Max von Sydow facts for kids

Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
	von Sydow in 2005
Born	Carl Adolf von Sydow ; 10 April 1929; Lund, Sweden
Died	8 March 2020 (aged 90); Paris, France
Citizenship	Sweden (1929–2002); France (2002–2020)
Alma mater	Royal Dramatic Theatre
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1948–2018
Spouse(s)	Christina Olin; (m. 1951; div. 1979) ; Catherine Brelet (m. 1997)
Children	4

Carl Adolf "Max" von Sydow (10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish-born French television, stage and movie actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012 for his role as The Renter in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011). He also played Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Never Say Never Again (1983). His career started in 1949.

He was born in Lund, Skåne, Sweden on 10 April 1929. He was educated at Cathedral School and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. He was married to Kerstin Olin from 1951 until they divorced in 1979, they had two children. He was married to Catherine Brelet since 1997, they had two children. He lived in Los Angeles, California.

Von Sydow was one of the favorite actors of the Swedish movie director Ingmar Bergman. He appeared in twelve Bergman films, most notably as the knight in The Seventh Seal. This film is typical of the existentialist films of the mid-20th century. The knight plays a game of chess with death against the background crisis of the 13th century, with the Black Death and famine ongoing.

He acted in over 100 movies. His height and manner lent itself to authority figures, and "evil villain" roles. Von Sydow's second marriage to a French lady led to his becoming a French citizen and giving up his Swedish nationality. His family were originally of German/Polish extraction.

Von Sydow died on 8 March 2020 in Paris at the age of 90.

Images for kids

von Sydow (left) with Povel Ramel and Beppe Wolgers, 1968