Mishaël Abia Lopes Cardozo, a multifaceted individual born in 1972, is renowned for his impressive performances in Game of Thrones and Vikings.
Mishaël's early life took place in the quaint town of Laren, North Holland, where he was raised by his parents, Jacques Lopes Cardozo, a dentist, and Annemarie van Leeuwen. He has two younger siblings, Eva and Sharon Lopes Cardozo.
As a young child, Mishaël was blessed with an array of talents. He had to choose between pursuing art or music for his education, ultimately deciding to study art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. He made a living as an artist and jazz musician, playing the drums and guitar.
Historical fencing, which was initially a hobby, gradually became his new profession. In 2002, he founded his historical fencing club AMEK, which evolved into a company (HEMA, Events & Film). Mishaël introduced HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) to the Netherlands, giving rise to a thriving subculture with numerous HEMA clubs scattered throughout the country.
In the HEMA scene, Mishaël is regarded as one of the top promoters of this ancient art and an authority on 15th-century German fighting arts. He teaches in over 22 countries worldwide under the name 'Cardozo Swordsport' and played a pivotal role in the formation of the HEFFAC, the first coalition uniting all existing HEMA clubs in the lowlands.
Mishaël's contributions to the reconstruction of historical European martial heritage in the lowlands earned him a knighthood in Holland in 2008 and a place in the Dutch Hall of Fame for Martial Arts in 2014. He has won numerous international championships for Stage Combat in Italy and has accumulated a collection of gold medals throughout his career as a HEMA tournament fighter.
Mishaël's success in HEMA tournaments opened doors to the movie industry, where he was discovered by director Stefano Milla, who cast him as Wilhelm in the motion picture Richard the Lionheart Rebellion. He then went on to play a ruthless killer knight and the right-hand man of Henry IV.
This initial role sparked Mishaël's interest in acting, leading to further roles in the hit series Game of Thrones and Vikings. Apart from acting, Mishaël engages in motion capture for computer games and organizes workshops and demonstrations for corporate events.
When not acting or teaching HEMA, Mishaël enjoys horseback riding, archery, knife throwing, and sword fighting. He is a true knight at heart and soul, striving to become the first Dutch action hero and bring authentic historical fencing back to the silver screen, combining his acting talent and exceptional fighting skills to promote HEMA worldwide.
