Liv Ullmann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liv Ullmann
Ullmann in 2024
Born	(1938-12-16) 16 December 1938 (age 86) Tokyo, Empire of Japan
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	Actress, director, screenwriter
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Hans Jakob Stang ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1965)​ Donald Richard Saunders ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1995)​
Partner(s)	Ingmar Bergman (1965–1970)
Children	Linn Ullmann
Family	Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (grandson)

Liv Johanne Ullmann (born on December 16, 1938) is a famous actress from Norway. Many people think she is one of the best European actresses ever. She is well-known for working often with the filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.

Liv Ullmann starred in many of his movies, like Persona (1966) and Scenes from a Marriage (1973). She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama in 1972 for the movie The Emigrants. She has also been nominated for other big awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2022, she received a special Honorary Academy Award for her amazing acting.

Early Life

Liv Ullmann was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her parents were Norwegian. Her father, Erik Viggo Ullmann, was an aircraft engineer. Her mother was Janna Erbe.

When Liv was two, her family moved to Toronto, Canada. Her father worked there during World War II. Later, they moved to New York. Sadly, her father died there from injuries when Liv was six. This was a very sad time for her. Her mother then raised Liv and her sister. Eventually, they moved back to Norway and settled in Trondheim.

Career Highlights

Ullmann with her mother Janna in 1959

Liv Ullmann started her acting career on stage in Norway in the mid-1950s. She loved acting in plays throughout her career. She became very famous for playing Nora in Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House.

Working with Ingmar Bergman

Ullmann in 1966

Liv Ullmann became even more famous when she started working with Swedish movie director Ingmar Bergman. She acted in 10 of his movies. Some of these include Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1972), and Autumn Sonata (1978). She often worked with Swedish actor Erland Josephson. They starred together in the TV drama Scenes from a Marriage (1973). This show was also made into a movie.

Awards and Recognition

Liv Ullmann has been nominated for over 40 awards. She won the best-actress prize many times from different groups. These include the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. She also won a Golden Globe.

She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress twice. First, for The Emigrants in 1971. Then again for Face to Face in 1976.

Broadway and Other Roles

Liv Ullmann first acted on a New York City stage in 1975. She was in A Doll's House again. She also appeared in plays like Anna Christie. In 1977, when she was on Broadway in Anna Christie, critics praised her performance. They said she was amazing and unforgettable.

Ingmar Bergman wanted Liv Ullmann to be in his last movie, Fanny and Alexander (1982). He wrote a role just for her. But she felt the role was too sad and turned it down. She later said this was one of her few regrets.

Former Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Liv Ullmann at the Four Freedoms Award ceremony in Middelburg on 23 June 1984

Liv Ullmann has also been a judge at major film festivals. She was the head of the jury at the 34th Berlin International Film Festival in 1984. In 2001, she led the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. She has written two books about her life, Changing (1977) and Choices (1984).

Directing Films

Liv Ullmann directed her first movie, Sofie, in 1992. Her friend and fellow actor, Erland Josephson, starred in it. She also directed Faithless (2000), which was based on a story by Ingmar Bergman. Faithless was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2003, she returned to act in Saraband, which was Ingmar Bergman's last TV movie. She played her role from Scenes from a Marriage again.

In 2004, Liv Ullmann was offered a role in the American TV show Sex and the City. She found it funny because she watched the show. But she turned it down. Later, Steven Soderbergh wrote a role just for her in the movie Ocean's 12, but she also said no to that.

She narrated the animated short movie The Danish Poet (2006). This film won an Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 2007. In 2013, Liv Ullmann directed a movie version of Miss Julie. It starred Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell. The movie was released in 2014 and was highly praised in Norway.

In March 2022, Liv Ullmann received a special Academy Honorary Award. This award recognized her "bravery and emotional transparency" in her acting.

Personal Life

Ullmann with director Ingmar Bergman in 1968

Liv Ullmann was married to Hans Jakob Stang from 1960 to 1965. She then had a relationship with director Ingmar Bergman from 1965 to 1970. Their daughter, Linn Ullmann, was born in 1966 and is a writer. In 1985, Liv Ullmann married Donald Saunders. They later divorced in 1995.

Helping Others

Liv Ullmann is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This means she travels to help children around the world. She also helped start the Women's Refugee Commission. She is an honorary leader for this group, which helps women who are refugees.

In 2005, the King of Norway made Liv Ullmann a Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav. This is a very high honor in Norway. She also received an honorary degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 2006.

Acting and Filmmaking Credits

Film

As actress

As director

Television

Theatre

Awards and Recognition

Honors

• 1984: Four Freedoms Laureate, Freedom from Want
• 2006: Ibsen Centennial Commemoration Award
• 2006: The Danish Poet won its director Torill Kove the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 79th Academy Awards.
• 2010: 2010 FIAF Award
• 2012: International Indian Film Academy Awards for Outstanding Contribution to International Cinema

See also

In Spanish: Liv Ullmann para niños

• List of film and television directors
• List of theatre directors in the 20th-21st centuries
• List of Norwegian actors
• List of Norwegian writers