Max von Sydow
Acting
Biography
Max von Sydow (born Carl Adolf von Sydow; April 10, 1929 – March 8, 2020) was a Swedish actor. He also held French citizenship since 2002. He starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more. He performed in films filmed in many languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, English, Italian, German, Danish, French and Spanish.
Some of his most memorable film roles include knight Antonius Block in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (the first of his eleven films with Bergman and the film that includes the iconic shot of his career in the scene where he plays chess with Death), Jesus in George Stevens's The Greatest Story Ever Told, Father Merrin in Friedkin's The Exorcist, Joubert the assassin in Three Days of the Condor, and Ming the Merciless in the 1980 version of Flash Gordon.
He was twice nominated for the Academy Award - Best Leading Actor for Pelle the Conqueror (1988) and Best Supporting Actor for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011).
Notable Works
Prominent titles featuring Max von Sydow
Robin Hood
2010
Rush Hour 3
2007
Filmography
Acting (166)
2021
Echoes of the Pastas Nikolas Andreou (Aged)
6.6
2018
Kurskas Admiral Vladimir Petrenko
6.6
2017
Max von Sydowas Self (archive footage)
10.0
2016
The First, the Lastas Le croque-mort
6.4
2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakensas Lor San Tekka
7.2
2014
I Am Divineas Self (archive)
7.3
2014
The Lettersas Celeste van Exem
5.7
2013
Dragons: Real Myths and Unreal Creaturesas Dr. Alistair Conis
5.5
2012
Palmeas Self (archive footage)
7.6
2012
Brandedas Marketing Guru
4.7
2012
2011
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Closeas The Renter
7.0
2011
6.0
2010
The Last Norwegian Trollas The Last Norweigian Troll (voice)
6.7
2010
Behind the Moominsas Narrator (voice)
2010
Robin Hoodas Sir Walter Loxley
6.4
2010
Shutter Islandas Dr. Naehring
8.2
2009
Solomon Kaneas Josiah Kane
6.0
2009
Oscar and the Lady in Pinkas Le docteur Dusseldorf
6.5
2009
A Man and His Dogas Le commandant
5.8
2008
Emotional Arithmeticas Jakob Bronski
5.5
2007
Rush Hour 3as Varden Reynard
6.5
2007
The Diving Bell and the Butterflyas Papinou
7.6
2007
The Final Inquiryas Tiberius
4.8
2005
Heidias Uncle Alp
7.8
2004
Ring of the Nibelungsas Eyvind
6.3
2004
Hidden Childrenas Valobra
6.1
2002
Minority Reportas Director Lamar Burgess
7.4
2001
Intactoas Samuel
6.6
2001
Druidsas Guttuart
3.1
2001
Sleeplessas Moretti
6.1
5.8
2000
Light Keeps Me Companyas Self
7.9
2000
6.8
1999
Snow Falling on Cedarsas Nels Gudmundsson
6.1
1998
What Dreams May Comeas The Tracker
7.3
1998
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcistas Self - Father Merrin
7.4
1997
Solomonas Davide
6.8
1997
The Princess and the Pauperas Epos
6.2
1997
Hostile Watersas Admiral Chernavin
6.1
1997
Their Frozen Dreamas S.A. Andrée (voice)
6.2
1996
Private Confessionsas Jacob
6.1
1996
Jerusalemas Vicar
7.3
1996
Hamsunas Knut Hamsun
6.8
1996
Delblancas Narrator (voice)
1995
Lumière & Companyas Jacob (segment "Liv Ullman")
6.4
1995
Captured: Meet Robert A. Robinson Photographeras Narrator (voice)
1995
Stjärnbilderas (archive footage)
10.0
1995
Judge Dreddas Chief Justice Fargo
5.8
1995
The Atlanticas Narrator (voice)
6.5
1995
Citizen Xas Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky
7.2
1995
Anders Zorn - Med egna ordas Narrator (voice)
1995
Depth Solitudeas Narrator (voice)
6.0
1994
Onkel Vanjaas The Professor
8.0
1994
Time is Moneyas Joe Kaufman
7.0
1993
Minns ni?as (archive footage)
1993
Needful Thingsas Leland Gaunt
6.3
1993
Morfars resaas Simon S.L. Fromm
7.0
1993
Och ge oss skuggornaas Eugene O'Neill
8.5
1992
The Silent Touchas Henry Kesdi
5.0
1992
The Best Intentionsas Johan Åkerblom
7.0
1991
The Oxas Vicar
6.5
1991
Until the End of the Worldas Henry Farber
6.7
1991
East of the Sun, West of the Moonas Narrator (voice)
1991
Europaas Narrator (voice)
7.4
1991
A Kiss Before Dyingas Thor Carlsson
5.6
1990
Awakeningsas Peter Ingham
7.8
1990
Fatheras Joe Mueller
6.0
1990
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashesas Father Siemes
6.2
1990
Cellini: A Violent Lifeas Pope Clement VII
5.4
1990
The Bacheloras Von Schleheim
9.0
1989
Red King, White Knightas Szaz
6.4
1989
Ghostbusters IIas Vigo (voice) (uncredited)
6.6
1989
1988
1988
1987
Pelle the Conqueroras Lasse Karlsson - Farmhand
7.3
1987
The Second Victoryas Dr. Huber
6.5
1986
Duet for Oneas Dr. Louis Feldman
5.4
1986
The Wolf at the Dooras August Strindberg
5.3
1986
Hannah and Her Sistersas Frederick
7.5
1985
The Repenteras Spinola
6.3
1985
Code Name: Emeraldas Jürgen Brausch
6.6
1985
5.8
1985
Kojak: The Belarus Fileas Peter Barak
6.8
1984
Duneas Doctor Kynes
6.2
1984
The Soldier's Taleas The Devil (voice)
6.9
1984
Le dernier civilas Gérard Bauerle
7.0
1984
Dreamscapeas Paul Novotny
6.1
1984
Samson and Delilahas Sidka
5.1
1983
Never Say Never Againas Ernst Stavro Blofeld
6.1
1983
Strange Brewas Brewmeister Smith
6.0
1983
Circle of Passionsas Carlo di Vilalfratti
4.0
1983
Destination Duneas Self
6.5
1982
Target Eagleas Coronel O'Donnell
5.5
1982
The Flight of the Eagleas Salomon August Andrée
7.0
1982
Conan the Barbarianas King Osric
6.8
1982
Let Poland Be Polandas Self - Co-Host
1981
Venetian Liesas Marcello Herrighe
6.1
1981
Escape to Victoryas Major Karl von Steiner
6.9
1981
She Dances Aloneas Nijinsky (voice)
10.0
1980
Flash Gordonas The Emperor Ming
6.3
1980
Death Watchas Gerald Mortenhoe
6.3
1979
Hurricaneas Dr. Danielsson
4.7
1979
A Look at Livas Self
10.0
1978
Brass Targetas Shelley Martin Webber
5.4
1977
Black Journalas Lisa Carpi / Carabinieri Marshal
5.5
1977
March or Dieas François Marneau
5.8
1977
Exorcist II: The Hereticas Father Lankester Merrin
4.5
1976
Voyage of the Damnedas Captain Schroeder
6.0
1976
The Desert of the Tartarsas Cap. Ortiz
6.8
1976
Foxtrotas Larsen
4.8
1976
Illustrious Corpsesas Supreme Court President
6.7
1976
Heart of a Dogas Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazenski
5.8
1975
The Ultimate Warrioras Baron
5.8
1975
Three Days of the Condoras G. Joubert
7.3
1975
The Broken Mirroras Matthew Lawrence
6.9
1975
Egg! Egg! A Hardboiled Storyas The Father
5.8
1974
Steppenwolfas Harry Haller
5.8
1974
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Saluteas Self (archive footage)
7.7
1973
The Exorcistas Father Lankester Merrin
7.7
1972
Ingmar Bergmanas Self
6.2
1972
Embassyas Gorenko
6.5
1972
The New Landas Karl Oskar
7.5
1971
The Apple Waras Roy Lindberg
6.0
1971
The Touchas Andreas Vergerus
5.9
1971
The Emigrantsas Karl Oskar
7.4
1971
The Night Visitoras Salem
6.5
1970
The Kremlin Letteras Colonel Kosnov
5.9
1969
The Passion of Annaas Andreas Winkelman
7.4
1969
Made in Swedenas Magnus Rud
7.0
1968
Shameas Jan Rosenberg
7.5
1968
Black Palm Treesas Gustav Olofsson
6.3
1968
1968
Hour of the Wolfas Johan Borg
7.4
1967
The Diary of Anne Frankas Otto Frank
8.0
1966
Here Is Your Lifeas Smålands-Pelle
7.1
1966
The Quiller Memorandumas Oktober
5.9
1966
Hawaiias Abner Hale
6.3
1965
The Rewardas Scott Swenson
6.0
1965
The Greatest Story Ever Toldas Jesus
6.4
1965
4 x 4as Kvist
7.3
1965
Interlude in the Marshlandas Alex Kvist
7.2
1964
Dance Around the Guldbaggenas Self
1963
Winter Lightas Jonas Persson
7.9
1962
Wonderful Adventures of Nilsas The Father
6.1
1962
The Mistressas The Man
6.0
1961
Through a Glass Darklyas Martin
7.8
1960
The Wedding Dayas Anders Frost
7.0
1960
The Virgin Springas Töre
7.8
1958
The Magicianas Albert Emanuel Vogler
7.3
1958
Rabiesas Bo Stensson Svenningson
6.5
1958
Spion 503as Horst, Gestapo-mand
5.7
1958
Brink of Lifeas Harry Andersson
7.5
1957
The Minister of Uddarboas Gustaf Ömark
8.0
1957
Wild Strawberriesas Åkerman
8.1
1957
Mr. Sleeman Is Comingas Hunter
5.8
1957
The Seventh Sealas Antonius Block
8.1
1956
The Right to Loveas Bergman
6.0
1953
No Man's Womanas Olof
6.5
1951
Miss Julieas Groom
6.6
1949
Only a Motheras Nils
6.8
Production & Directing (1)
1988
KatinkaDirector
4.7