Max von Sydow (born April 10, 1929,Lund, Sweden—died March 8, 2020) was a Swedish actor who was perhaps best known for his dour brooding characterizations in the films of the Swedish directorIngmar Bergman.

Interested in thetheatre from childhood, von Sydow studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School inStockholm (1948–51). He established his reputation as one ofSweden’s most promising young actors at the Norrköping-Linköping Municipal Theatre (1951–53). He then gained popularity at the Municipal Theatre in Helsingborg (1953–55), the Municipal Theatre ofMalmö (1955–60), and the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm (1960–62), where he appeared in productions as varied asWilliam Shakespeare’sKing John andArthur Miller’sAfter the Fall.

Von Sydow made hisfilm debut in a minor part in 1949. His firstBergman film was theallegoryDet sjunde inseglet (1957;The Seventh Seal), in which he portrayed a gaunt knight who plays a game ofchess with Death. Von Sydow’s aloof presence and the spiritual complexity of the characters he portrayed contributed significantly to the gloomy atmosphere andambiguity characteristic of Bergman’s films. Other Bergman films in which von Sydow appeared includeAnsiktet (1958; British title,The Face; American title,The Magician),Jungfrukällan (1960;The Virgin Spring),Sasom i en spegel (1961;Through a Glass Darkly),Nattvardsgästerna (1963;Winter Light),Skammen (1968;Shame), andEn passion (1969;The Passion of Anna).

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

1 of 2

2 of 2

During the height of his career in Sweden, von Sydow also appeared in a number of American films, portrayingChrist inThe Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and a fanatical missionary inHawaii (1966). His subsequent English-language films includedThe Exorcist (1973),Voyage of the Damned (1976), andThree Days of the Condor (1976). In 1982 he appeared in the Swedish filmIngenjör Andrées luftfärd (The Flight of the Eagle).

Von Sydow’s career took a downturn in the 1980s when he appeared mostly in insignificant character roles. He had memorable moments in films such asNever Say Never Again (1983),Dreamscape (1984), andHannah and Her Sisters (1986), but not until 1988 did herevive his career with an Oscar-nominated performance inPelle erovraren (Pelle the Conqueror). After that he turned in fine performances in numerous international films, including the American productionsAwakenings (1990),A Kiss Before Dying (1991),What Dreams May Come (1998), andSnow Falling on Cedars (1999).

At the beginning of the 21st century, von Sydow appeared in such films asMinority Report (2002) andLe Scaphandre et le papillon (2007;The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). His supporting turn inExtremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) earned him a secondOscar nomination. He played a priest inThe Letters (2014), aMother Teresa biopic. In 2015 von Sydow joined the cast of the sci-fi epicStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and the following year he portrayed the Three-Eyed Raven in theHBO TV seriesGame of Thrones. His later movies includedThe Command (2018; also calledKursk).