Gunnar Björnstrand

Gunnar Björnstrand
Gunnar Björnstrand
Born	Knut Gunnar Johanson; 13 November 1909; Stockholm, Sweden
Died	24 May 1986 (aged 76); Djursholm, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931–1983
Spouse	Lillie Björnstrand (m. 1935⁠–⁠1986)

Knut Gunnar Johanson (13 November 1909 – 24 May 1986^[1]) was a Swedish actor known for his frequent work with writer and director Ingmar Bergman.

Biography

Björnstrand was born Knut Gunnar Johanson in Stockholm as son of actor Oscar Johanson and Ella Mauléon. After his education at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school, he made several appearances in theatre, film and radio. Björnstrand's first collaboration with Ingmar Bergman was the 1941 theatre production of August Strindberg's The Ghost Sonata. His first major film role was in Hampe Faustman's Natt i hamn in 1943. After signing a contract with Svensk Filmindustri, he was offered mainly parts in comedies, including Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night (1955). In 1957, however, he appeared in two dramatic roles for Bergman, in The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries and, notably, Winter Light (1962). He regularly starred in other films by Bergman until 1968, when his work for the director became infrequent. He also played major roles at the Stockholm City Theatre and in private theaters. In later years, due to the consequences of a stroke, Björnstrand avoided long-term contracts, and focused on theatre and television work. His last film was Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982): since he was suffering from memory loss at the time, the production was a difficult one for him. Björnstrand died in Stockholm in 1986.

In 1983 he won the Ingmar Bergman Award at the 19th Guldbagge Awards ceremony.^[2]

Björnstrand was married to actress and writer Lillie Björnstrand. They had three daughters, Kristina, Gabrielle and Veronica Björnstrand. Veronica has also acted on stage and TV. Björnstrand was also politically active and participated in protests against the Vietnam War.^[3] He was a Roman Catholic and is buried in the Northern Cemetery of Solna.

Filmography

The False Millionaire (1931) as Member of the choir (uncredited)
Mon coeur et ses millions (1931) as Un choriste (uncredited)
Ship Ahoy! (1931) as Young man (uncredited)
His Life's Match (1932) as Student carrying 'Nicken' (uncredited)
International Match (1932) as Young student watching competition (uncredited)
Fired (1934) as Kirre Skoglund (uncredited)
The People of Bergslagen (1937) as Birthday guest (uncredited)
Vi som går scenvägen (1938) as A Man (uncredited)
Panik (1939) as Bank Manager Ryder
The Two of Us (1939) as Doctor (uncredited)
Mot nya tider (1939) as August Palm's Associate (uncredited)
Heroes in Yellow and Blue (1940) as Sgt. Kristian (uncredited)
June Night (1940) as Journalist (uncredited)
A Real Man (1940) as Clerk (uncredited)
Her Melody (1940) as Miss Lindenstjärnas fiance (uncredited)
Alle man på post (1940) as Military Doctor
The Ghost Reporter (1941) as Sausage Factory Engineer (uncredited)
Snapphanar (1941) as Soldier (uncredited)
Adventurer (1942) as Count Conti
General von Döbeln (1942) as Löjtnant Bäckström
Night in Port (1943) as Sven Eriksson
I Killed (1943) as Lindén
Appassionata (1944) as Svensson, Editor of Vecko-Bilden (uncredited)
Live Dangerously (1944) as Hahn
My People Are Not Yours (1944) as Major Rolf von Ritter
Torment (1944, dir. Alf Sjöberg) as Teacher (uncredited)
Nyordning på Sjögårda (1944) as Felix Palmer
Vad vet ni om Sussie (1945) as Harry Hellberg
I som här inträden... (1945) as Hagman
Peggy on a Spree (1946) as Harald Haraldsson
Kristin Commands (1946) as Dr. Westman Senior / Vilhelm Westman
Incorrigible (1946) as Dr. Bertil Langenfeldt
It Rains on Our Love (1946) as Mr. Purman
While the Door Was Locked (1946) as Erik Sahlen
The Bride Came Through the Ceiling (1947) as Sune Eriksson
Pappa sökes (1947) as Shoe-shiner Tom, 'Plutten'
Soldier's Reminder (1947) as Sgt. Löfgren
One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer (1947) as 40-talisten
Här kommer vi... (1947) as Actor Bob Hill, aka Robert Berg
Two Women (1947) as Bengt Larsson
Music in Darkness (1948) as Klasson
Each to His Own Way (1948) as Sture Widman
A Swedish Tiger (1948) as Hans Wolff
Lilla Märta kommer tillbaka (1948) as Kaptenen
Private Bom (1948) as Korpral Berglund
Playing Truant (1949) as Bertil Kronberg
The Girl from the Third Row (1949) as Dr. Edvin Burelius
Father Bom (1949) as Sportsman Fritjof Krafft
My Sister and I (1950) as Architect Gunnar Stenwall
Fiancée for Hire (1950) as Actor Julius Brumse
The Kiss on the Cruise (1950) as Film Director Lasse Brenner
The Quartet That Split Up (1950) as Engineer Planertz
The White Cat (1950) as Jarl Eksell
Customs Officer Bom (1951) as Frans Melin, aka Hamn-Casanova
The Nuthouse (1951) as Armékapten
Livat på luckan (1951) as Conscript
Say It with Flowers (1952) as Oskar Blomkvist
Möte med livet (1952) as Narrator (voice)
One Fiancée at a Time (1952) as Valentin Fredriksson-Frisk
Secrets of Women (1952) as Fredrik Lobelius
Bom the Flyer (1952) as Sgt. Niklas Slevbrink
The Green Lift (1952) as Malte Lövman
Dance, My Doll (1953) as Zdenko Zapatil
We Three Debutantes (1953) as Director Brummer
Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) as Mr. Sjuberg
The Glass Mountain (1953) as Dr. Dalander
Flottans glada gossar (1954) as Shipowner Ludvig Ekman
Seger i mörker (1954) as Henrik Kugelström
A Lesson in Love (1954) as David Erneman
Gabrielle (1954) as Robert Holmén
Uncle's (1955) as Acke Kullerstedt
Dreams (1955) as Otto Sönderby, Consul
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) as Fredrik Egerman
Det är aldrig för sent (1956) as Professor Rocke
Seventh Heaven (1956) as Ernst C:son Kruuse, major
The Biscuit (1956) as Freddie Braxenhjelm
The Seventh Seal (1957) as Jöns, squire
Night Light (1957, dir. Lars-Eric Kjellgren) as Mr. Purman
Summer Place Wanted (1957) as Lawyer Gustaf Dahlström
Wild Strawberries (1957) as Dr. Evald Borg
You Are My Adventure (1958) as Tore Hall
Miss April (1958) as Marcus Arwidson
The Magician (1958) as Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health
Swinging at the Castle (1959) as Agne C:son Stressberg
Crime in Paradise (1959) as Adam 'A.P.' Palmquist
Heaven and Pancake (1959) as Ernst C:son Kruuse
Pirates on the Malonen (1959) as 'Greven'
The Devil's Eye (1960) as Actor
Through a Glass Darkly (1961) as David
The Pleasure Garden (1961, dir. Alf Kjellin) as David Samuel Franzén
Winter Light (1962) as Tomas Ericsson
Lyckodrömmen (1963) as Sebastian
Min kära är en ros (1963) as Georg Ehnström
The Dress (1964) as Helmer Berg
Äktenskapsbrottaren (1964) as Herr Fotograf Fäger
Loving Couples (1964) as Dr. Jacob Lewin
My Sister, My Love (1966) as Count Schwartz
Träfracken (1966) as Dr. Rune Wester
Persona (1966) as Mr. Vogler
Here Is Your Life (1966) as Lundgren
Hagbard and Signe (1967) as King Sigvor
Stimulantia (1967) as Paul Hartman
Tofflan (1967) as Engineer Morgan Alm
The Girls (1968) as Hugo
Shame (1968) as överste Jacobi, borgmästare
Pappa varför är du arg? Du gjorde likadant själv när du var ung (1968) as Adm. Carl
The Rite (1969, TV Movie) as Hans Winkelmann
Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1969) as Prof. Gunnar Lindmark
Lockfågeln (1971) as Maj. Swedenhielm
Pistol (1973) as Alisia's Friend
Face to Face (1976) as The Grandfather
Tabu (1977) as Rådmanskan
Autumn Sonata (1978) as Paul
Charlotte Löwensköld (1979) as Rural Dean Forsius
Avskedet (1982) as Morfadern
Fanny and Alexander (1982) as Filip Landahl

References

^ "Gunnar Björnstrand". Find a Grave. 5 November 2022.
^ "Gunnar Björnstrand". Swedish Film Institute. 9 March 2014.
^ Gunnar Björnstrand Archived 2012-11-21 at the Wayback Machine at the website of the Ingmar Bergman Foundation.