Max von Sydow mini-bio: *note: Swedes pronounce his last name as Sidov (english alphabet sounds) He was born in a middle-class family in Lund, where his father was an ethnologist. When he was in high school, he and a few fellow students, including Yvonne Lombard, started a theatre club which encouraged his interest in acting. After conscription he began to study at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school (1948-1951), together with Lars Ekborg, Margaretha Krook and Ingrid Thulin. His first role was as Nils the crofter in Alf Sjöberg's Bara en mor (1949). After graduation he worked at the city theatres in Norrkoeping and Malmö. His work in the movies by Ingmar Bergman made him well-known internationally, and he started to get offers from abroad. His career abroad began with
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and
Hawaii (1966). Since then, his career includes very different kind of characters, like Emperor Ming in
Flash Gordon (1980) or the artist Frederick in
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 1987 he made his directing debut with Ved vejen (1988). He has become one of Sweden's most admired and professional actors. He has recently been cast as Cardinal Von Waldberg in the Showtime TV series
The Tudors Season 3 co-starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Other great movies he has appeared in :
Rush Hour 3 (2007) - Reynard
Minority Report (2002) - Director Lamar Burgess
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) - Nels Gudmundsson
What Dreams May Come (1998) - The Tracker
Judge Dredd (1995) - Chief Justice Fargo
A Kiss Before Dying (1991) - Thor Carlsson
Pelle the Conqueror (1988) - Lassefar
Dune (1984) - Dr. Kynes
