Clip of Max Von Sydow in Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986)
The actor, also known for roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Flash Gordon and as James Bond villain Ernst Blofeld in Never Say Never Again, died at his home in France on Sunday.
In a statement on behalf of his wife, Catherine, the star’s agent Jean Diamond said: “It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow, March 8, 2020.”
Born in Sweden but with French citizenship, von Sydow had a varied career that spanned more than seventy years and included two Oscar nominations – best actor for Pelle The Conqueror in 1989, and best supporting actor for his role in 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.
He also received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2016 for his role as the Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones.
Other films on his CV include Conan The Barbarian, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Shutter Island and Minority Report.
He worked with a number of Hollywood’s biggest directors, such as Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg, during his extensive career.
However, he was most noted for his many collaborations with Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman, starting with The Seventh Seal in 1957.
In the film he played knight Antonius Block, and scenes of the star playing chess with the figure of Death became renowned in cinematic circles.
He also went on to star in other Bergman films including Wild Strawberries, The Virgin Spring and Hour Of The Wolf.
Before his big-screen career took off, von Sydow studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.
His last film role was in Kursk: The Last Mission, the 2018 dramatisation of the Kursk submarine disaster. Echoes Of The Past, about the massacre of Kalavryta by Nazi troops on 13 December 1943, is yet to be released.
Director Edgar Wright is among those paying tribute to the actor, writing on Twitter: “Max Von Sydow, such an iconic presence in cinema for seven decades, it seemed like he’d always be with us.
“He changed the face of international film with Bergman, played Christ, fought the devil, pressed the HOT HAIL button & was Oscar nominated for a silent performance. A god.”
