Eythor Gudjonsson

Although never having acted or studied drama before, Icelandic entrepreneur Eythor Gudjonsson found fame when he was cast as backpacker Óli in the 2005 horror film "Hostel." Born in Iceland, Gudjonsson initially pursued sports, becoming a national handball champion in his native country before turning to the entertainment business and taking a job marketing videos with the Walt Disney Corporation. Gudjonsson next branched out into running his own business, opening a successful Little Caesars Pizza franchise in Iceland and undertaking several real estate ventures. In 2003, writer/director Eli Roth visited Iceland to promote his feature film "Cabin Fever," and was introduced to Gudjonsson, whom he found to be a charismatic, larger-than-life character. Roth and his pal Quentin Tarantino befriended the ex-athlete, and Roth wrote the part of Óli specifically for Gudjonsson when he penned the script for "Hostel" in 2004. With Roth directing and Tarantino producing, Gudjonsson gave a scene-stealing performance in the edgy thriller, and even served as associate producer in the sequel, 2007's "Hostel: Part II." Despite his success in the movie, Gudjonsson has stated that he has no desire to pursue a career as an actor, and is content with being a husband, father, and businessman.