think it's a very big part of me. And it still is. I'm a sucker for all art forms and any form of expression and vulnerability and the truth, all that stuff, which is what I guess I was seeking back then in a weird way, maybe.

20:33
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
As a very young person. I'm going to jump a bit again into the current times. In the TV series, The Rising, you play Neve Kelly, who discovered that she's dead, but she can still engage with the world around her and investigate what led to her death. It turns out she was murdered. First of all, what is the challenge of playing dead? And did it make you reflect on your own mortality when you were shooting that?

21:02
Clara Rugaard
I think the biggest challenge of playing dead would primarily be the personal emotional baggage that comes with spending six months literally being ignored by everyone. So that was strange. And also because we were shooting during COVID. So it was already feeling a bit of a disconnected lonely time. But I think people were already thinking loads about their mortality during that time because it was a scary time.

21:33
Clara Rugaard
Definitely, I felt very mortal in that time. I think everyone did. I hadn't seen my parents or my family in general for a year and a half, months into shooting this show, so it felt very relevant, in a weird way to be tackling this character. And, yeah, it definitely was a very reflective period of time, for sure.

21:59
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Talking about playing dead, you have also played somebody who turns into a werewolf, someone who was raised all alone by a robot in an apocalyptic world, someone who is Jewish during the Second World War and dealt with the atrocities that came with that. And I believe you also get to play Mary Shelley, the real author who created the Frankenstein monster in her mind.

22:28
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What is it that motivates you to take on a role? And do you ever read a part and think, ah, no, that sounds not like something I would like to be part of?

22:41
Clara Rugaard
I can't remember who said this, but I think I heard that you are defined by the no's you say, rather than the yes's. And I really believe that. And I know that obviously beggars can't be choosers, but I came into this industry because I have a love of storytelling and I have a love of relating to characters and stories and feelings.

23:08
Clara Rugaard
And there's naturally going to be some stories that I just connect to way more than others. And it's also down to, do you feel you have something to say? Do you feel you have something to say from this character's point of view? Can you bring something to this story? And I definitely think that I choose accordingly based on that quite a lot of the time.

23:30
Clara Rugaard
I also am just a big sucker for putting my feet into different people's shoes and getting new experiences and that is one of the wonderful things about the industry that I'm in. You get to do that, and you get these weird skills sometimes, like I had to learn how to ride a motorbike for The Rising, which was epic, and I never thought I'd ever do that.

23:55
Clara Rugaard
I also think that if you're curious, and you want to push yourself, you want to test your limits, that can also be a driving force factor, for sure. At least it is for me.

24:07
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You've talked a lot about COVID during our talk here. You were on the rise with your career when it happened. You moved to LA when everything slowed down. How did you cope with it? And what do you think you got out of this period creatively? I mean, the world was closed down for a while.

24:30
Clara Rugaard
I definitely feel I finally had some time to self reflect and to just look at how I was living my life. And I mean, I really feel that needed to happen. And ultimately I believe that it's the best thing you can do for your art, and for yourself in general. I realized that I had built up these walls around me over time and throughout my life.

24:59
Clara Rugaard
And I finally had a moment where I could try and break them down and understand who was beneath it, or behind them, and that's an ongoing process, of course, but I think it was essential. Yeah, I'm really grateful for that time.

25:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What is it about being on a set that's so exciting? I've been on quite a few, but obviously as a spectator, as a reporter, I wasn't taking part in any of the shooting. So I know it's exciting, there's a certain vibe. But what is it for you? And did you miss it when you weren't?

25:34
Clara Rugaard
Oh, absolutely. It's the classic thing of, I'll wrap on a job and I'll be so exhausted. I'll be so glad to have a break. And then a week goes by and I'm itching again. And I'm like, well, what's the next story? Let's go. And yeah, it's that feeling you were describing, there's a buzz and it feels like such a creative playground almost, I guess depending on what shoot you're on.

26:02
Clara Rugaard
But it's so lovely to be surrounded by creatives, and to have a common goal that you're all working towards and you're all wanting to make it the best you possibly can. And you're this cog in that machine and you get to bring this. And you want to do it so well for yourself, but also for the whole machine. It's really special.

26:29
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I've talked about Black Mirror, where you play the movie star who seems to need to go to rehab because she's an alcoholic. There is a producer who supports your character, takes her into his own house, and helps her get out of her addiction. We won't reveal the spoiler of the show for people who haven't seen it. Who are the most important people in your support system, career-wise?

26:58
Clara Rugaard
My parents, without a shred of doubt. They've always been super supportive. And I realized that it's a really privileged thing to say that you have very loving and supportive parents. But without them, I generally couldn't have done this for as long as I have now and done it from such a young age, and still felt I had a sense of who I was or felt I had a connection to the earth still.

27:30
Clara Rugaard
They're the sole reason for it. They've sacrificed so much for me to be able to do what I love and they still do in many ways. And I know if it all goes tits up, I can just come home, which is a real privilege.

27:46
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
True. You've mentioned a list of international directors that you would love to work with and Paul Thomas Anderson and Sofia Coppola were on that list. I know you did get a chance to work a little with Sofia on a project that fell through. You've also said that you really dream of working with Thomas Vinterberg, a fellow countryman. What is it about Thomas that makes him special?

28:10
Clara Rugaard
He's just got something. I remember going in to watch The Hunt in the cinema for the first time. And I think it was the first time that I've actually left a cinema, and I was stunned. I had no words. I didn't know what to say and everyone in the cinema felt the same way. It was crazy. Everyone just left silently. It's magic what he's creating and obviously the world thinks so too. But yeah, I think that he's a genius.

28:47
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Danish films are doing very well internationally. Lone Scherfig too, I think you worked with her on The Shift, is that correct?

28:55
Clara Rugaard
I did, yeah.

28:56
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Why do you think it is that Danish movies are doing so well internationally? If you were to say something that makes Lone, for instance, particularly Danish in her way of directing — I know from a lot of actors, they say she's very motherly, for instance —

29:12
Clara Rugaard
I would agree.

29:14
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Maybe talk a little bit about that. I know that became a big question all of a sudden, but—

29:18
Clara Rugaard
The reason why I think people love Danish films, I mean, I'm not entirely sure if it's because it's Danish or because it's just a foreign culture. And I think in general, foreign films are getting a lot more attention at the award ceremonies. I think it's just because people want to see things that they haven't seen before.

29:43
Clara Rugaard
And it's educational. It gives you a better understanding of the world and how it's put together. You see enough Hollywood films and you know the mold, you know what's going to happen. And people want to stay entertained. And perhaps because it's, I'm sure that compared to Hollywood, I'd say that it's quite dark and shamelessly so.

30:04
Clara Rugaard
And maybe Danish productions in general tend to face some honest truths in humanity and darker subject matters a bit more. And I think people are just seeking the truth a little bit more.

30:20
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Did you get to be directed by Lone or was it somebody else who directed your parts?

30:26
Clara Rugaard
I did. I was very lucky in the first season of The Shift. That was also a crazy moment, because I have known about Lone for a long time, so it was so amazing getting to be directed by her. And it was also the first time in a really long time that I acted in my mother tongue, I guess my father's tongue, I should say. And it was scary.

30:51
Clara Rugaard
It's scary when you've been living abroad and you already have that identity crisis like, who am I? Should I change my accent? Who knows? And to then come back home and have to speak the language that you're supposed to know the best. So yeah, I was really intimidated, but so happy that I had that opportunity.

31:12
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What was your role in that show?

31:15
Clara Rugaard
I play a girl, a young, soon-to-be-mother in the first season called Lærke. And it's basically you follow her and her boyfriend as they're about to have a child and you follow all these different people coming into the hospital to give birth. And I think it's a brilliant show. And I'm in season two as well. So that's soon to come out, which is exciting.

31:46
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Fantastic. What's it like working in Denmark compared to working abroad? And is it different? You mentioned that you spoke in your father's tongue, because it's your dad who's Danish. How is it different, speaking Danish from English? Are you more connected to the language?

32:04
Clara Rugaard
I definitely feel I would like to explore acting and expressing myself creatively in the Danish language a bit more because I've primarily been doing that in English. And there must be some differences there, just culturally as well.

32:20
Clara Rugaard
I'm sure that I'm a slightly different person when I'm in Denmark speaking Danish with my friends compared to when I'm in London going about my life here. So yeah, it'd be really interesting. I'd obviously love to do some more work in my homeland.

32:36
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
You like The Little Book of Hygge, I know. Why do you like this book? What is it about hygge that is so fabulous?

32:49
Clara Rugaard
It's so fabulous. It's so fabulous. I honestly think it's just a sense of homesickness for me. I love that that has made it out into the big world, the concept of hygge. There's pride in that and there's homesickness.

33:06
Clara Rugaard
I love everything that hygge represents and I genuinely seek it out wherever I go. I'm wearing slippers currently. I love just snuggling up on the sofa. I bring candles with me when I go to set, when I'm sitting in my trailer, because I think that's just a really deeply ingrained part of me that I just need it.

33:33
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
What is your favorite Danish word? Now you cannot choose hygge because we just talked about that.

33:38
Clara Rugaard
Damnit.

33:39
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
So what else is there?

33:42
Clara Rugaard
Favorite Danish word. I don't know. I mean, this isn't my favorite word, but this is something that I really enjoy making people say who are not from Denmark. And that's just øl, because everyone looks so angry when they're trying to say it. It's just for selfish reasons, it's very funny.

34:10
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
And it means beer.

34:12
Clara Rugaard
It means beer, yeah. And I like beer.

34:15
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
And it has an ø in it, which you don't have in English.

34:19
Clara Rugaard
No, exactly.

34:21
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Ø L. So it's easy to spell, but difficult to say for English people.

34:26
Clara Rugaard
Yeah, exactly. It's like rødgrød med fløde. Great one as well.

34:31
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Yes, that's a more difficult one. What does that mean, Clara, rødgrød med fløde?

34:35
Clara Rugaard
Would you say that it's strawberry porridge, or would you say that it's red porridge with cream? There's something called rødgrød, isn't there?

34:43
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I am not sure if it is actually strawberries or if it's — I actually don't know. We say it a lot, but we don't ever eat it.

34:53
Clara Rugaard
Exactly. Exactly. Everyone's always like, what does that mean? And I'm like, I actually don't, I don't really know.

35:00
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I don't think I've ever had it. I've only teased foreigners with that.

35:05
Clara Rugaard
Yeah. Same.

35:06
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
All right, Clara, it's my final question for you, since our time is almost up.

35:12
Clara Rugaard
Yes.

35:13
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
I have a big question for you to end our lovely talk. What are your dreams for the future? Do you have a list of things that you would like to achieve and places you would like to live?

35:26
Clara Rugaard
What are my dreams? I would love to keep on this pursuit of telling amazing stories and keep feeling connected to those stories and be a part of telling stories that really matter to me. There's a power in the industry that I'm in with storytelling, you get to tell stories and shape the world.

35:55
Clara Rugaard
And I think that's so wonderful. Definitely, my opinions and values, a lot of them have been shaped by the movies and the TV that I've watched. And I just find that remarkable. And if I can keep doing what I'm doing now and telling amazing stories and keep expressing myself, that'd be amazing.

36:19
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
And how about places in the world to go and live or explore?

36:25
Clara Rugaard
I am progressively more and more drawn to the simple life, as cringe as that sounds. I guess living in London or living in a big city, you start to realize how powerful that force is, and if you don't actively take yourself out of it, it'll just swallow you up and spit you out again.

36:52
Clara Rugaard
So I definitely try and do that, already now, just take the weekends away and get out, be in nature — I think is really important. And I guess because I grew up in Denmark and there was a lot of greenery around me at all times, it'ss something that I really miss. I'm definitely going to be back in Denmark at some point in my life. It feels like home.

37:18
Clara Rugaard
So, I'm gonna go do my thing for a hot minute, and then I'm gonna go find some peace, and have both feet in one place at the same time, which would be nice. Been a long time.

37:35
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
Well, Clara, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate that you wanted to be part of Danish Originals. Thank you.

37:43
Clara Rugaard
Thank you so much for having me. This was a great chat.

37:49
Tina Jøhnk Christensen
For today's episode, Clara Rugaard chose P.C. Skovgaard's Parti af Delhoved Skov ved Skarre Sø. Eftermiddagsbelysning, or Delhoved Wood near Lake Skarre, Zealand. Afternoon Light from 1855 from the collection of the National Gallery of Denmark.