Edward af Sillén | |
|---|---|
 Af Sillén in the tv-show MUREN, March 2021 | |
| Born | (1982-09-25)25 September 1982 (age 43) |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, director |
| Years active | 2004−present |
Edward af Sillén (born 25 September 1982) is aSwedishscreenwriter anddirector for stage, film and TV. He has translated and directed numerous successful theatre shows includingTwelfth Night[1] by William Shakespeare,The Drowsy Chaperone,[2]Bull andCock byMike Bartlett,[1]Torch Song Trilogy byHarvey Fierstein,[1]Shirley Valentine byWilly Russell, andArt byYasmina Reza.[3]
Af Sillén has worked onMelodifestivalen and theEurovision Song Contest as a director, commentator and screenwriter, including in theEurovision Song Contest 2016 where he wrote and directed the interval act "Love Love Peace Peace" withFredrik Kempe. Following on from writing his first filmMedicinen, his second writingHoly Mess became the biggest Swedish film of 2015.[4] In 2019, he directedA Piece of My Heart, ajukebox musical film based on the music ofTomas Ledin and starringMalin Akerman,[5] which was nominated for an Audience Award at theGuldbagge Awards.[6]
Edward started his career as an actor. Performing both at theLorensbergsteatern andStockholm National Theatre. Aged 18, he did stand-up comedy. Hungry to work in the creative side of entertainment and theatre, he knew he could get his foot in the door as an actor.[7]
2014 saw Af Sillén write his first feature filmMedicinen. Based on the 2009 book of the same name, written by Hans Koppel (pseudonym Petter Lidbeck). The book was reworked into a screenplay by Af Sillén and his writing partner Daniel Réhn. An all-star cast includingEwa Fröling andMaria Lundqvist, was led byHelena Bergström.
Af Sillén’s second film was the Swedish comedyHoly Mess, again written with Daniel Réhn and starringRobert Gustafsson,Maria Lundqvist andHelena Bergström. Seen by 77,736 people during its premiere weekend, it broke records with the biggest opening for a Swedish film in 2015.[8] It went on to become the most popular Swedish film of 2015,[4] and grossed over $8 million at the box office.[9] The film won Film of the Year at the QX Gaygala 2016.[10]
In December 2019, Af Sillén directed his third and biggest feature film,A Piece of My Heart, ajukebox musical based on the music ofTomas Ledin. The film starsMalin Akerman as Isabella, a lead business woman in the financial district of Stockholm, who returns home to celebrate her father's birthday.[5]
Af Sillén is set to return to cinema direction in his upcoming filmEtt sista race, which he also wrote the script for, working once again with Malin Akerman andDavid Hellenius. The film is based on the Norwegian filmBørning.[11]
Af Sillén’s theatrical work includes Swedish translations ofSteel Magnolias,Torch Song Trilogy byHarvey Fierstein,Rock of Ages[12] andThe Ladykillers. He directedShakespeare’sTwelfth Night, the playV.D. and the musicalHair atStockholm’s National Theatre. His direction ofPriscilla the Musical was followed by his translation and direction of theTony Award winning musicalThe Drowsy Chaperone in 2015. That same year Af Sillén directed. as well as translated the playsRumors and theLaurence Olivier Award winnerCock.
Af Sillén has written and directed national tours for major Swedish artists such asTomas Ledin,[13]Ola Salo[14] andPeter Jöback.[15] He teamed up withAlcazar to create their first full production concert.Disco Defenders was agreatest hitsresidency which début in the Rondo atLisberg, Gothenburg Summer 2015. The production moved toHamburger Börs, Stockholm in Winter 2015. After another sell out run, the group took the show on a national tour then returned to Hamburger Börs in 2016.
2004 brought Af Sillén's screenwriting breakthrough with the script for hostMaria Lundqvist at theGuldbagge Awards, the Swedish equivalent of theAcademy Awards. He returned in 2007 not only asSissela Kyle’s scriptwriter, but as director of the show live onSVT.
Af Sillén was recruited byMelodifestivalen supervisorChrister Björkman to write and direct the2009 edition.[16] His mix of humour, music and sparkle saw him return in2010,2012 and2013.[16] After a two-year break, he came back in2016 to much acclaim. Hisparody sketch song "Här står jag", performed byCharlotte Perrelli, topped the SwedishiTunes chart.[17] To boost declining viewer figures, Af Sillén was hired as a consultant for the2019 edition.[16] In 2024, he was inducted into the Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame by SVT.[18]
A lifelong lover of theEurovision Song Contest, Af Sillén became the Swedish commentator forSVT in2009.[19] The following year he wrote the script for his first contest in2010.[19] He has continued to serve as commentator since, with the exceptions of the2013 and2016 contests, held inMalmö andStockholm respectively, for which he wrote the script.[19] In 2015, theBBC hired him to co-write the script ofEurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits, a special show to commemorate the 60th edition of Eurovision.[20] The interval act "Love Love Peace Peace", written by Af Sillén and performed by presentersPetra Mede andMåns Zelmerlöw during the final of the 2016 contest, became a highlight of the show.The Independent named it the "ultimate interval act, somehow even upstagingJustin Timberlake himself".[21]Buzzfeed commented that the presenters were the "best thing about this year's contest".[22] Af Sillén also wrote the script for theEurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.[23]
In 2021, Af Sillén served as a judge on the 11th and 12th series ofTV4'sTalang, the Swedish version of theGot Talent franchise.[24]
Edward af Sillén is openly gay. Born in Brazil he was adopted by a Swedish father and an American mother.[25]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Medicinen | Screenwriter |
| 2015 | En underbar jävla jul | Screenwriter |
| 2019 | En del av mitt hjärta | Director |
| 2023 | Ett sista race | Director and screenwriter |
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2018 | QX Gaygala | Writer | |
| 2006–2010 | R.E.A. | Writer | Hamburger Börs |
| 2006 | Det är jul igen byMaria Möller | Director and writer | Intiman |
| 2008 | Blommor av stål (Steel Magnolias) | Translator | Vasateatern |
| 2011 | Tomas Ledin Showtime | Director and writer | Rondo (Gothenburg),Cirkus (Stockholm) and national tour |
| 2011 | Trettondagsafton (Twelfth Night byWilliam Shakespeare) | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
| 2011 | Hair | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
| 2012 | I Love Musicals byPeter Jöback | Director and writer | National tour |
| 2013 | Arnould (Torch Song Trilogy byHarvey Fierstein) | Translator | Stockholms Stadsteater |
| 2013 | Rock of Ages | Translator | China Teatern |
| 2013 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the Musical | Director | Göta Lejon |
| 2014 | V.D. | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
| 2014 | AlcazarDisco Defenders | Director and writer | Rondo (Gothenburg),Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) and national tour |
| 2015 | Förklädet (The Drowsy Chaperone) | Director and translator | Göta Lejon |
| 2015 | Skvaller (Rumors) | Director and translator | Uppsala Stadsteater |
| 2015 | Cockfight (Cock) | Director and translator | Stockholms Stadsteater |
| 2015 | Ladykillers | Translator | Oscarsteatern |
| 2016 | Rakt ner i fickan (Cash on Delivery byMichael Cooney) | Director and translator | Krusenstiernska Teatern |
| 2017 | Bull | Director and translator | Kulturhuset Stadsteatern |
| 2017 | Shirley Valentine | Director and translator | Maximteatern |
| 2018 | Så som i himmelen | Co-writer | Oscarsteatern andCopenhagen Opera House |
| 2019 | Ola Salo -It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane | Director | Rondo (Gothenburg) |
| 2019 | Häxorna i Eastwick (The Witches of Eastwick) | Director and translator | Cirkus (Stockholm) |
| 2019 | Art byYasmina Reza | Director and translator | Hotel Rival (Stockholm) |
| 2019 | Trassel (Out of Order) byRay Cooney | Director and translator | Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) |
| 2020 | Pernilla Wahlgren har Hybris | Director and writer | Hotel Rival (Stockholm) and National Tour |
| 2020 | Tomten och Bocken (starringMåns Zelmerlöw andPer Andersson) | Director | Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) |
| 2021 | Pappor på prov (It Runs in the Family) byRay Cooney | Director and translator | Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) |
| 2022 | Brynolf & Ljung Stalker | Director | Hotel Rival (Stockholm), National Tour andNew World Stages |
| 2022 | Tootsie | Director | Oscarsteatern |
| 2023 | Peter Pan Goes Wrong | Director | Cirkus |
| 2023 | Änglagård (House of Angels) | Co-writer and director | Oscarsteatern |
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Guldbaggegalan | Screenwriter | Hosted byMaria Lundqvist |
| 2007 | Guldbaggegalan | Director and screenwriter | Hosted bySissela Kyle |
| 2009 | Roast på Berns | Writer | ForKanal 5 |
| 2009 | Melodifestivalen 2009 | Scriptwriter | Hosted byPetra Mede |
| 2010 | Melodifestivalen 2010 | Scriptwriter | Hosted byMåns Zelmerlöw,Christine Meltzer andDolph Lundgren |
| 2010 | Eurovision Song Contest 2010 | Scriptwriter | Hosted byErik Solbakken,Haddy N'jie andNadia Hasnaoui |
| 2012 | Melodifestivalen 2012 | Scriptwriter | Hosted byGina Dirawi,Sarah Dawn Finer andHelena Bergström |
| 2013 | Melodifestivalen 2013 | Scriptwriter | Hosted by Gina Dirawi andDanny Saucedo |
| 2013 | Eurovision Song Contest 2013 | Scriptwriter | ForSVT, hosted by Petra Mede |
| 2015 | Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits | Co-scriptwriter | For theBBC, hosted byGraham Norton and Petra Mede |
| 2016 | Melodifestivalen 2016 | Scriptwriter | Hosted by Gina Dirawi (all shows), Petra Mede (heat 1),Henrik Schyffert (heat 3), Sarah Dawn Finer (heat 4),Ola Salo,Peter Jöback (second chance) andWilliam Spetz (final) |
| 2016 | Eurovision Song Contest 2016 | Scriptwriter | Hosted by Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw |
| 2017 | Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu | Swedish jury spokesperson | |
| 2018 | Eurovision: You Decide | Screenwriter | Hosted byMel Giedroyc and Måns Zelmerlöw |
| 2019 | Eurovision: You Decide | Screenwriter | Hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Måns Zelmerlöw |
| 2019 | Melodifestivalen 2019 | Consultant and adviser | Hosted by Sarah Dawn Finer,Kodjo Akolor,Marika Carlsson andEric Saade |
| 2020–present | Muren | Entertainment expert | |
| 2021–present | Masked Singer Sverige | Director | |
| 2021–2022 | Talang | Judge | ForTV4 with Sarah Dawn Finer,Bianca Ingrosso andDavid Batra |
| 2022 | Årets quiz | Host | |
| 2024 | Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | Scriptwriter | Hosted by Petra Mede andMalin Akerman |
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Hall of Fame |
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Guldbaggens publikpris (Audience Award) forA Piece of My Heart | Nominated |
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | TV of the Year for theEurovision Song Contest 2013 | Won |
| 2016 | Film of the Year forHoly Mess, Stage of the Year forAlcazarDisco Defenders | Won |
| 2021 | TV Star of the Year | Nominated |
| 2021 | Stage of the Year forHybris starringPernilla Wahlgren | Nominated |
| 2024 | Stage of the Year forÄnglagård | Won |
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song ContestSwedish commentator 2009–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song ContestSwedish commentator 2014–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song ContestSwedish commentator 2017–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
