We all would like to think that we would never, in a million years, have a glass of wine and get behind the wheel of a car, but it could happen, and then you could run a red light.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauWhen I was a kid I was always afraid of small dogs, because they always seemed like the ones that would attack.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauRehabilitation is such a tiny part of prison life, and I think that has to change. The funny thing is that there's even bi-partisan agreement that it has to change, but the question is how. I don't know how.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauPeter Dinklage doesn't care. He's so cool so you can laugh at it. Most actors, if you laugh they'd just have a nervous breakdown. But he's just, "Yeah, I know. I know."
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauI'm a huge 'Breaking Bad' fan; I would be really annoyed if anyone told me anything about what was going to happen in the last eight episodes.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauI find human behavior really interesting. I think that's ultimately what being an actor is. You explore what it means to be human.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauIf you look at most of the Royal Houses in Europe, the inbreeding was pretty outstanding.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauFundamentally, as human beings, we're very, very alike and a lot more alike than we think, but we have a tendency to divide the world into them and us. In prison, when people commit a crime and we put them away, they definitely become "them." We don't want to deal with it because they have chosen to step out of society, so we're going to keep them out. Even if they serve their time, we're going to make sure that, for the rest of their lives, they're going to be branded. I don't know how to do it in a different way, but I think it clearly doesn't work.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauI was always shocked in prison because it's a scary place. It's not natural to lock that many people up like that, in such a tiny place. There's something disturbing about it.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauThe prison system today is so messed up. Some people say, "Some criminals are made in prison," and it's actually true. The numbers and the facts are very clear. Almost 70% re-offend, and they re-offend, more often than not, with a worse crime than what they were put away for. And what's mind-boggling is that it's not in anyone's interests. It's a waste of enormous resources, with money, but also all of these young men and women that have their lives ruined.
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauThe fact is that, in prison, you can't just go and be locked up and serve your time. That's not an option. You get locked up, and then you're going to go through hell and, if you're lucky, you'll come out somewhat of a human being, but you're probably going to be beyond traumatized, for the rest of your life. That's ridiculous!
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau