Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was born in Rudkøbing, Denmark, the son of Jørgen Waldau and Hanne Søborg Coster, a librarian, and grew up in Tybjerg. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was educated at the National Theater School in Denmark from 1989 to 1993. He made his stage debut as Laertes in Hamlet at the Betty Nansen Theater. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau role in the movie Nightwatch (1994) brought him fame in his native country. He later transitioned to United States film and television.
