Pyrkon’s Guests

Giancarlo Esposito is an American actor, director, and producer. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter and stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African American opera singer mother from Alabama.

He is well known by television audiences for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin ‘Gustavo “Gus” Fring’ in AMC’s critically acclaimed BREAKING BAD, for which he won the 2012 Critics’ Choice Award and earned a 2012 Emmy nomination.

Esposito can be seen reprising his role of ‘Gus Fring’ on AMC’s BETTER CALL SAUL, which has earned him a 2019 and 2020 Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series as well as a 2023 Critics’ Choice Award win in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The show has been nominated in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022 for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Drama Series and for the 2019, 2021, and 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Award. The show was also nominated for a 2023 Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Television Series – Drama. The sixth and final season of the series concluded airing in 2022 and includes Esposito’s television directorial debut for episode 606 for which he won a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.

Esposito can also be seen starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s alternate-history sci-fi epic MEGALOPOLIS, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. He will also be seen in the upcoming Netflix and Russo Brothers’ film THE ELECTRIC STATE as well as joining the Marvel Universe in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, out February 14, 2025.

In THE BOYS he plays “Stan Edgar”, one of the key figures at Vought.

Within the same brand, he also voices “Stan Edgar” in the animated spin-off The Boys Presents: Diabolical. As “Stan Edgar”, he also appears in Gen V.

He has also done voice work for the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, where he voiced “Faraday” in the English-language version.

In video games, he played “Antón Castillo” in Far Cry 6.

From Finnish Hall of Fame & frontwoman of the multi-platinum selling Nightwish to After Forever, one of the pioneers of symphonic metal, Floor Jansen has enjoyed major national and international success. Her voice transcends genres, allowing her to deliver passionate performances that resonate with audiences far beyond the metal scene.

Floor’s solo career took off explosively in 2019 when she captivated the Netherlands with her masterful rendition of “The Phantom of the Opera” on the TV show “Beste Zangers”. That same year, she was honoured with the prestigious Dutch Pop prize award, recognizing her significant contribution to Dutch pop music. The announcement of her first solo tour generated unprecedented excitement, with tickets (~18,000) selling out in less than 24 hours – a testament to her dedicated fanbase.

The release of her first solo single “Fire” in 2022 marked a new chapter in her musical journey. As the Dutch ambassador for Record Store Day, she championed the importance of physical music in the digital age. Floor also participated in the internationally acclaimed TV format “Sing Meinen Song Germany”, where she impressed viewers with her versatile renditions of songs by artists like SDP, Clueso, and ELIF.

In a moment of national pride, Floor performed the Dutch national anthem at the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in September 2022, reaching hundreds of thousands in person and millions watching worldwide.

In October 2022, Floor was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a successful operation, she quickly returned to the stage with Nightwish for their European tour, performing two sold-out shows at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. This exemplifies her resilience and steadfast commitment to her craft.

March 2023 brought the release of Floor’s debut solo album “PARAGON”, followed by a successful, sold-out tour across the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Remarkably, Floor embarked on this tour while pregnant with her second daughter, Lucy.

2024 saw Nightwish release their album “Yesterwynde”, adding another milestone to Floor’s illustrious career. Looking ahead to 2025, Floor is set to embark on her first-ever theatre tour, where she’ll share her personal journey of overcoming breast cancer, experiencing pregnancy, and balancing her touring career.

With over 1.5 million followers across social media platforms and an avid fan club of more than 8,000 members, Floor continues to inspire and connect with her audience. Her ability to evoke deep emotions through her performances and her remarkable range across musical styles have established her as one of the most versatile and respected vocalists of her generation.
Personal: Born on February 21, 1981, in Goirle, she currently resides in Sweden with her husband Hannes van Dahl, drummer of the band Sabaton, and their two daughters, Freja and Lucy.

Photo by; Laura Zalenga

NASA astronaut Eileen Collins reveals encouraging perspective and insight on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a
successful pioneer in your field.

One of America’s most admired women, Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, NASA tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to Flight” mission, NASA’s first piloted flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.

While logging 872 hours in space, Col. Collins earned a reputation for coolness under pressure. With that same calm demeanor, she shares how her career as an astronaut took shape, from her early years in the U.S. Air Force to her ground-breaking experience with NASA. Her memoir, Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, was published in 2021. In 2022, Col. Collins was awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Award for her inspirational career as an astronaut, teacher and leader. She is also honored as a 2025 inductee into the Living Legends of Aviation.

Drawing from her career experiences, Eileen reveals valuable insights learned from both her successes and her failures. From the importance of working with others to achieve lofty goals, to successful leadership in dynamic environments, her perspective inspires you to embark on your own original journey. For audiences interested in space exploration, she can also provide insight into the future of space travel as the world turns to exciting new space frontiers.

SKÁLD is a French band founded in 2018 that produces music inspired by Norse mythology. The project is headed by producer and composer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet, who gathered together a group of incredibly talented musicians, thus restoring the spirit of skalds – old poets of the Scandinavian and Icelandic courts. On stage you will see Steeve Petit, Marie Potosniak, Marti Ilmara Uibo, Guillaume Levy i Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet. Together, their voices and instruments create a hypnotic vortex of sound, within which tradition comes alive. The band sings their songs in Old Norse, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, and Faroese, capturing the atmosphere of ancient music with remarkable authenticity.

Andrew Wincott is an award-winning actor with an extensive body of work across video games, audiobooks, radio, and theatre. He is best known for his BAFTA-winning performance as Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3, where he also voiced four other characters, including Haarlep and the Kuo-Toa tribe. In addition to narrating hundreds of audiobooks—such as 1984 and The Wind in the Willows—he is a frequent collaborator on Warhammer 40k projects, including the Night Lords trilogy and the video game Space Marine 2. His other video game credits include Metaphor: ReFantazio, The Witcher, Sherlock Holmes, Dying Light 2, and Divinity: Original Sin. He has audio drama credits ranging from The Archers, the world’s longest running radio serial, to Doctor Who, David Copperfield and Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.

Twilight Force has become both a staple and a guiding light in symphonic power metal; revitalizing the genre and pushing it to new, cinematic heights with their signature blend of fantasy storytelling and musical virtuosity. With soaring melodies, bombastic orchestral arrangements, and lightning-fast performances, they conjure epic tales and fantastical realms from their mythical world – The Twilight Kingdoms. Their musical adventures transport the listener to a land of dragons, magic, and ancient prophecies. Whether on stage or on record, Twilight Force delivers a full-scale fantasy experience; equal parts concert and quest. So, sharpen your swords, dust off your magic tomes, and brew your strongest potions. It is time to join Twilight Force on their quest for the eternal glory of the Twilight Kingdoms.

Maggie Stiefvater is an American creator. She is much more than a (phenomenal) writer – she sings, draws, does calligraphy and plays several instruments. She’s known best for her best selling book series ‘The Wolves of Mercy Falls’ and ‘The Raven Cycle,’ as well as ‘The Scorpio Races,’ but she’s also written several YA fantasy novels. Her books sold over 5 million copies worldwide!

Currently she lives in Virginia with her husband, their two children, and seven dogs. When not writing, she illustrates her book trailers and composes music for them with her sister.

Dominic McDowall co-founded and leads Cubicle 7 Entertainment, best known for their award-winning Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who and 5e roleplaying games. He heads-up game and narrative design for the studio, and was lead designer on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition, Warhammer 40,000 Imperium Maledictum, Adventures in Middle-earth and many more.

He is delighted to be coming to Pyrkon 2026 – “I’ve heard many great things about Pyrkon so I’m very excited to experience it for myself and meet you all next year!”

John Gwynne is the author of epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone and most recently, The Bloodsworn Saga. Before becoming a writer, he studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s played double bass in a rock ‘n’ roll band, packed soap in a soap factory and dug ditches for a landscaping crew.

He is married with four children, five goats, five sheep, three dogs, two horses and four ducks and lives in East Sussex, where he is part of a Viking re-enactment group. When not writing or running around after his wife and her crazy animals he can be found standing in a shield wall with his three sons about him.

His animals think he is their slave.

Malice, his debut novel, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2012 and went on to win the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Debut of 2012. It was a truly wonderful moment for John, as David Gemmell was a hero of his and one of the reasons he writes.

The following three books in the series – Valour, Ruin and Wrath, were all shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Fantasy Novels of 2014, 2015 and 2016, with Wrath winning the 2017 BookNest Awards for Best Traditionally Published Novel.

His second series, of Blood and Bone, is set in the Banished Lands, the same world as the first series. Book 1, A Time of Dread, begins 130 years after the events of the first series. A Time of Courage, book 3 of Of Blood and Bone, made the Spiegel Bestseller’s List in Germany.

His latest trilogy is set in an entirely new world. The Bloodsworn Saga is inspired by Norse mythology, Beowulf and Ragnarök. We follow a grim world of mercenary bands, monsters, and fallen gods. The Shadow of the Gods won the 2021 Stabby Award for Best Novel of 2021. The second instalment, The Hunger of the Gods, won the publicly voted FanFiAddict Award for Best Traditional Book of 2022. The third instalment, The Fury of the Gods, was an instant New York Times Bestseller.

Piotrovscy are a duo of Internet creators, dancers and influencers who have been combining dance, lifestyle and pop culture in dynamic video formats for years. In their social media, they present viral choreographies, current trends and the backstage of everyday life, focusing on humor, authenticity and high energy. Their content regularly reaches hundreds of thousands of views, and their expressive style and natural ability to hit it off with the viewers mean they thrive in spaces dedicated to pop-culture as well.

They have been doing dance for over 15 years. They developed their skills during numerous workshops in Poland and abroad, training with world’s leading choreographers, including those working with artists such as Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and BTS. Their experience combines a solid dance foundation with a modern approach to choreography and forms of entertainment, inspired by pop and street dance culture.

At the same time, they also developed their media skills. They worked on the latest edition of You Can Dance, where they were responsible for social media activities, live performances and interaction with the audience during live episodes. As choreographers, they have also collaborated with artists from the Polish music industry, including Dawid Kwiatkowski, Sylwia Grzeszczak, Zakopower or Kamil Bednarek.

Currently, Piotrovscy combine stage experience with online creativity, doing projects that bring together dance, pop culture and modern media.