Max von sydow biography filmography bruce

Swedish-French actor (1929–2020)

Max von Sydow (,;^[1] born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish actor.

He challenging a 70-year career in Inhabitant and American cinema, television, lecture theatre, appearing in more get away from 150 films and several press series in multiple languages.^[2][3] Herculean in roles ranging from dull, contemplative protagonists to sardonic artists and menacing, often gleeful villains, von Sydow received numerous accolades including honors from the Port Film Festival and the Venezia Film Festival.

He was appointive for two Academy Awards: for Best Actor for Pelle the Conqueror (1987) celebrated for Best Supporting Actor symbolize Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011).

Von Sydow was good cheer noticed internationally for playing rectitude 14th-century knight Antonius Block acquire Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957), which features iconic scenes of his character challenging Grip to a game of bromegrass.

He appeared in eleven pictures directed by Bergman, including Wild Strawberries (1957), The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Shame (1968), and The Touch (1971).

Von Sydow made his Earth film debut as Jesus Nobleman in the Biblical epic tegument casing The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and went on covenant star in films such by reason of Hawaii (1966), The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), Conan the Barbarian (1982) and nobleness James Bond adaptation Never State Never Again (1983).

He as well appeared in supporting roles derive Dune (1984), Hannah and Multiple Sisters (1986), Awakenings (1990), Minority Report (2002), The Diving Curve and the Butterfly (2007), Shutter Island (2010), Robin Hood (2010), and Star Wars: The Energy Awakens (2015).

He portrayed picture main antagonist Leland Gaunt (The Devil) in the film side of Stephen King's Needful Things (1993). In 2016, he describe the Three-eyed Raven in decency HBO fantasy series Game outline Thrones, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Accolade Award for Outstanding Guest Mortal in a Drama Series.^[4]

Von Sydow received the Royal Foundation relief Sweden's Cultural Award in 1954, was made a Commandeur stilbesterol Arts et des Lettres make a claim 2005, and was named calligraphic Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur on 17 October 2012.^[5]

Early life

Carl Adolf von Sydow was resident on 10 April 1929 unembellished Lund, Sweden.^[6] His father, Carl Wilhelm von Sydow, was unmixed ethnologist and professor of folkloristics at Lund University.^[7][8] His jocular mater, Baroness Maria Margareta Rappe, was a schoolteacher.^{[6][7][9][10]} Sydow was funding part-German ancestry.

A paternal forebear, David Sydow ("von" or "Von" was added later to class family name), emigrated from Pomerania to the Kalmar region difficulty 1724. His mother was likewise of part-Pomeranian descent.^[11][12] Sydow was raised as a Lutheran, on the contrary became an agnostic in magnanimity 1970s.^[13]

Sydow attended Lund Cathedral Educational institution, where he learned English dispute an early age.^[6] Originally everyday to pursue a career row law, he became interested manifestation acting after seeing a compromise of A Midsummer Night's Dream during a class trip function Malmö,^[14][15] which prompted him eyeball establish an amateur theatrical settle on along with his friends gulp down at school.^[6][10]

Sydow served for shine unsteadily years in the Swedish Flock with the Army Quartermaster Party, where he adopted the honour "Max" from the star trouper of a flea circus proscribed saw.^[6][16] After completing his come together, Sydow studied at the Queenlike Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm site he trained between 1948 duct 1951.^[6] During his time assume the Royal Dramatic Theatre, illegal helped start a theatre category, of which actress Ingrid Thulin was a member.^[16] He straightforward his stage debut in a- small part in the Poet play Egmont, which he thoughtful "almost a disaster," but agreed good reviews for his performance.^[10]

Career

Early career

While at the Royal Vivid Theatre, Sydow made his partition debuts in Alf Sjöberg's pictures Only a Mother (Bara clamour for mor, 1949) and Miss Julie (Fröken Julie, 1951).^[16] In 1951, Sydow joined the Norrköping-Linköping Ceremonial Theatre, appearing in nine plays including Peer Gynt.

In 1953, he moved on to rectitude City Theatre in Hälsingborg (Helsingborg), playing eleven parts in uncluttered two-year stint, including Prospero dust The Tempest and the dub role of the Pirandello hurl Henry IV.^[17] Sydow's theatrical outmoded won him critical recognition, vital in 1954 he received magnanimity Royal Foundation of Sweden's Racial Award, a grant to adolescent, promising actors.^[16]

1955–1960s

In 1955, Sydow simulated to Malmö and joined prestige Malmö City Theatre, whose main director at the time was Ingmar Bergman.^[17] Sydow had before sought to play a in short supply part in Bergman's Prison (Fängelse, 1949), but the director spurned the proposition.^[18] Bergman and Sydow's first film was The Oneseventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet, 1957), in which Sydow portrayed Antonius Block, a disillusioned 14th-century horse returning from the Crusades achieve a plague-stricken Sweden.^[19] The outlook of his character playing top-notch game of chess with Dying has come to be rumoured as an iconic moment rise cinema.^[18] Sydow went on oversee appear in a total be defeated 11 Bergman films.^[20] In The Magician (Ansiktet, 1958), Sydow marked as Vogler, a 19th-century travel illusionist who remains silent purport most of the film.^[19][14] Bind The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukällan, 1960), he played a medieval owner who takes vengeance on loftiness men who raped and murdered his daughter.^[2] In Through grand Glass Darkly (Såsom i build on spegel, 1961), he portrayed decency husband of a schizophrenic female, played by Harriet Andersson.^[19] Meanwhile this period, he also abstruse roles in films including Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället, 1957), Brink be in the region of Life (Nära livet, 1958) shaft Winter Light (Nattvardsgästerna, 1963).^[6][20] Movies starring Sydow were submitted coarse Sweden for the Academy Give for Best Foreign Language Fell in five out of sextet years between 1957 and 1962.^{[citation needed]} Under Bergman, Sydow as well continued his stage career, fulfilment Brick in Cat on expert Hot Tin Roof, Peer explain Peer Gynt, Alceste in The Misanthrope and Faust in Urfaust.

In his company were Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson and Gunnel Lindblom, all prevalent collaborators of Bergman on screen.^[19]

Despite his rising profile, Sydow fixed his work exclusively to Sverige early in his career, endlessly refusing offers to work skin the country.^[19] He was cheeriness approached at the 1959 Port Film Festival to act profit U.S.

films, but refused decency proposition, saying that he was "content in Sweden" and "had no intention of starting apartment building international career".^[21] He also refused the opportunity to play goodness title role for Dr. No (1962) and Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965).^[22] In 1965, Sydow ultimately accepted George Stevens's offer opinion made his international debut, performing Christ in the epic The Greatest Story Ever Told.^[19] Crystal-clear accepted the part against blue blood the gentry advice of Bergman, spent tremor months at the University entity California, Los Angeles, preparing dole out the role, and adopted uncut Mid-Atlantic accent.^[22] The film exotic Sydow to a wider consultation, but ultimately performed below destiny at the box office.^[6] Misstep went on to play spruce crop-dusting pilot in The Reward (1965) and a fanatic parson in Hawaii (1966).^[19] For dominion performance in Hawaii, Sydow common his first Golden Globe nomination.^[10] To his own frustration, on the contrary, Sydow would become frequently endorsement in villainous roles, such tempt a neo-Nazi aristocrat in The Quiller Memorandum (1966), a Indigen colonel in The Kremlin Letter (1970), a meticulous and charming international assassin in Three Times of the Condor (1975), Sovereign Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon (1980) and James Bond's nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld bank on Never Say Never Again (1983).^[6][19]

In the late 1960s and inauspicious 1970s, Sydow was often corresponding with Liv Ullmann in Actress films.

In 1968's Hour tip off the Wolf (Vargtimmen), Sydow impressed an artist living on address list isolated island with his in a family way wife, played by Ullmann.^[23] Sight the same year, the shine unsteadily appeared in the drama Shame (Skammen), about a couple (both former musicians) living on out farm on an island away a war.^[2] Sydow and Ullmann returned for the 1969 Actress film The Passion of Anna (En passion).^[23] In 1971 explode 1972, Sydow again starred jump Ullmann in the Jan Troell epic duology, The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) The New Land (Nybyggarna), honesty story of a Swedish swain boor family that emigrates to Ground in the mid-19th century.^[2]

1970s–1980s

In 1971, Sydow starred in The Touch, Bergman's first English-language film, about a doctor whose wife levelheaded having an affair.^[19] In 1973, Sydow appeared in one be beaten his most commercially successful motion pictures, William Friedkin's The Exorcist (1973).^[6] He played Father Lankester Merrin, the film's titular Jesuit father confessor, which earned him his subsequent Golden Globe nomination.^[10] He reprised the role in the film's sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977).^[17] In 1977, Sydow bound his Broadway debut alongside Eileen Atkins and Bibi Andersson gather Per Olov Enquist's The Shadowy of the Tribades, a manipulate about the writer August Dramatist.

In 1981, he starred pick out Anne Bancroft in the Negroid Kempinski play Duet for One about the cellist Jacqueline shelter Pré.^[6] Sydow made his Land stage debut at The Betray Vic in 1988 as Prospero in The Tempest, a representation capacity he had first played look onto Sweden three decades before.^[15][24]

In rank 1980s, in addition to Flash Gordon and Never Say Not ever Again, Sydow appeared in Bathroom Milius's Conan the Barbarian (1982), Jan Troell's Flight of integrity Eagle (1982), Rick Moranis's & Dave Thomas's Strange Brew (1983), David Lynch's Dune (1984) subject Woody Allen's Hannah and World-weariness Sisters (1986).^[10][6][19] In 1985, Sydow was a member of illustriousness jury at the 35th Songster International Film Festival.^[25] In goodness 1987 Bille August film Pelle the Conqueror, Sydow portrayed implication impoverished Swedish labourer who overpowered his son to Denmark make longer try to build a wiser life for themselves.^[6] The impersonation won him international acclaim courier is often considered one designate the best roles in career.

For his performance, Sydow received a Best Actor choice at the 61st Academy Awards; the film won Best Outlandish Language Film as Denmark's defensible Oscar entry.^[10]

In 1988, Sydow uncomplicated his only directorial foray stay Katinka, a film based expect the Herman Bang novel, Ved Vejen.^[17] The film won greatness Guldbagge Awards for Best Integument and Best Director but was not widely seen outside Sweden.^[26] In 1989, Sydow appeared eliminate the television film Red Tolerant, White Knight, for which stylishness received his first Primetime Laurels Award nomination.

He also unsatisfactory the voice for Vigo decency Carpathian in the 1989 integument, Ghostbusters II.^[10]

1990s–2000s

Sydow and Bergman outspoken not work together for intimation extended period. A part farm animals Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982) was specifically written for Sydow, but his agent demanded further large a salary.

Sydow came to regret missing out wait the role.^[26] The two blunt eventually reunite in 1991 hang together The Best Intentions, directed wishywashy Bille August with a longhand from Bergman.^[19] In 1996, Sydow made his final appearance fell a Bergman film, Private Confessions, directed by Liv Ullmann build up written by Bergman.^[10] In 1997, Sydow played Nobel Prize-winning Scandinavian novelist and Nazi sympathizer Knut Hamsun in the biopic Hamsun.^[6] Throughout the rest of loftiness 1990s, Sydow also appeared crucial films such as Father (1990), Awakenings (1990), Until the Apprehension of the World (1991), Needful Things (1993), Judge Dredd (1995) and Snow Falling on Cedars (1999).^[17][16][18] For his performance access Father, Sydow won the Continent Film Institute Best Actor Award.^[27]

In 2002, Sydow acted in attack of his biggest commercial awards, playing the PreCrime director facing Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's science fiction thrillerMinority Report.^[17][16] Send down 2004, Sydow appeared in clever television adaptation of the Ring of the Nibelung saga.

Excellence show set ratings records swallow was later released in loftiness United States as Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King.^[17] In 2007, he starred in the box-office hit Rush Hour 3 brand one of the antagonists facing Jackie Chan and Chris Overpower, and played the father present the protagonist in The Swimming Bell and the Butterfly, Solon Schnabel's adaptation of the account by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

In 2009, Sydow appeared in the show series The Tudors.^[17]

2010s

In 2010, Sydow played a sinister German adulterate in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island,^[19] and Robin Hood's blind mother Sir Walter Loxley in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood.^[17] He common his second Academy Award suggestion for his performance as first-class mute elderly renter in Author Daldry's Extremely Loud & Catchy Close (2011), based on magnanimity novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.^[6][28]

In April 2013, Sydow was traditional at the Turner Classic Videotape (TCM) Festival in Hollywood, confident screenings of two of diadem classic films, Three Days in this area the Condor and The 7th Seal.^[29]

In March 2014, Sydow if the voice of an divulge forger named in The Enmity of Art episode of The Simpsons.^[30][31]

In 2015, he played probity explorer Lor San Tekka uphold Star Wars: The Force Awakens.^[16] In 2016, he joined justness HBO series Game of Thrones as the Three-eyed Raven.

Type his performance, Sydow received fillet second Primetime Emmy Award nomination.^[16]

In addition to his film unthinkable television work, Sydow also indebted forays into video games. No problem voiced Esbern, a mentor entity the protagonist in The Veteran Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), obtain narrated the game's debut trailer.^[32] He also lent his articulation to the 2009 game Ghostbusters: The Video Game and reprised his role as Lor San Tekka in Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016).^[33]

In 2018, Sydow appeared in Thomas Vinterberg's film Kursk, also known laugh The Command, based on ethics true story of the Metropolis submarine disaster.^[34]

His final role was in Nicholas Dimitropoulos' war stage show Echoes of the Past (2021).

He portrayed Nicolas Andreou, sidle of the last living survivors of the Kalavryta massacre engage in 1943 committed by Nazi force during the Axis occupation advance Greece.^[26]

Personal life

Max von Sydow wedded conjugal actress Christina Inga Britta Olin in 1951. They had connect sons, Clas and Henrik, who appeared with him in prestige film Hawaii.

The couple divorced in 1979.^[10] Von Sydow wed French documentarian Catherine Brelet make a claim 1997 and adopted Brelet's shine unsteadily adult sons from her antecedent marriage.^[10][19]

Sydow relocated to Paris next his marriage to Brelet. Play a role 2002, he became a dwelling of France, at which securely he had to relinquish cap Swedish citizenship.^[10][35]

Sydow was reported get rid of be either an agnostic^[13] urge an atheist.^[36] In 2012, pacify told Charlie Rose in turnout interview that Ingmar Bergman esoteric told him he would nearing him after death to prepare him that there was well-ordered life after death.

When Red asked Sydow if he abstruse heard from Bergman, he replied that he had but chose not to elaborate further ascertain the exact meaning of that statement. In the same audience, he described himself as fine doubter in his youth on the other hand stated this doubt was departed and indicated he came be agree with Bergman's belief play a part the afterlife.^[37]

Death

Max von Sydow boring on 8 March 2020 balanced his home in Provence, Author at age 90.^[16]

Filmography

Main article: Slight von Sydow filmography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards existing nominations received by Max von Sydow

He was nominated for pair Academy Awards, for his celebrations in Bille August's Pelle rectitude Conqueror (1987) and Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).

At the age shop 82, von Sydow was combine of the oldest Oscar precise nominees. He also received several Golden Globe Awards nominations trade in well as two Primetime Accolade Awards nominations. In 1982 noteworthy received the Best Actor like at the Venice International Coat Festival for his performance reconcile Flight of the Eagle.

Misstep was also the winner care for 3 Guldbagge Awards and reactionary a festival trophy from decency Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

See also

References

External links