Harriet Andersson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harriet Andersson
Andersson in 2014
Born	Harriet Andersson (1932-02-14) 14 February 1932 (age 93) Stockholm, Sweden
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–2007
Spouse(s)	Bertil Wejfeldt ​ (m. 1959⁠–⁠1964)​ Bobo Håkansson ​ (m. 1980⁠–⁠1982)​
Partner(s)	Per Oscarsson (1951–1953) Ingmar Bergman (1953–1955) Gunnar Hellström (1956–1958) Jörn Donner (1960s) Börje Åberg (1970s) Ulf Törnberg (1970s)
Children	1

Harriet Andersson (born 14 February 1932) is a famous Swedish actress. She is well-known for working with the director Ingmar Bergman in many of his films. Harriet often played characters who were energetic and from everyday backgrounds.

Becoming a Film Star

Early Acting Days

Harriet Andersson started acting when she was 15 years old. She studied at the Calle Flygare stage school. Later, she worked with director Ingmar Bergman in several plays. These plays were performed at the Malmö City Theater between 1953 and 1956.

Setting the Record Straight

In an interview, Harriet Andersson cleared up a common misunderstanding. Some people thought that Ingmar Bergman found her while she was working as an elevator operator. Harriet explained that she did work an elevator, but that was when she was only 14 years old. She said that Bergman did not discover her there. She was actually discovered in 1949 at theater school. Before her famous movie Monika, she had many small roles. She often played characters who seemed a bit rebellious, but she said she was a very nice girl in real life.

Working with Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar Bergman wrote the main role in the movie Summer with Monika (1953) just for Harriet. This film was made in Sweden. It tells the story of two young people who fall in love during a summer. They get married quickly, but then they get divorced.

Even though Harriet and Bergman's romantic relationship was short, they kept working together. Harriet appeared in many of his most famous movies. These include Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Cries and Whispers (1972), and Fanny and Alexander (1982).

In Through A Glass Darkly, Harriet Andersson acted alongside Max von Sydow and Gunnar Björnstrand. She played a character who was dealing with a serious mental health challenge. The movie's title comes from a Bible verse. The story is about four people over 24 hours in an old house in the Swedish Archipelago. Harriet's strong acting in this role surprised some viewers.

International Films

Like other actors who worked with Bergman, Harriet also acted in English-language films. She appeared in Sidney Lumet's The Deadly Affair (1966). Later, she was in Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003).

In 2006, a book was published about Harriet Andersson's life. It was based on interviews she had with Jan Lumholdt.

Awards and Recognition

Harriet Andersson has won many awards for her acting. These include the Swedish Guldbagge Award and the Norwegian Amanda. She also won best actress awards at the Venice Film Festival in 1964 and the 9th Moscow International Film Festival in 1975. In 1968, she received the Bodil Award for Best Actress. This was for her role in the Danish comedy People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart. Harriet Andersson also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stockholm International Film Festival in 2010.

Personal Life

Harriet Andersson was married to her childhood friend Bertil Wejfeldt from 1959 to 1964. She has a daughter named Petra Wejfeldt, who was born in 1960. Harriet named her daughter after a character she played in the movie Smiles of a Summer Night. In the 1960s, she lived with Finnish director Jörn Donner for several years. She also appeared in some of his films. These include A Sunday in September (1963), To Love (1964), Adventure Starts Here (1965), and Anna (1970).

Selected Films

Harriet Andersson in 1952

See also

In Spanish: Harriet Andersson para niños