Danish actor Kim Bodnia has revealed that one of the reasons why he quit hit show The Bridge was because as a Jew he did not feel safe working in Sweden.

Bodnia played detective Martin Rohde in two seasons of the Scandi-crime show, but after first signing up for a third, he later dropped out.

The 50-year-old had previously cited issues with the script, but has now said his departure was also caused by of the rise of anti-Semitism in Sweden.

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Worried: Danish actor Kim Bodnia, 50, has revealed that one of the reasons why he quit his role as Martin Rodhe on The Bridge was because as a Jew, he did not feel safe working in Malmo, Sweden

The Bridge is filmed on both sides of the Oresund - in Denmark and Sweden - and its first two seasons starred Bodnia as Rodhe, and Sofia Helin as the socially awkward Swedish detective Saga Noren.

Despite initially signing up to return as Rohde in season three, Bodnia later announced he was quitting the show in 2014.

Bodnia made the controversial comments during an interview for Israeli TV where he spoke about why he left The Bridge.

After initially explaining that the changes made to the script and lack of influence on it as an actor was the main reason, he is then asked about anti-Semitism in Scandinvia.

‘It [anti-Semitism] is growing, especially in Malmo where we shot the Bridge in Sweden,' he told Channel 10.

Quit: Bodnia, pictured as Martin Rohde with co-star Sofia Helin as Saga Noren, had initially signed up for season three of The Bridge, but dropped out citing issues with the new script

‘It’s not very nice, and not very comfortable to be there as a Jewish person.

'So of course this also had something to do with it [quitting The Bridge].

‘It's easy for me to say no to work in Sweden. Its very easy, when they didn't have the script right, I could say; "well, I don't feel safe there".'

Bodnia was born in Copenhagen to a Jewish family with Polish and Russian roots, and recently finished filming television show Hostages in Israel.

During the interview, he also indicated that there is a connection between the rise in anti-semitism in Sweden and Denmark and the influx of migrants and refugees in recent years.

'[Among] the young people that's living there now, who comes from outside into Denmark, this is growing too much.'



