Bibi Andersson is a Swedish actress.
Early life
Bibi Andersson was born as
Berit Elisabeth Andersson in
KungsholmenKungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....
, Stockholm, the daughter of Karin (née Mansion), a social worker, and Josef Andersson, a businessman. She studied acting at the Terserus Drama School and at the legendary Royal Dramatic Theatre School in
StockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
After completing school, she agreed to join the
Royal Dramatic TheatreThe Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
in Stockholm, which she was associated with for 30 years. Her first collaboration with
Ingmar BergmanErnst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
was in 1951, when she participated in his production of an advertisement for the
detergentA detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
"Bris". In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, she starred in more than ten Bergman-directed pictures, including
The Seventh SealThe Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death , who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play...
,
Wild StrawberriesWild Strawberries is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, about an old man recalling his past. The original Swedish title is Smultronstället, which literally means "the wild strawberry patch", but idiomatically means an underrated gem of a place...
,
Brink of LifeBrink of Life, is a 1958 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Bergman won the Best Director Award and Anderson, Dahlbeck, Ornäs and Thulin won the Best Actress Award at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Eva Dahlbeck as Stina Andersson...
,
The MagicianThe Magician is a 1958 film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Its original Swedish title is Ansiktet, which means "the face", and it was released theatrically as The Face in the United Kingdom, although video releases have used the U.S. title.The film stars Max von Sydow as a traveling...
and
PersonaPersona is a film by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, released in 1966, and starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. Bergman held this film to be one of his most important; in his book Images, he writes: "Today I feel that in Persona—and later in Cries and Whispers—I had gone as far as I could go...
.
Later career
In 1963, at the
13th Berlin International Film FestivalThe 13th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 21 June to 2 July 1963.-Jury:* Wendy Toye * Harry R. Sokal* Fernando Ayala* Jean-Pierre Melville* B. R...
, Andersson won the
Silver Bear for Best ActressThe Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*...
award for her role in
Vilgot SjömanDavid Harald Vilgot Sjöman was a Swedish writer and film director. His films deal with controversial issues of social class, morality, and sexual taboos, combining the emotionally-tortured characters of Ingmar Bergman with the avant garde style of the French New Wave...
's film
The MistressThe Mistress is a 1962 Swedish drama film directed by Vilgot Sjöman. It marked Sjöman's directoral debut and was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival where Bibi Andersson won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award...
.
Her intense portrayal of the nurse Alma in the 1966 film
PersonaPersona is a film by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, released in 1966, and starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. Bergman held this film to be one of his most important; in his book Images, he writes: "Today I feel that in Persona—and later in Cries and Whispers—I had gone as far as I could go...
led to an increase in the number of cinematic roles offered her, and she appeared that same year opposite
James GarnerJames Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
and
Sidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
in the violent western
Duel at DiabloDuel at Diablo is a 1966 western film starring James Garner in his first Western since leaving Maverick and Sidney Poitier in his first Western. Based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel Apache Rising, the film was written by Albert and Michael M. Grilikhes and directed by Ralph Nelson who had...
. More Bergman collaborations followed, as well as working with
John HustonJohn Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
(
The Kremlin LetterThe Kremlin Letter is an American noir film directed by John Huston, starring Richard Boone, Orson Welles, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Patrick O'Neal and George Sanders. It was released in February 1970 by 20th Century-Fox...
: 1970) and
Robert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
(
QuintetQuintet is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film by Robert Altman produced in 1979. It features among others Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt....
: 1979). She made her debut in American theatre in 1973 with a production of
Erich Maria RemarqueErich Maria Remarque was a German author, best known for his novel All Quiet on the Western Front.-Life and work:...
's
Full Circle.
In 1990, she worked as a theatre director in Stockholm. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Andersson worked primarily in television and as a theatre actress, working with Bergman among others. She was also a supervisor for the
humanitarianIn its most general form, humanitarianism is an ethic of kindness, benevolence and sympathy extended universally and impartially to all human beings. Humanitarianism has been an evolving concept historically but universality is a common element in its evolution...
project Road to Sarajevo.
Personal life
In 1996, she published her autobiography
Ett ögonblick (
A Moment, or, literally,
A Blink of the Eye). She has been married (1960, divorced) to the director
Kjell GredeKjell Grede is a Swedish film director. He directed nine films between 1967 and 2003. He was married to actress Bibi Andersson from 1960 to 1973. His film Harry Munter was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. In 1991, his film Good Evening, Mr...
with whom she has a daughter, Jenny, and, secondly (1978, divorced), to the politician and writer
Per AhlmarkPer Axel Ahlmark is a Swedish writer and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1975 to 1978, and Minister for Employment and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government from 1976 to 1978...
. Since 29 May 2004, Andersson has been married to Gabriel Mora Baeza.
Filmography
- Smiles of a Summer Night
Smiles of a Summer Night a.k.a. Smiles on a Summer Night is a 1955 Swedish comedy film directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was the first of Bergman's films to bring the director international success, due to its exposure at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival...
(1955)
- Last Pair Out
Last Pair Out , is a 1956 Swedish drama film directed by Alf Sjöberg and written by Ingmar Bergman. It was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Eva Dahlbeck – Susanna Dahlin* Harriet Andersson – Anita...
(1956)
- The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death , who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play...
(1957)
- Mr. Sleeman Is Coming
Mr. Sleeman Is Coming is a 1917 one-act play by the Swedish author Hjalmar Bergman. The main character is an orphaned young woman who is about to be married off to an unappealing but rich old man, Mr. Sleeman, at the instigation of her aunts who have taken charge of her...
(1957)
- Wild Strawberries
Wild Strawberries is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, about an old man recalling his past. The original Swedish title is Smultronstället, which literally means "the wild strawberry patch", but idiomatically means an underrated gem of a place...
(1957)
- Brink of Life
Brink of Life, is a 1958 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Bergman won the Best Director Award and Anderson, Dahlbeck, Ornäs and Thulin won the Best Actress Award at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Eva Dahlbeck as Stina Andersson...
(1958)
- Rabies
Rabies is a 1958 Swedish television drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman.-Cast:* Bibi Andersson – Eivor* Axel Düberg – Cpl. Sven* Åke Fridell – Sixten Garberg* Tor Isedal – Knut* Åke Jörnfalk – Rolf* Gunnel Lindblom – Jenny* Dagny Lind – Aunt...
(1958)
- The Magician
The Magician is a 1958 film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Its original Swedish title is Ansiktet, which means "the face", and it was released theatrically as The Face in the United Kingdom, although video releases have used the U.S. title.The film stars Max von Sydow as a traveling...
(1958)
- The Devil's Eye
The Devil's Eye is a 1960 Swedish fantasy-comedy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman.- Plot :The devil has a stye in his eye, caused by the purity of a vicar's daughter. To get rid of it, he sends Don Juan up from hell to seduce the 20-year-old Britt-Marie and to rob her of her virginity...
(1960)
- The Pleasure Garden
The Pleasure Garden , is a 1961 Swedish film directed by Alf Kjellin and written by Ingmar Bergman.-Cast:* Sickan Carlsson – Fanny, waitress* Gunnar Björnstrand – David Samuel Franzén* Bibi Andersson – Anna, Fanny's daughter* Per Myrberg – Emil...
(1961)
- The Mistress
The Mistress is a 1962 Swedish drama film directed by Vilgot Sjöman. It marked Sjöman's directoral debut and was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival where Bibi Andersson won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award...
(1962)
- All These Women
All These Women is a 1964 Swedish comedy film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Along with Smiles of a Summer Night, the film is one of the few comedy films ever made by Bergman...
(1964)
- Ön
Ön is a 1966 Swedish drama film directed by Alf Sjöberg. It was entered into the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Per Myrberg - Count Magnus* Bibi Andersson - Marianne* Karin Kavli - Old countess* Marian Gräns - Helen Andersson...
(1966)
- Persona
Persona is a film by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, released in 1966, and starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. Bergman held this film to be one of his most important; in his book Images, he writes: "Today I feel that in Persona—and later in Cries and Whispers—I had gone as far as I could go...
(1966)
- Duel at Diablo
Duel at Diablo is a 1966 western film starring James Garner in his first Western since leaving Maverick and Sidney Poitier in his first Western. Based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel Apache Rising, the film was written by Albert and Michael M. Grilikhes and directed by Ralph Nelson who had...
(1966)
- The Girls
-Cast:* Bibi Andersson as Liz* Harriet Andersson as Marianne* Gunnel Lindblom as Gunilla* Gunnar Björnstrand as Hugo* Erland Josephson as Carl* Frank Sundström as the doctor* Åke Lindström as Bengt* Stig Engström as Thommy* Ulf Palme as director-Release:...
(1968)
- The Passion of Anna
The Passion of Anna is a 1969 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Bergman was awarded Best Director at the 1971 National Society of Film Critics Awards for the film.-Plot:...
(1969)
- The Kremlin Letter
The Kremlin Letter is an American noir film directed by John Huston, starring Richard Boone, Orson Welles, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Patrick O'Neal and George Sanders. It was released in February 1970 by 20th Century-Fox...
(1970)
- The Touch (1971)
- The Man from the Other Side
"The Man from the Other Side" is the 19th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode follows the attempts of Thomas Jerome Newton, with the help of shapeshifters, to create a pathway between the two parallel universes, while the Fringe...
(1971)
- Scenes from a Marriage
Scenes from a Marriage is a 1973 Swedish TV series written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The story explores the disintegration of a marriage between Marianne, a lawyer, and Johan, a professor over a long period, using a restricted cast, a naturalist, hyper-realistic cinematic...
(1973)
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (film)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is a 1977 film based on the Joanne Greenberg novel of the same name.In the wake of the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Roger Corman was able to get funding for a movie version of Rose Garden. Bibi Andersson played Dr. Fried, while Kathleen Quinlan...
(1977)
- An Enemy of the People
An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his play Ghosts, which at that time was considered scandalous...
(1978)
- The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979)
- Quintet
Quintet is a post-apocalyptic science fiction film by Robert Altman produced in 1979. It features among others Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt....
(1979)
- Marmalade Revolution
Marmalade Revolution is a 1980 Swedish drama film directed by and starring Erland Josephson. It was entered into the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Erland Josephson - Karl Henrik Eller* Bibi Andersson - Anna-Berit* Marie Göranzon - Maj...
(1980)
- Exposed
Exposed is an English-language 1983 film directed and written by James Toback. Nastassja Kinski, Rudolf Nureyev and Harvey Keitel star.-Cast:* Nastassja Kinski as Elizabeth Carlson* Rudolf Nureyev as Daniel Jelline* Harvey Keitel as Rivas...
(1983)
- Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
Wallenberg: A Hero's Story is a 1985 NBC made-for-television movie starring Richard Chamberlain as Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat instrumental in saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust....
(1985) (TV)
- Poor Butterfly
Poor Butterfly is a 1986 Argentine drama film directed by Raúl de la Torre. It was entered into the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Graciela Borges as Clara* Lautaro Murúa* Pepe Soriano as Shloime* Víctor Laplace as Jose* Bibi Andersson as Gertrud...
(1986)
- Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish film directed by Gabriel Axel. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen , who also wrote the story which inspired the 1985 Academy Award winning film Out of Africa...
(1987)
- Dreamplay
Dreamplay is a 1994 Norwegian drama film directed by Unni Straume. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Ingvild Holm - Agnes* Bjørn Willberg Andersen - Lawyer* Bjørn Sundquist - Poet...
(1994)
- The Butterfly's Dream
The Butterfly's Dream is a 1994 Italian drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Thierry Blanc - Massimo* Simona Cavallari - La ragazzina...
(1994)
- Elina: As If I Wasn't There
Elina: As If I Wasn't There is a 2002 film directed by Klaus Härö and based on a novel by Kerstin Johansson i Backe.-Plot:In the 1950s, nine-year-old Elina lives with her younger siblings and her mother in the Torne Valley in the north of Sweden, near the Finnish border. Her father, whom she loved...
(2002)
- Arn – The Knight Templar
Arn – The Knight Templar is a 2007 epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson. The film was released in December 2007 and the sequel, Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End , was released August 22, 2008...
(2007)
External links