A very popular post on this blog is about the Danish show Rita, which is a hit on Netflix. Mille Dinesen is the star of Rita. I thought readers would appreciate learning more about her, seeing some photos and some video, and finding out how to keep track of her.
She was born in 1974, which makes her 41 years old. She’s only been acting for the last 10 years or so, if IMDB is reliable. (It generally is skimpy for European actors, but it’s all the info we’ve got.) Before she stepped in front of the camera, she was a production assistant. She completed her acting training at State Theatre School in 2004. Her first credit is for the Danish Bridget Jones, Nynne, which turned out to be a huge success and made her very well known in Denmark.
She’s been consistently busy since that beginning. She’s done a TV series on Nynne, several movies and was in a few episodes of a favorite of mine, Borgen, as Birgitte Nyborg’s ex husband’s new girlfriend.
You can find her on Facebook and follow her on Instagram. On Twitter she’s @milledin.
Here are a couple of photos from her Instagram account. Remember when her Rita co-star Lise Baastrup dressed up like Rita in one episode? Here’s a photo of that look-alike situation.
I don’t know about you, but I simply loved Rita’s closet with its endless supply of plaid shirts. I want that closet for my own.
Tøjkrise…ALDRIG! …på med RITAuniformen 👊 @ritatv2 @tv2danmark #netflix #ritaseason3 A photo posted by Mille Dinesen (@milledin) on
The translations of Danish articles by Google from Danish to English are almost unintelligible, so it’s a bit hard to tell much about her personal life. I managed to figure out that she’s interested in her health and in eating right. For a time, she was not very well, and she strives to maintain good health now.
She lives in Copenhagen, near where she was born and near her family. She was married, but is now single. She told one interviewer, “I could not have made ‘Rita’ if I had had so much as a hamster to take care of.” She commented that she’d been on Nynne for so long she was typecast as that. She’s very happy that her character on Rita is so different. In this interview, she described Rita as being politically incorrect with a masculine energy.
I’m hoping for a 4th season of Rita, but I’m also hoping that whatever Mille Dinesen does next will be brought to American audiences.
See also: My interview with Christian Torpe, the creator of Rita.
Update August 2020
Rita just released season 5 in the US and it’s wonderful! Despite denying that she didn’t have time to raise a family and star in a TV series, Mille Dinesen has managed to do both!
I love Rita too. I’ve watched the first 2 seasons. I’ll be watching season 3 soon.
American audiences? And the rest of us!
Just discovered this show, embarrassed to say, and it ia wonderful!
It’s never too late to find a great show. I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Friday Night Lights years after they were over and loved them both.
We love Mille Dinesen in Rita and look forward to season 6. From India, with love, Ambika Kaimal.
So far there is no news about another season of this great series.
Mille certainly makes Rita come alive.
Just love Rita…hope for another season..
I have really enjoyed the series & love the variety of characters. We have friends in Denmark who have told us how much they love the show too. Hope to see another season.
Sooooo refreshing. Would live to see another season. (Season 4 and more)….
Glad it is shown on Netflix in Australia. Rita is played by a fantastic actress in Mille Dinesen.
I urge anyone who liked Rita to try to get a hold of the series Nynne. DVDs with English subtitles basically only available on ebay Australia. Out of stock on Amazon UK. The movie Nynne was fun but the tv series was much much better. Nynne is as good as, if not better than, Rita. Dinesen is awesome in Nynne.
eBay shoppers, start your search! Thanks, Jodi.
Mille Dinesen is the very best actor for “Rita”. I have seen the first 2 seasons in German Language – and its great!!!
Just discovered Rita while being ill and in the house for a week….watched all three of this remarkable program. I was happy to see how many personal, family and social issues were addressed frankly and with compassion. This series should win some kind of award, along with Mille Dinesen who turns in a performance any actress would be proud of. And if you are a fan of Denmark, which I am, you have the joy of a vicarious visit. Superb and memorable!
a fourth season of Rita has just been announced on the show’s Facebook page.
Fantastic news!
I love Rita. I´m a professor in Buenos Aires. and I feel identify with her in special when she says that she wanna defend her sts from their parents. Her love for them all is great!
The latest season of Rita is great. Just finished watching the entire season Anyone know anything about the person that played young Rita?
The information about her on IMDb and other sites like that is minimal. There are a few more images of her than you see in this post if you search Google for her name, but not many. We can only hope this is the start of a long career for her, because she’s made a huge hit in Rita.
She has 2 (minimal) profiles on IMDb. The other one is on her full name Tessa Helene Hoder: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6273029/
I agree that her acting in season 4 of Rita is very convincing and she has a lot of potential.
Tessa hider seems to be the actress playing “1985’Rita” but she looks amazingly closely related with Mille Dinesen.
Maybe you’d like to check out https://oldaintdead.com/photos-plot-revelations-season-4-rita/
I just discovered Rita. It’s my new Netflix obsession. Mille is excellent as the rebel adult teacher.
She’s one of my favorite characters EVER!
I like to know which actress plaid the younger Rita in season four?
Her name is Tessa Hoder. http://oldaintdead.com/review-rita-season-4/
I see what you did there!
Loved the series ‘Rita’ Just fineshed season 4. hope there will be another one soon (back to the first school with Said…)
Please tell me that this talented & gorgeous actress is not a smoker in real life ! I have watched all 5 seasons of Rita & this beautiful & incredibly sexy actress would definitely be by all time dream “date” ! Oh my G.d, I would have never passed any of her classes….
Just finished Rita last night. So sad it’s over. I loved all the characters especially Rasmus and Hyordis. Who plays Rasmus? He was fantastic.
Rasmus was played by Carsten Bjørnlund. He was in 28 of the 40 episodes in the series Hjordis got her own spin off (https://oldaintdead.com/news-flash-hjordis/) which is still on Netflix.
What a terrific show! I just binged the entire series and applaud the creator, writers, directors and the actors, all of whom were superb! But like most on this thread, I was especially impressed by the incomparable Ms. Dinesen… I hope she’s in something else I can see soon, she was absolutely perfect in Rita.
Hope Netflix will put Nienne to watch. I am so sad I finish the 5 seasons
That would be great.
I love this show! I’m dreading watching the last episode on season five because I don’t want it to end! The whole cast is amazing and Mille is such a great actress. Would LOVE to see more of her shows on Netflix.
Simply how can you not like Rita. Superb acting, writing, and production. Mille is such an amazing actress and I plan to watch whatever role she has been cast in both in the past or the future.
It is probably safe to say that most of us did not have a teacher that looked or taught like Rita when we were in school!!
As a former teacher I absolutely adore the series Rita! I’ve fallen into the whole series! Excellent writing, cinematography and acting! Bravo!
my wife and i discovered it about a month ago. we are trying to parse it out so it can last awhile. love the way they discuss kids problems with caring and understanding. we also enjoyed Hjdoris’ show. hope she also gets another season. and of coarse hope there is more of rita.
There was talk of an American adaptation of Rita, but it fell through.