Vladimir Furdik is a Slovakian actor and stuntman who became internationally recognised for his chilling portrayal of the Night King in HBO’s Game of Thrones. He has over 35 years in the entertainment industry and more than 75 major productions under his belt. He’s built a remarkable career that spans from background stunt work to creating one of television’s most iconic villains.
Before we dive into his fascinating journey from Czechoslovakian theatre groups to Hollywood blockbusters, let’s look at his profile.
Profile Summary
| Name | Vladimir Furdik |
| Date of Birth | July 1, 1970 |
| Age | 55 years old |
| Nationality | Slovakian |
| Birthplace | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) |
| Height | 5’11½” (1.82m) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Denisa Furdíková |
| Children | 3 daughters (Sara, Laura, Karla) |
| Occupation | Actor, Stuntman, Fight Choreographer |
| Net Worth | Estimated $2 million |
Biography
Vladimir Furdik was born on July 1, 1970, in Bratislava when Slovakia was still part of Czechoslovakia. He’s now 55 years old and holds Slovakian citizenship following the country’s peaceful dissolution into separate Czech and Slovak republics in 1993.
At just 15 years old, around 1985, Furdik began performing stunts in live shows throughout Czechoslovakia. His training came through Tostabur Espadrones, a theatre and stunt group based in Bratislava that practised and celebrated traditional fighting skills and weaponry.
Furdik also trained with the Borseus group, led by influential Slovakian stunt performer Gustáv Kyselica. Initially, he helped with horses on sets because of his hobby of horse riding. Little did he know that this skill would become another valuable asset in his stunt repertoire.
Career
Furdik’s Hollywood breakthrough came with The Three Musketeers in 1993, the Disney swashbuckler starring Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen. Performing elaborate swordplay duels and equestrian manoeuvres, he established his reputation for period action sequences. This followed his 1990 debut on Tremors, where he performed uncredited utility stunts.
From the mid-1990s through 2015, Furdik worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest productions. His expertise in sword fighting, medieval weaponry, and horse work made him the go-to performer for fantasy and historical action sequences. He worked on Skyfall (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), Prometheus (2012), Robin Hood (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), and War Horse (2011), among dozens of other major films.
Furdik became a sought-after stunt double for major stars. He doubled for Nicolas Cage in Season of the Witch, Channing Tatum in The Eagle, Mark Strong in both Robin Hood and The Eagle, Christopher Eccleston in Thor: The Dark World, and Tom Hiddleston in various productions.
By 2004, he began taking on stunt coordinator roles on productions such as Luisa Sanfelice, Frankenstein, and Siegfried.
His career evolved from pure stunt work in the 1990s to minor acting roles in the 2000s, and to coordination and choreography in the 2010s and 2020s.
Night King Role
Furdik’s transformation from background stunt performer to one of television’s most recognisable villains is the arc of his career. He joined Game of Thrones in 2015 as a stunt performer, notably appearing in the legendary “Hardhome” episode where he fought Jon Snow as a White Walker.
After that performance, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss offered him the Night King role for Seasons 6 through 8. Richard Brake had originated the character in earlier seasons but left due to scheduling conflicts. The casting process was remarkably straightforward. As Furdik told The Hollywood Reporter: “They asked me, ‘Would you like to be the Night King?’ I said, ‘Yes, I can be the Night King.’ That’s it!”
Playing the Night King required 6-7 hours of makeup application each filming day. Furdik often arrived on set at 1 AM to begin the transformation, which involved silicone prosthetics, specialised contact lenses, and body paint. The makeup team consisted of 25-30 crew members from the costume, makeup, camera, and lighting departments.
Directors consistently instructed him not to blink to maintain the character’s cold, inhuman appearance. “Many times they ask me don’t try to blink your eyes. This is very difficult,” Furdik noted. He conveyed emotion and intention entirely through body language and facial expressions beneath heavy prosthetics, creating one of television’s most memorable antagonists without speaking a single word.
The climactic Season 8 episode “The Long Night” took 55 days to shoot over three months, plus an additional month of preparation and another month of reshooting scenes. Furdik called it “one of the hardest jobs of my life.” The final scene where Arya Stark kills the Night King took 15 takes to perfect, with extreme precision required for the moment where the Night King grabs Arya under the jaw.
Awards and Recognition
Furdik won multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble. He won the award for Game of Thrones in 2017, 2018, and 2020, plus another SAG Award in 2013 for Skyfall. That’s four SAG Awards total.
His recent projects include Ronja the Robber’s Daughter on Netflix, where he served as assistant stunt coordinator, and he’s currently working on The Odyssey (2026) as a stunt performer.
Personal Life
Vladimir Furdik is married to Denisa Furdíková, who was born on October 8, 1969, making her 1 year older than Vladimir at 56. Denisa holds a medical degree from Palacký University Medical Faculty in Olomouc, Czech Republic, earned in 1993.
She currently serves as Director at Hotel Trinity in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
The couple has three daughters: Sara, Laura, and Karla Furdíková. Sara is musically inclined and performs with a heavy metal band. Laura works as an interior designer and studied at IED Milano, a prestigious Italian design school. Karla works as a model, following her father’s path in the entertainment industry.
The family maintains a low-key lifestyle with Furdik rarely sharing personal details publicly. They live together with no indication of marital issues, and Denisa supports her husband’s career from behind the scenes.
Physical Appearance
Furdik stands 5’11½” (1.82 meters) tall with blonde hair (sometimes described as grey in older age) and striking green eyes. He weighs approximately 75 kilograms (165 pounds) and has an athletic build that reflects his decades-long career as a stuntman. He’s known by the nicknames “Furdo” and “Vlad.”
After “The Long Night” aired, fans discovered his Instagram page and were shocked to see the handsome actor behind the terrifying Night King makeup. The transformation between his real appearance and the prosthetic-heavy character was genuinely exceptional.
Net Worth
Vladimir Furdik’s net worth is estimated at $2 million, though this figure has not been verified.
This estimate appears plausible given his career. Context supporting this net worth range includes average top stuntman earnings of around $200,000 per year, plus additional income from acting roles at $30,000-$60,000 per episode for TV series. Having worked on over 75 major productions since 1990, won multiple SAG Awards, and served as stunt coordinator and fight choreographer on high-profile projects, a net worth between $1.5-3 million represents reasonable career accumulation.