Max Von Sydow, born in Lund (Sweden) in 1929, studied at Stockhom's drama school before commencing a career in theatre. Discovered for cinema by Sjöberg (Just a Mother in 1949 and Miss Julie in 1951), he has to wait however for his decisive meeting with Ingmar Bergman, who gives him the memorable role of the knight in The Seventh Seal, before becoming truly seduced by cinema. He then works hard in both careers; theatre and screen, joins the Bergman "troupe" and becomes one of its mainstays. He plays in The Face (1958), The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), A Passion (1969). Rapidly courted great directors the world over, Max Von Sydow begins an international career in the 70s, lending his grave and expressive face to the works of Huston, Friedkin, Pollack, Rosi, Boorman, Zurlini, Tavernier, Allen and Lynch. The actor, however, remains faithful to his country of origin, and plays in Troell's The Flight of the Eagle in 1982 and Bille August's Pelle the Conqueror in 1988. Continually backwards and forwards between stereotypical characters (like those he plays in Milius' Conan the Barbarian or Kerschner's Never Say Never Again) and other more internal, personal characters, the actor has played a particularly wide range of roles. In 1988, Max Von Sydow goes behind the camera for the first time, to direct Katinka.

Main Films

2002: Minority Report, Steven Spielberg
1990: Awakenings, Penny Marshall
1988: Pelle the Conqueror, Bille August
1986: Hannah and Her Sisters, Woody Allen
1984: Dune, David Lynch
1983: Never Say Never Again, Irvin Kershner
1981: Conan the Barbarian, John Milius
1981: Escape to Victory, John Huston
1980: Flash Gordon, Michael Hodges
1980: Death in Full View, Bertrand Tavernier
1976: Desert of the Tartars, Valerio Zurlini
1976: The Context, Francesco Rosi
1975: Three Days of the Condor, Sydney Pollack
1973: The Exorcist, William Friedkin
1970: The Kremlin Letter, John Huston
1968: Hour of the Wolf, Ingmar Bergman
1961: Through a Glass Darkly, Ingmar Bergman
1960: The Virgin Spring, Ingmar Bergman
1958: The Face, Ingmar Bergman
1957: Wild Strawberries, Ingmar Bergman
1957: The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman
1951: Miss Julie, Alf Sjöberg

The Acting Masterclass by Max Von Sydow takes place on Friday, May 14th at 2.30pm in theatre Buñuel.