'Age of Adaline': Michiel Huisman Is a Movie Star Now, But TV Found Him First

When the much-anticipated Blake Lively vehicle Age of Adaline opens in theaters this weekend, pay attention to leading man Michiel Huisman: You’ll be seeing A LOT more of him in the future. But if you’ve turned on your television even once over the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a lot of him already. This is a rough estimate, but the Dutch actor has now appeared in approximately 100 percent of all TV shows? Something like that. From his current simultaneous stints on Game of Thrones (as Daenerys’ hunky, bearded champion) and Orphan Black (as Sarah’s hunky, bearded baby daddy), and previous arcs on Nashville and Treme as hunky bearded musicians, perhaps only Alex Trebek has appeared on television more frequently than Michiel Huisman. Basically wherever there has been a female lead character with a weakness for bearded hunks, you better believe Michiel Huisman has been there.

Watch the Age of Adaline trailer:

So to celebrate Huisman’s first romantic lead role on the silver screen, please enjoy this walk down TV GIF lane, which proves that in just a few short years Michiel Huisman has perfected the art of being a naked, drinking, bearded musician in nearly every show on American television. (To say nothing of his previous appearances on Dutch television, which presumably included even more nudity, drinking, and playing music while bearded.) Enjoy!

Game of Thrones (2014-present)

Let’s start with Michiel Huisman’s biggest TV role to date: Daario Naharis, the renegade warrior who vowed to serve Daenerys in her quest to retake her father’s throne. After Huisman inherited the role from a previously cast actor, Daario’s badassery went off the charts. For example, in this sequence he single-handedly toppled a city by throwing a knife at a horse!

In fact, Daario is pretty handy with knives in general.

But let’s not forget Daario’s most valuable skills: Making love to and also bartending for the Khaleesi, not necessarily in that order.

(This was the most SFW GIF we could find from this scene.)

(Same.)

Orphan Black (2014-present)

But as Cal, the biological father of Orphan Black heroine Sarah’s daughter, Huisman has demonstrated more range than simply playing an occasionally nude, bearded badass. Here he plays an occasionally nude, bearded sensitive guy. For example, just check out how moved he looked when he found out he had a daughter:

But yes, only minutes after reuniting with Sarah, Cal definitely “reunited” with Sarah, if you catch our drift.

Nashville (2012-2014)

As ABC’s best-ever primetime soap about the country music scene, Nashville provided many highlights for fans of Huisman’s particular brand of musician hunkery. Here he played Liam, a possibly Dutch musician with a knack for drinking and bedding leading ladies.

For example, who could forget when, shortly after meeting Connie Britton’s character, Liam had her doing shots?

It wasn’t long before she was wearing his fedora and they were sloppily making out — a scandalous scenario considering she was a married mother of two! Liam don’t care.

Except, of course he did! He may have been a frequently nude musician hunk, but he was the type of guy who would sit next to you by the bathtub and listen to your problems. (Dreamy sigh.)

Sometimes he would even look at Connie Britton like THIS when they’d sing duets together.

And sometimes he’d really FEEL IT during piano duets. It’s easy to tell from his facial expression here that he was always bound for big things.

Treme (2010-2013)

As Sonny, a hard-drinking Dutch musician attempting to make ends meet in post-Katrina New Orleans, the noticeably less buff Huisman had to rely more on his musical skills than knife play. Here he was in an early episode trolling tourists by playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” sarcastically. (The ultimate New Orleans street musician burn!)

And who could forget the time he put on a Mardi Gras mask so that he could drunkenly make out with random paradegoers in exchange for beads? Oh, Sonny.

At least he looked adorable in white shrimpin’ boots!

Later, after getting sober, Sonny shaved his beard before proposing to his girlfriend, and he looked weird! Where’s that beard, Huisman? Who even are you without a beard?

BONUS: This Chanel N°5 Ad, Directed by Baz Lurhmann

Oh, and in case you thought Huisman’s TV talents were restricted to scripted dramas, check out his instant-classic performance in Baz Lurhmann’s extended advertisement for Chanel N°5. It may not involve knife play or street performance, but Huisman’s trademark all-encompassing seductive powers are nevertheless on full-display.

I think we speak for most Americans when we say, “Thank you for all you have given us, Michiel Huisman.”

May your film career be as long, as fruitful, and as frequently nude as your television career has been.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO; Orphan Black airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on BBC America.