Max von Sydow

Lore & Background

Max von Sydow was born Carl Adolf von Sydow on 10 April 1929 in Lund, Sweden. His father was an ethnologist and professor of folkloristics, and his mother was a schoolteacher. He attended Lund Cathedral School, where he learned English early, and after serving two years in the Swedish Army, he studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm from 1948 to 1951. He adopted the name 'Max' from a flea circus performer. Von Sydow made his screen debut in Alf Sjöberg's films Only a Mother (1949) and Miss Julie (1951). He joined the Malmö City Theatre in 1955, where Ingmar Bergman was chief director, and their first film together was The Seventh Seal (1957). Von Sydow appeared in 11 Bergman films, including Wild Strawberries (1957), The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Shame (1968), and The Touch (1971). He made his American film debut as Jesus Christ in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and later starred in The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and Never Say Never Again (1983). He was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actor for Pelle the Conqueror (1987) and Best Supporting Actor for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). He also portrayed Bloodraven in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2016), earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Reader's Guide

Max von Sydow's significance lies in his versatility across genres and languages, from arthouse cinema with Ingmar Bergman to Hollywood blockbusters and television. His role in The Seventh Seal, featuring a game of chess with Death, became an iconic cinematic image. He received honors from the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. His career demonstrated a capacity for both stolid protagonists and menacing villains, and he worked with directors such as William Friedkin, George Stevens, and Steven Spielberg. Von Sydow's legacy includes a Royal Foundation of Sweden's Cultural Award (1954), being made a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (2005), and a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (2012). His work in over 150 films and multiple languages underscores his international impact.

Did You Know?

• He adopted the name 'Max' from the star performer of a flea circus he saw while serving in the Swedish Army.
• He refused the title role in Dr. No (1962) and the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965).
• He was raised Lutheran but became agnostic in the 1970s.
• He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Bloodraven in Game of Thrones (2016).