5 Things to Know About House of Cards Star Joel Kinnaman

By Samantha Simon
Updated Mar 18, 2016 @ 5:20 pm
2015 WireImage

House of Cards fans know Joel Kinnaman as Republican presidential candidate Will Conway, the newcomer who goes head-to-head with Kevin Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood, on season four on the Netflix series. And while we learned plenty about Conway while binge-watching the show’s latest episodes, we were left wanting to find out more about the man who portrays him onscreen—so we did just that. Did you know, for example, that he hails from Sweden? Read on for five more things to know about the 36-year-old actor.

RELATED: 3 Things You Didn't Know About Robin Wright's House of Cards Style

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He Dated Olivia Munn for Two Years

2014 Alessio Botticelli

Kinnaman was romantically linked to The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn beginning in 2012, but the pair ultimately went their separate ways in 2014. He moved on to date tattoo artist Cleo Wattenstrom, while Munn is currently dating NFL star Aaron Rodgers.

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He’s Been Giving Us Major #Squadgoals for Quite Some Time—and He Knows It

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In addition to making many appearances on Cara Delevingne’s Instagram feed while filming the big-screen adaptation of Suicide Squad, Kinnaman has shared his own snaps with co-stars Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, and Will Smith that show just how deep the film’s crew rolls. Kinnaman even affectionally refers to the group as the “skwad.”

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He Played RoboCop

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Before he signed on to play a super villain in Suicide Squad, Kinnaman played one of the good guys in 2014’s RoboCop—and it wasn’t an easy undertaking. Kinnaman spoke about the costume upkeep for his cyborg cop character—and the frequent wardrobe malfunctions that came with it—during a discussion with Conan O’Brien.

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He’s a Bit More Casual Than His Character

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Kinnaman spends most of his House of Cards screen time wearing a suit, but the actor isn’t always quiet so buttoned-up. He frequently posts photos wearing a tank top, T-shirt, or—our favorite—no shirt at all on his Instagram.

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He’s Not Afraid to Speak His Mind

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Onscreen, Kinnaman plays a young, social media-loving and charismatic candidate. But off-camera, the star has even gone so far as to draw similarities between his character and his potential counterpart IRL, Donald Trump. He's candid about his feelings on other cultural topics on Instagram, too.

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