Max von Sydow
, (born
April 10 1929) is an Oscar-nominated
Swedish actor, known in particular for his collaboration with filmmaker
Ingmar Bergman.
Max von Sydow was born to a noble family in
Lund,
Skåne. His father,
Carl Wilhelm von Sydow, was a professor of comparative folklore at the
University of Lund. His mother,
Friherrinnan (Baroness) Greta Rappe, was a school teacher. He is known to have had at least one brother who allegedly died during the filming of
The Exorcist. Little material is available on his childhood, except that he seems to have been a shy, quiet child.
He attended the
Cathedral School of Lund, and learned
German and
English starting at the age of nine. At school, he and some friends founded an amateur theatre company, where his acting career began. He completed National Service before going on to study at The
Royal Dramatic Theatre ("Dramaten") in Stockholm, where he trained between
1948 and
1951 with the likes of
Lars Ekborg,
Margaretha Krook and
Ingrid Thulin. During his time at Dramaten, he made his screen debut in
Alf Sjöberg's films
Only a Mother (
Bara en Mor,
1949), and
Miss Julie (
Fröken Julie,
1951), a Swedish classic after
August Strindberg.
Von Sydow moved to
Malmö in
1955. It was there that he met his mentor
Ingmar Bergman. His first work with Bergman was on stage at Malmö Municipal Theatre. Von Sydow later would work with Bergman on films such as
The Seventh Seal (
Det Sjunde inseglet,
1957),
Wild Strawberries (
Smultronstället, 1957) and
The Virgin Spring (
Jungfrukällan,
1960).
It was in these
films that von Sydow perfected his craft and began to display the great talent that has spanned the 53 years of his screen career. Von Sydow now dominated the screen as he had done on stage and in doing so became an idol of the international Arthouse. Recognition came as early as 1954 when he was awarded the prestigious Royal Foundation Culture Award.
Von Sydow worked profusely on stage and screen in
Scandinavia and resisted increasing calls from the
United States to come to
Hollywood. After being seen in Bergman's
Academy Award-winning films and having been first choice for the title role of
Dr. No, Von Sydow finally set foot in America after agreeing to star in the film which was to lead to much greater recognition, the role of
Jesus in
George Stevens' grandly titled, all-star epic
The Greatest Story Ever Told in 1965. His talents were soon in demand in other American productions and so von Sydow and his family eventually moved to
Los Angeles.
From 1965 von Sydow became a regular on the American screen while also maintaining a presence in his native Sweden. Though perhaps type-cast as a villain, he was rewarded in the United States with two
Golden Globe nominations for
Hawaii and
The Exorcist in 1973.
In the mid 1970s, von Sydow moved to
Rome and appeared in a number of
Italian films, becoming friendly with another screen legend,
Marcello Mastroianni.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, von Sydow appeared in both serious films, such as
Woody Allen's
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and silly ones like the Mackenzie Brothers'
Strange Brew (1983).
Since then Von Sydow has won The
Australian Film Institute Best Actor Award for his title role in
Father (
1989), the Guldbagge Best Director Award for his only directorial foray
Katinka (
Ved vejen,
1988), based on a novel by
Herman Bang, and the Best Actor Award at The Tokyo International Film Festival for
The Silent Touch (
Dotkniecie reki,
1993).
He received international acclaim for his performance as the
Nobel Prize-winning novelist
Knut Hamsun in
Jan Troell's biopic
Hamsun . He received his third Swedish Guldbagge and his second Danish Bodil for his depiction of a character often described as his
King Lear. In 1996 Von Sydow starred in
Liv Ullmann's
Private Confessions (
Enskilda samtal). Back in Hollywood, he appeared in
What Dreams May Come in a role which was something of a tip of the hat to his performance in
The Exorcist.
His most recent triumph is probably his performance as an elderly lawyer in
Scott Hicks'
Snow Falling on Cedars. Pre-Oscar talk had him tipped to scoop the Best Supporting Actor Award; however, this never came to fruition. In 2002, von Sydow had one of his largest commercial successes, co-starring with
Tom Cruise in
Steven Spielberg's widely popular
sci-fi thriller Minority Report. In 2003, he played mentor character
Eyvind in the European TV adaptation of the "Ring of the Nibelungs" saga. The show set ratings records and was released in the USA as "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King."
He may be the only actor to have played Jesus ("The Greatest Story Ever Told") and Satan ("Needful Things").
In 1951, von Sydow married actress
Kerstin Olin with whom he had two sons, Claes and Henrik. They were to star with their father in the film
Hawaii, playing his son at different ages. Von Sydow was divorced in 1996 and subsequently married French filmmaker
Catherine Brelet in April 1997 in Provence, France. Von Sydow currently lives with his wife in
Paris, where he enjoys reading, listening to music and gardening. He has personally stated he does not intend to retire, subject to the film roles he receives.
*The Pasinetti Award at the
Venice Film Festival for
The Flight of the Eagle (
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd,
1982)
*In
1987 von Sydow celebrated his success in
Pelle the Conqueror (
Pelle erobreren), named after
Martin Andersen Nexø's novel. He received his first Oscar nomination, as well as winning the
Bodil Prize, the
Felix European Film Award, the
Robert Award, and the
Guldbagge Award from his native Sweden.
*He also received special mention when
Pelle garnered the
Palme d'Or at the
Cannes Film Festival.
*
Only a Mother (
Bara en mor) (1949)
*
Miss Julie (
Fröken Julie) (1951)
*
Ingen Mans Kvinna (1953)
*
Rätten Att Älska (1956)
*
Herr Sleeman Kommer (1957)(TV)
*
Prästen i Uddarbo (1957)
*
The Seventh Seal (
Det Sjunde inseglet) (1957)
*
Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) (1957)
*
Brink of Life (
Nära Livet) (1958)
*
Spion 503 (1958)
*
Rabies (film) (1958) (TV)
*
The Magician (1958 film) (
Ansiktet) (1958)
*
The Virgin Spring (
Jungfrukällan) (1960)
*
The Wedding Day (
Bröllopsdagen) (1960)
*
Through a Glass Darkly (
Såsom i en Spegel) (1961)
*
The Adventures of Nils Holgersson (
Nils Holgerssons Underbara Resa) (1962)
*
The Swedish Mistress (
Älskarinnan) (1962)
*
Winter Light (
Nattvardsgästerna) (1963)
*
4 x 4 Kvist (segment
"Uppehåll i myrlandet") (1965)
*
The Reward (1965)
*
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
*
The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
*
Hawaii (1966)
*
Here's Your Life (
Här Har Du Ditt Liv) (1966)
*
The Diary of Anne Frank (film) (1967)(TV)
*
Hour of the Wolf (
Vargtimmen) (1968)
*
Black Palm Trees (
Svärta Palmkronor) (1968)
*
Shame (film) (
Skammen) (1968)
*
Made in Sweden (1969)
*
A Passion (
En Passion) (1969)
*
The Kremlin Letter (1970)
*
The Night Visitor (1971)
*
The Emigrants (1971)
*
The Apple War (1971)
*
The Touch (
Beröringen) (1971)
*
I Havsbandet (1971) (Mini-series)
*
Embassy (1972)
*
The New Land (
Nybyggarna) (1972)
Kvartten Som Sprangdes (1973) (Mini-series)
*
The Exorcist (1973)
*
Steppenwolf (film) (1974)
*
Trompe-l'oeil (film) (1975)
*
The Softening of the Egg (1975)
*
Dog's Heart (1975) (
Cuore di Cane)
*
The Ultimate Warrior (film) (1975)
*
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
*
Voyage of the Damned (1976)
*
The Desert of the Tartars (
Il Deserto dei Tartari) (1976)
*
Foxtrot (film) (1976)
*
The Context (
Cadaveri eccellenti) (1976)
*
March or Die (film) (1977)
*
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
*
Black Journal (
Gran bollito) (1977)
*
Brass Target (1978)
*
Hurricane (1979 film) (1979)
*
Deathwatch (
La Mort en direct) (1980)
*
Footloose (
Bugie bianche) (1980)
*
Flash Gordon (1980)
*
Escape to Victory (1981)
*
Hit Man (
Jugando con la muerte) (1982)
*
The Flight of the Eagle (
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd) (1982)
*
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
*
Strange Brew (1983)
*
Circle of Passions (
Le Cercle des passions) (1983)
*
Dernier civil, Le (1983) (TV)
*
Never Say Never Again (1983)
*
Dreamscape (film) (1984)
*
Samson and Delilah (1984 film) (1984) (TV)
*
The Ice Pirates (1984)
*
A Soldier's Tale (1984)
*
Dune (1984)
*
The Repenter (
Il Pentito) (1985)
*
Code Name: Emerald (1985)
*
Christopher Columbus (1985 film) (1985) (mini) TV Series
*
Kojak: The Belarus File (1985) (TV)
*
The Last Place on Earth (1985) (mini) TV Series
*
Quo Vadis? (1985)
*
Duet for One (1986)
*
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
*
The Wolf at the Door (Oviri) (1986)
*
Gösta Berlings saga (1986) (mini) TV Series
*
The Second Victory (1986)
*
Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
*
Red King, White Knight (1989) (TV)
*
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes (1990) (TV)
*
A Violent Life (
Una Vita scellerata) (1990)
*
Father (1990)
*
Awakenings (1990)
*
Oxen (1991)
*
Until the End of the World (
Bis ans Ende der Welt) (1991)
*
Europa (1991) (voice)
*
A Kiss Before Dying (1991)
*
The Bachelor (
Mio caro dottor Gräsler) (1991)
*
The Best Intentions (
Den Goda viljan) (1992)
*
Grandpa's Journey (
Morfars resa) (1993)
*
Och ge oss skuggorna (1993)
*
Needful Things (1993)
*
The Silent Touch (
Dotkniecie reki) (1993)
*
Onkel Vanja (1994) (TV)
*
Time Is Money (1994)
*
Citizen X (1995) (TV)
*
Depth Solitude (
Dypets ensomhet) (1995)
*
A che punto è la notte (1995) (TV)
*
Judge Dredd (film) (1995)
*
Radetzky March (
Radetzkymarsch) (1995)
*
Private Confessions (
Enskilda samtal) (1996) (TV)
*
Samson and Delilah (1996) (TV)
*
Jerusalem (1996)
*
Hamsun (1996)
*
Truck Stop (1996)
*
Solomon (1997) (TV)
*
The Princess and the Pauper (
La Principessa e il povero) (1997) (TV)
*
Hostile Waters (1997)
*
What Dreams May Come (1998)
*
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
*
The 13th Warrior (1999)
*
Nuremberg (2000) (mini) TV Series
*
Intact (
Intacto) (2001)
*
Druids (
Vercingétorix) (2001)
*
Sleepless (Non ho sonno) (2001)
*
Amants de Mogador, Les (2002)
*
Minority Report (2002)
*
Ring of the Nibelungs (2004) (TV)
*
Hidden Children (
La Fuga degli innocenti) (2004) (mini) TV Series
*
Heidi (2005)
*
Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (2006)
*
Max Von Sydow Online*
A Max von Sydow home page*
The Max von Sydow Shrine*
Dark Kingdom trailer site
