Lars Hanson | |
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| Born | (1886-07-26)26 July 1886 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Died | 8 April 1965(1965-04-08) (aged 78) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1915–1951 |
| Spouse | |
Lars Mauritz Hanson (26 July 1886 – 8 April 1965)[1] was a Swedish film and stage actor, internationally mostly remembered for his motion picture roles during thesilent film era.
Born in Göteborg, Sweden, Hanson began his career on the stages of Sweden after studying drama in Helsinki and Stockholm as a Shakespearean actor, appearing in such classics asOthello andHamlet. Hanson made his film debut in the 1915 filmDolken, directed by Mauritz Stiller, and his popularity as a leading man in his homeland grew with ensuing roles. He was a student of theRoyal Dramatic Training Academy.[2]
While already a well established popular actor in Sweden and much of continental Europe, Lars Hanson gained greater international recognition for his role as the title character in the 1923 Stiller filmGösta Berlings saga (English:The Story of Gösta Berling), which featured a youngMauritz Stiller protégée namedGreta Garbo in one of her first major appearances on screen as well as film stage actressGerda Lundequist. At the request of American actressLillian Gish, Hanson arrived inHollywood, California in 1926 (the same year as Garbo) to star opposite Gish in the film version ofThe Scarlet Letter directed by fellow countrymanVictor Sjöström.
In 1922, Lars Hanson married the ex-wife of influential directorGustaf Molander, Swedish actressKarin Molander. The couple remained married until Hanson's death in 1965.[citation needed]
Hanson's Hollywood career as an actor steadily grew momentum during the 1920s and he was paired with Greta Garbo in two more motion pictures;MGM's 1927 box-office hitFlesh and the Devil, which also starred Garbo's offscreen lover, the successful film actorJohn Gilbert, and 1928'sThe Divine Woman, again directed by Victor Sjöström. Sjöström also directed Hanson in a performance opposite Lillian Gish inThe Wind (1928). By the end of the 1920s however, the era of the silent film was waning, and seeing that his heavy Swedish accent might be a liability in American films, Lars Hanson returned to Europe.
Upon arriving back in Europe in 1928, Hanson starred in the aptly titled German filmHeimkehr (English:Homecoming) oppositeGustav Fröhlich andDita Parlo. The following year, he starred in a British version ofThe Informer filmed atElstree Studios, playing the same role for whichVictor McLaglen won anAcademy Award for Best Actor in theJohn Ford-directedversion six years later.
Lars Hanson continued to appear in Swedish films until the early 1950s before retiring. Hanson's last performance was in the 1951 filmDårskapens hus (The Nuthouse).
In Sweden, Hanson balanced his film work with an outstanding stage career, making memorable appearances inA Dream Play (1935),The Ghost Sonata (1942), and as James Tyrone in the world premiere ofEugene O'Neill'sLong Day's Journey into Night (1956). In 1956, Hanson, along with actressInga Tidblad (who played Mary Tyrone) also became the first two actors to receiveThe Eugene O'Neill Award; today known as Sweden's most prestigious theatre award and presented annually to the country's most outstanding stage actors. Hanson was also a successful Shakespearean actor, especially for his performances asRichard III andHamlet.
Lars Hanson died in Stockholm, Sweden in 1965 after a short illness at the age of 78.
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