Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne

From the Trauma of Utøya to Teen Realism

Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne didn't wait for permission to break into Norwegian cinema. In 2018 she stepped in front of Erik Poppe's camera to shoot Utøya: July 22. She was sixteen and carried the weight of portraying a national tragedy in an grueling single-take sequence. There was no room for artifice, because the camera never left her face for a second.

That debut in 2018 defined her way of working. Osborne performs with restraint and avoids unnecessary dramatic emphasis. But what seemed like the start of a career focused on auteur cinema quickly took a turn toward more commercial genres without losing its Nordic edge.

And the phone didn't stop ringing.

In 2019, she starred in Psychobitch under the direction of Martin Lund. Frida's role required her to build a borderline character who broke away from the usual tropes of high school movies. The film performed well at the box office and at festivals because Osborne made a difficult teenager come across as magnetic to adult audiences.

That same year, she appeared in Hope alongside Stellan Skarsgård. Working with names of that caliber in 2019 allowed her to see how silence is managed on set. She learned that acting isn't about doing things but about letting things happen in front of the lens.

The Leap to Global Distribution

The arrival of streaming platforms drastically transformed her international profile. In 2022, she premiered Royalteen on Netflix. The project aimed to reach young European audiences, and Osborne took on the role of Margrethe with a calculated coolness that contrasted with her earlier work.

Nobody expected that plot twist.

Because pure terror came right after that. In 2022, she also starred in Viking Wolf (Vikingulven). The movie became a viewing phenomenon across half the world and put her on the radar of fantasy genre fans. On this film, Osborne had to face night shoots and a physical demand that meant more than 12 hours of daily activity in wooded locations.

But her interest in socially charged stories never faded. In 2022, she also took part in the series Ida takes charge (Ida tar ansvar). Here she explored fear of terrorism and generational anxiety from a much more cynical and darker angle.

Technical Maturity and Projects from 2024

Osborne has maintained a steady work pace that avoids long breaks between shoots. In 2024, she premiered A Part of You (En del av dig) on Netflix. In this Swedish production she plays Agnes and shares the screen with Felicia Maxime in a drama that dissects grief and identity during youth.

The script for 2024 demanded a change of register toward a much more exposed vulnerability. So her technique evolved to move away from the coldness of her earlier characters and seek a more direct emotional connection.

And the gamble paid off.

In 2024, she also appeared in the dark comedy Victoria Must Go (Victoria må dø). This Norwegian film presents a story of acidic humor about kids trying to get rid of their stepmother. Filming took place mainly in locations in Oslo and demanded precise comedic timing that Osborne had not fully explored in her horror or pure drama films.

Production of Victoria Must Go wrapped its main editing phase in the first quarter of 2024 under the direction of Gunnbjörg Gunnarsdóttir.