Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Max von Sydow, the Sweden-born French actor whose credits included Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal and the role of Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90, his reps confirmed to Deadline.
The actor’s 65-year career spanned acclaimed arthouse, Hollywood blockbusters, television and video games. In recent years, he played Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones, and voiced a character on The Simpsons.
“Is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow, on March 8, 2020,” a statement from his widow Catherine von Sydow read, sent via the actor’s international reps.
Born in Lund, Sweden, von Sydow’s start in the film business came through his collaborations with mentor Ingmar Bergman, with their credits including world cinema classic The Seventh Seal, in which he portrays a man who plays a chess game with Death, Wild Strawberries, and The Virgin Spring.
After breaking out through his collaborations with Bergman, von Sydow made the move to Hollywood in the mid 1960s, appearing as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told, and then receiving Golden Globe nominations for Hawaii in 1966 and The Exorcist in 1973.
He received two Oscar nominations, for his lead turn in Pelle The Conqueror (1987) and a supporting role in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).
Showcasing his enduring versatility, the 2000s saw von Sydow take roles in the box-office hit Rush Hour 3, Julian Schnabel’s Cannes award-winning pic The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, and further collabs with Martin Scorsese on Shutter Island, and with Steven Spielberg on Minority Report.
On the small screen, he appeared in Showtime’s drama series The Tudors, and scored an Emmy nomination for his role on Thrones.
His final film role was set to be in Nicholas Dimitropoulos’ upcoming drama Echoes Of The Past, which is reported to be in post.
