Person in history
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (born 1929)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2020 · March 8
Their story
Who they were
Max von Sydow was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television series in multiple languages. Capable in roles ranging from stolid, contemplative protagonists to sardonic artists and menacing, often gleeful villains, von Sydow received numerous accolades including honors from the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.
Early life
Early life Carl Adolf von Sydow was born on 10 April 1929 in Lund , Sweden. [ 1 ] His father, Carl Wilhelm von Sydow , was an ethnologist and professor of folkloristics at Lund University . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] His mother, Baroness Maria Margareta Rappe, was a schoolteacher. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Sydow was of part-German ancestry. A paternal ancestor, David Sydow ( "von" or "Von" was added later to the family name),
Path and career
Career Early career Max von Sydow in 1961 While at the Royal Dramatic Theatre , Sydow made his screen debuts in Alf Sjöberg 's films Only a Mother ( Bara en mor , 1949) and Miss Julie ( Fröken Julie , 1951). [ 1 ] In 1951, Sydow joined the Norrköping - Linköping Municipal Theatre, appearing in nine plays including Peer Gynt . In 1953, he moved on to the City Theatre in Hälsingborg (Helsingborg), playing eleven parts in a two-year stint,
Why this date
Max von Sydow appears on our March 8 calendar for 2020 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Max von Sydow”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/max-von-sydow, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Max von Sydow
When did Max von Sydow die?
March 8 2020.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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