Pernilla August facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pernilla August
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Pernilla August at the Guldbagge Award in 2013
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| Born |
Mia Pernilla Hertzman-Ericson
13 February 1958 |
| Other names | Pernilla Östergren Pernilla Wallgren Pernilla Wallgren-Östergren |
| Occupation | Actress, film director |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Klas Östergren
(m. 1982; div. 1989)Bille August
(m. 1991; div. 1997) |
| Children | 3, including Asta and Alba |
| Relatives | Anders August (former stepson) |
Pernilla August (born on February 13, 1958) is a famous Swedish actress, director, and writer. She is also known by other names like Pernilla Östergren and Pernilla Wallgren. She worked closely with the well-known director Ingmar Bergman for many years. Pernilla won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for her role in Bergman's film The Best Intentions. Many people around the world know her as Shmi Skywalker, the mother of Anakin Skywalker, in George Lucas's Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Contents
Pernilla August's Life Story
Pernilla August was born Mia Pernilla Hertzman-Ericson in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 13, 1958.
Starting an Acting Career
Pernilla August began acting when she was a child. She performed in school plays and local theatre. Her professional acting journey started in 1975. Director Roy Andersson gave her a small role in his film Giliap. After that, she appeared in films by other directors, like Vilgot Sjöman and Lasse Hallström.
She studied acting at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in Stockholm from 1979 to 1982. Even before she finished her studies, she caught the eye of director Ingmar Bergman. He cast her in his film Fanny and Alexander (1982). In this movie, she played the nanny.
This role began a long partnership with Bergman that lasted for two decades. She won several international awards during this time. She starred in the TV series The Best Intentions (1991), where she played Bergman's mother. She also worked on TV productions like Private Confessions (1996), directed by Liv Ullmann, and Bergman's own In the Presence of a Clown (1997).
Notable Film Roles
Pernilla August also starred in The Serpent's Way (1986) by Bo Widerberg. She appeared in his TV version of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck (1989). She has been in many films from Scandinavia and other countries. These include Jerusalem (1996) by Bille August. She also starred in Where the Rainbow Ends (1999) by Richard Hobert, which earned her a Guldbagge Award for Best Actress. Other films include The Birthday (2000), I Am Dina (2002), and Om jag vänder mig om (2003) by Björn Runge. For Om jag vänder mig om, she won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2004. She also appeared in Manslaughter (2005) by Per Fly. Later, she was in Miss Kicki (2009) and Truth and Consequence (2012) by Jan Troell.
Stage Performances
At the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Pernilla August has performed in many plays since 1981. Several of these plays were directed by Ingmar Bergman and toured internationally. She played Ophelia in William Shakespeare's Hamlet (1986). She also appeared in August Strindberg's A Dream Play (1986). She took on the role of Nora in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (1989).
Other stage roles include Hermione in Bergman's version of A Winter's Tale (1994). She played the main role in Schiller's Mary Stuart (2000). She was also Helene Alving in Ibsen's Ghosts (2002). In 1983–84, she worked at Folkteatern i Gävleborg. There, she performed in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. In 2008, she acted in the play Steel Magnolias in Stockholm.
International Recognition
Pernilla August appeared in two episodes of George Lucas's The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1993. Many people who speak English know her best as Shmi Skywalker. This is the mother of Anakin Skywalker from Lucas's Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). She also appeared in the sequel, Attack of the Clones (2002).
She shared the role of Virgin Mary in Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999). She also had an important role in the Swedish film Sprängaren (2001). In 2004, August provided the voice for Madame Suliman in the Swedish version of Howl's Moving Castle. In 2011, she returned as Shmi Skywalker in the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This was for the episode "Overlords." She played Queen Kristina of Sweden in the Netflix series Young Royals, which started in 2021. In 2023, she appeared as Annie in the TV series Blackwater. Her daughters, Asta and Alba, played younger Annie and Annie's daughter Mia in the show.
Directing Films
Pernilla August started directing with a short film in 2005 called Time Bomb. In 2010, she directed her first full-length movie, Beyond. She also wrote the script for this film. Beyond starred Noomi Rapace and Ola Rapace. The film was chosen to represent Sweden at the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. It won many awards, including Guldbagge Awards for August as Best Director and Best Script.
In October 2011, Pernilla August was asked to direct a new Danish drama series called Arvingerne. She accepted the offer. The series first aired on DR on January 1, 2014. Her two youngest daughters even had small roles in the series.
Awards and Honors
Pernilla August has received many international awards and nominations. At the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, she won the award for Best Actress. This was for her role in Bille August's film The Best Intentions. For the same film, she also won the Best Actress award at the 28th Guldbagge Awards.
In 2002, she was honored with the Royal Swedish medal Litteris et Artibus. This medal recognized her amazing artistic work.
Pernilla August's Family Life
Pernilla August has been married two times. She has three daughters: Agnes, Asta, and Alba. Her daughters Asta and Alba are also actresses.
See also
In Spanish: Pernilla August para niños
