R.I.P. Max von Sydow (1929-2020)

Max von Sydow

On March 8, 2020, actor Max von Sydow passed away at the age of 90 in Provence, France. Over the course of 60 years, he was known as a pillar of international cinema, rising to fame in The Seventh Seal, which was the first of 11 collaborations with director Ingmar Bergman. Later on, he would make a splash in American films ranging from traditional dramas (Hannah and Her Sisters) to horror (The Exorcist) and even blockbusters (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). He was known for having over 100 film credits, delivering powerhouse performances in each. Along with work in TV, stage, and video games, his charisma lasted up until his passing which even then he was busy working on another project. His massive output will continue to live on as a testament to what one can achieve as an actor when doing everything to make a role better. 

He was born Carl Adolf von Sydow on April 10, 1929, in Lund, Sweden. His father was an ethnologist and his mother a schoolteacher. He attended Lund Cathedral School and learned English at a young age. One of his biggest inspirations for becoming an actor came when he saw a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which lead him to star an amateur theater group with school friends. He also served in the Swedish military as part of the Army Quartermaster Corps. It was there that he adopted the name of "Max" following the attendance of a flea circus. He later studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm between 1948 and 1951. 

He made his screen debut in Alf Sjoberg's Only a Mother in 1949. He remained prolific throughout his early career, starring in 11 productions in two years for the Norrkoping-Linkoping Municipal Theater between 1951 and 1953. In 1955, he would move to Malmo and join the Malmo City Theater, whose chief director was Ingmar Bergman. It was here that a lifelong partnership was born. Having starred in 11 productions with Bergman, he started with the most iconic of his work in 1957 with The Seventh Seal. The image of his character playing a chess match with death has become one of the most memorable scenes in world cinema. Other collaborators, such as Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann, would continue to work with him throughout the following decades both with and without Bergman's involvement.

Von Sydow initially rejected the idea of starring in films outside of Sweden. As a result, he turned down key roles in Dr. No and The Sound of Music. His American debut came in the George Stevens epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. He studied at the University of California Los Angeles to adopt a  Mid-Atlantic accent. Despite this being his breakthrough, the film was only a minor success. From there, his body of work would only continue to become more diverse in the years and decades ahead. Having rejected Dr. No, von Sydow would later star in the James Bond sequel Never Say Never Again. Among his biggest successes was The Exorcist, which saw him play a pivotal role as a priest trying to exorcise demons from a little girl (he would reprise his role in the sequel). In 1987, he would receive his first Oscar nomination for Pelle the Conquerer. 

As the decades rolled on, he only became more in demand. In his later years, he would work with such auteurs as Woody Allen, Penny Marshall, Martin Scorsese, Julian Schnabel, Steven Spielberg, and even star in the blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However, it was also during this time that he received his last Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. He would also continue to work in film as well as TV, earning an Emmy nomination for his role in Game of Thrones as well as appearing in video games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Even in his final years, he was lining up projects that would have kept him busy well into his centennial. He would even appear on stage later in life in Broadway productions.

No matter what type of cinema you liked, there was a good chance that von Sydow was there with a great film. He was always game for playing interesting and charismatic supporting roles. Whether it's being a pioneer of world cinema or the silly villain in Flash Gordon, he was always there for a good time. He wanted to better the medium, and he did so early and often. The world is a better place for having his hundreds of films to entertain us, and it's likely that they'll continue to long into the next decade. He will be missed, but at least he left behind a lot to be very proud of.