Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju has become the latest celebrity to test positive for the coronavirus.
The 41-year-old actor sent out a photo on Instagram with him and his wife, Gry Molvaer Hivju, from their home in Norway, along with a heartfelt message to his fans.
Hivju joins other celebrities to test positive for COVID-19, including Idris Elba, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, while his new series The Witcher will shut down production and do a ‘deep clean’ of the set at Arborfield Studios, located west of London, according to Deadline.
Kristofer speaks: Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju has become the latest celebrity to test positive for the coronavirus
‘Greetings from Norway! Sorry to say that I, today, have tested positive for COVID19, Corona virus,’ he began.
‘My family and I are self-isolating at home for as long as it takes. We are in good health – I only have mild symptoms of a cold,’ Hivju added.
He admitted that other people are at ‘higher risk’ for contracting the virus which would be a ‘devastating diagnosis’ before urging fans to be ‘extremely careful.’
‘Wash your hands, keep 1.5 meters (roughly five feet) distance from others, go in quarantine; just do everything you can to stop the virus from spreading,’ he said.
Isolating: ‘My family and I are self-isolating at home for as long as it takes. We are in good health – I only have mild symptoms of a cold,’ Hivju added
He asked fans to ‘fight this virus and avert a crisis at our hospitals,’ before asking them to, ‘please take care of each other.’
‘Together we can fight this virus and avert a crisis at our hospitals. Please take care of each other, keep your distance, and stay healthy!’ he added.
‘Please visit your country’s Center for Disease Control’s website, and follow the regulations for staying safe and protecting not just yourselves, but our entire community, and especially those at risk like the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions,’ he concluded.
Fight: He asked fans to ‘fight this virus and avert a crisis at our hospitals,’ before asking them to, ‘please take care of each other’
Hivju is best known for playing Tormund Giantsbane on HBO’s Game of Thrones, starting in Season 3.
He appeared in 33 episodes of the hit series from the third season through the eighth and final season of the series.
The actor most recently starred alongside Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the film Downhill, which hit theaters in February.
He also joined the cast of Netflix’s The Witcher, which will now shut down production for two weeks after Hivju contracted the COVID-19 virus.
Tormund: Hivju is best known for playing Tormund Giantsbane on HBO’s Game of Thrones, starting in Season 3
‘We paused production prior to becoming aware of this, but as a further precaution we will be closing production offices and Arborfield immediately and arranging for deep cleaning and disinfection,’ Netflix said in an email.
The email added that they recommend the cast and crew of the show to ‘self-quarantine for 14 days, monitor their temperature, and seek medical advice if they experience any symptoms.’
Hivju signed on to portray Nivellen in The Witcher’s second season, who, in the Andrzej Sapkowski books, is cursed and becomes a monster.
New character: Hivju signed on to portray Nivellen in The Witcher’s second season, who, in the Andrzej Sapkowski books, is cursed and becomes a monster