Max von Sydow

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Max von Sydow and Harriet Andersson in Through a Glass Darkly

Max von Sydow and Birgitta Pettersson in The Virgin Spring

Max von Sydow

Swedish actor

Also known as: Carl Adolf von Sydow

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Original name:: Carl Adolf von Sydow

Born:: April 10, 1929, Lund, Sweden

Died:: March 8, 2020 (aged 90)

Also Known As:: Carl Adolf von Sydow; Max Carl Adolf von Sydow

Notable Works:: “Through a Glass Darkly”

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "The Command" (2018); "Game of Thrones" (2016); "Les premiers les derniers" (2016); "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" (2015); "The Simpsons" (2014); "The Letters" (2014); "Branded" (2012); "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" (2011); "Moomins and the Comet Chase" (2010); "Robin Hood" (2010); "Shutter Island" (2010); "Oscar et la dame rose" (2009); "Solomon Kane" (2009); "The Tudors" (2009); "Un homme et son chien" (2008); "Emotional Arithmetic" (2007); "Rush Hour 3" (2007); "Le scaphandre et le papillon" (2007); "L'inchiesta" (2006); "Heidi" (2005); "Les amants de Mogador" (2002); "Minority Report" (2002); "Intacto" (2001); "Vercingétorix" (2001); "Non ho sonno" (2001); "Nuremberg" (2000); "Snow Falling on Cedars" (1999); "What Dreams May Come" (1998); "Professione fantasma" (1998); "Solomon" (1997); "En frusen dröm" (1997); "Screen One" (1997); "Truck Stop" (1996); "Jerusalem" (1996); "Hamsun" (1996); "Atlanten" (1995); "Judge Dredd" (1995); "Radetzkymarsch" (1994); "Time Is Money" (1994); "Needful Things" (1993); "Morfars resa" (1993); "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (1993); "Dotkniecie reki" (1992); "Den goda viljan" (1992); "Den goda viljan" (1991); "Oxen" (1991); "Bis ans Ende der Welt" (1991); "Europa" (1991); "A Kiss Before Dying" (1991); "Awakenings" (1990); "Father" (1990); "Una vita scellerata" (1990); "Mio caro dottor Gräsler" (1990); "Carl Jung: Wisdom of the Dream" (1989); "Familjen Schedblad" (1988); "Pelle erobreren" (1987); "The Second Victory" (1987); "Duet for One" (1986); "Oviri" (1986); "Gösta Berlings saga" (1986); "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986); "The Fascination" (1985); "The Last Place on Earth" (1985); "Il pentito" (1985); "Code Name: Emerald" (1985); "Christopher Columbus" (1985); "Quo Vadis?" (1985); "The Soldier's Tale" (1984); "Dune" (1984); "Dreamscape" (1984); "Never Say Never Again" (1983); "The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew" (1983); "Le cercle des passions" (1983); "Jugando con la muerte" (1982); "Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd" (1982); "Conan the Barbarian" (1982); "Victory" (1981); "Flash Gordon" (1980); "La mort en direct" (1980); "Bugie bianche" (1979); "Hurricane" (1979); "Gran bollito" (1979); "Brass Target" (1978); "March or Die" (1977); "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977); "Voyage of the Damned" (1976); "Il deserto dei tartari" (1976); "Foxtrot" (1976); "Cadaveri eccellenti" (1976); "Cuore di cane" (1976); "The Ultimate Warrior" (1975); "Three Days of the Condor" (1975); "Trompe l'oeil" (1975); "Ägget är löst! En hårdkokt saga" (1975); "Steppenwolf" (1974); "The Exorcist" (1973); "Kvartetten som sprängdes" (1973); "Embassy" (1972); "Nybyggarna" (1972); "I havsbandet" (1971); "Äppelkriget" (1971); "The Touch" (1971); "Utvandrarna" (1971); "The Night Visitor" (1971); "The Kremlin Letter" (1970); "En passion" (1969); "Made in Sweden" (1969); "Skammen" (1968); "Svarta palmkronor" (1968); "Vargtimmen" (1968); "Här har du ditt liv" (1966); "The Quiller Memorandum" (1966); "Hawaii" (1966); "The Reward" (1965); "4 x 4" (1965); "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965); "Nattvardsgästerna" (1963); "Älskarinnan" (1962); "Nils Holgerssons underbara resa" (1962); "Såsom i en spegel" (1961); "Bröllopsdagen" (1960); "Jungfrukällan" (1960); "Ansiktet" (1958); "Spion 503" (1958); "Nära livet" (1958); "Prästen i Uddarbo" (1957); "Smultronstället" (1957); "Det sjunde inseglet" (1957); "Rätten att älska" (1956); "Ingen mans kvinna" (1953); "Fröken Julie" (1951); "Bara en mor" (1949)

Max von Sydow (born April 10, 1929, Lund, Sweden—died March 8, 2020) was a Swedish actor who was perhaps best known for his dour brooding characterizations in the films of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

Interested in the theatre from childhood, von Sydow studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School in Stockholm (1948–51). He established his reputation as one of Sweden’s most promising young actors at the Norrköping-Linköping Municipal Theatre (1951–53). He then gained popularity at the Municipal Theatre in Helsingborg (1953–55), the Municipal Theatre of Malmö (1955–60), and the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm (1960–62), where he appeared in productions as varied as William Shakespeare’s King John and Arthur Miller’s After the Fall.

Von Sydow made his film debut in a minor part in 1949. His first Bergman film was the allegory Det sjunde inseglet (1957; The Seventh Seal), in which he portrayed a gaunt knight who plays a game of chess with Death. Von Sydow’s aloof presence and the spiritual complexity of the characters he portrayed contributed significantly to the gloomy atmosphere and ambiguity characteristic of Bergman’s films. Other Bergman films in which von Sydow appeared include Ansiktet (1958; British title, The Face; American title, The Magician), Jungfrukällan (1960; The Virgin Spring), Sasom i en spegel (1961; Through a Glass Darkly), Nattvardsgästerna (1963; Winter Light), Skammen (1968; Shame), and En passion (1969; The Passion of Anna).

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood

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Max von SydowMax von Sydow in *The Exorcist* (1973).

*The Exorcist*Jason Miller (left) and Max von Sydow in *The Exorcist* (1973).

During the height of his career in Sweden, von Sydow also appeared in a number of American films, portraying Christ in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and a fanatical missionary in Hawaii (1966). His subsequent English-language films included The Exorcist (1973), Voyage of the Damned (1976), and Three Days of the Condor (1976). In 1982 he appeared in the Swedish film Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (The Flight of the Eagle).

Von Sydow’s career took a downturn in the 1980s when he appeared mostly in insignificant character roles. He had memorable moments in films such as Never Say Never Again (1983), Dreamscape (1984), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), but not until 1988 did he revive his career with an Oscar-nominated performance in Pelle erovraren (Pelle the Conqueror). After that he turned in fine performances in numerous international films, including the American productions Awakenings (1990), A Kiss Before Dying (1991), What Dreams May Come (1998), and Snow Falling on Cedars (1999).

At the beginning of the 21st century, von Sydow appeared in such films as Minority Report (2002) and Le Scaphandre et le papillon (2007; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). His supporting turn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) earned him a second Oscar nomination. He played a priest in The Letters (2014), a Mother Teresa biopic. In 2015 von Sydow joined the cast of the sci-fi epic Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the following year he portrayed the Three-Eyed Raven in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. His later movies included The Command (2018; also called Kursk).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.