RIP Erland Josephson
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RIP Erland Josephson
If you clicked on the thread then you're probably familiar with the name and the work, but just in case:
![](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI3NTY4ODY2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTc1NzI3._V1._SY314_CR109,0,214,314_.jpg)
![](http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/26/Erland-Josephson/Erland-Josephson_320.jpg)
IMDB link.
Sad to see him go. Great actor, great face, key player in many of my favorite films.
![](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI3NTY4ODY2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTc1NzI3._V1._SY314_CR109,0,214,314_.jpg)
![](http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/26/Erland-Josephson/Erland-Josephson_320.jpg)
Swedish actor Erland Josephson, who collaborated with legendary film director Ingmar Bergman in more than 40 films and plays, has died. He was 88. The award-winning actor died at a Stockholm hospital on Saturday following a long battle against Parkinson’s disease, said Royal Dramatic Theatre spokeswoman Christina Bjerkander.
Josephson was born into a family of artists and culture workers in Stockholm in 1923 and would become the actor who had the longest-running collaboration with Bergman. The two first met when Josephson was just 16 and participated as an amateur actor in the play The Merchant of Venice, directed by Bergman. Although he never had any formal acting education, Josephson continued to appear in several Bergman stage plays in the 1940s and 50s, and received a minor part in 1946 film It Rains on Our Love. In the late 50s he played larger roles in Bergman’s films The Magician and Brink of Life, but first shot to international stardom with the role of Johan in Scenes from a Marriage, in 1973.
After that, he received offers to appear in many international film productions and played Friedrich Nietzsche in Italian director Liliana Cavani’s 1977 Beyond Good and Evil. Josephson appeared in Philip Kaufman’s 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being and made memorable performances in Andrey Tarkovskiy’s 1980s films Nostalghia and The Sacrifice.
The actor won several Swedish film prizes and received an honorary award at the Rimini film festival in 1986. Two years later, he received the Off-Broadway Theater Award for best performance for his role as Gajev in Peter Brooks New York production of Cherry Farm.
Josephson also published many novels and autobiographical books, two poetry collections and around 40 scripts for stage, radio and television. He served as head of Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theatre between 1966 and 1975, and was director of the Swedish Film Institute in the 1990s.
Josephson is survived by his wife Ulla Aberg and five children. Funeral arrangements weren’t immediately known.
Josephson was born into a family of artists and culture workers in Stockholm in 1923 and would become the actor who had the longest-running collaboration with Bergman. The two first met when Josephson was just 16 and participated as an amateur actor in the play The Merchant of Venice, directed by Bergman. Although he never had any formal acting education, Josephson continued to appear in several Bergman stage plays in the 1940s and 50s, and received a minor part in 1946 film It Rains on Our Love. In the late 50s he played larger roles in Bergman’s films The Magician and Brink of Life, but first shot to international stardom with the role of Johan in Scenes from a Marriage, in 1973.
After that, he received offers to appear in many international film productions and played Friedrich Nietzsche in Italian director Liliana Cavani’s 1977 Beyond Good and Evil. Josephson appeared in Philip Kaufman’s 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being and made memorable performances in Andrey Tarkovskiy’s 1980s films Nostalghia and The Sacrifice.
The actor won several Swedish film prizes and received an honorary award at the Rimini film festival in 1986. Two years later, he received the Off-Broadway Theater Award for best performance for his role as Gajev in Peter Brooks New York production of Cherry Farm.
Josephson also published many novels and autobiographical books, two poetry collections and around 40 scripts for stage, radio and television. He served as head of Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theatre between 1966 and 1975, and was director of the Swedish Film Institute in the 1990s.
Josephson is survived by his wife Ulla Aberg and five children. Funeral arrangements weren’t immediately known.
Sad to see him go. Great actor, great face, key player in many of my favorite films.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
Sad to hear. Scenes from a Marriage is my favorite Bergman film. The two central performances are incredible. It should be required viewing for anyone even thinking about getting married.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
Nice to see this show up here. I thought about starting a thread about it yesterday, but didn't figuring no one would know him here.
He was picked by Tarkovsky and Bergman multiple times, and gave wonderful performances for both.
BTW if you appreciate 'Scenes From a Marriage', I assume you've seen 'Saraband'. If not make sure you do. It's the conclusion to the story 30 years later.
He was picked by Tarkovsky and Bergman multiple times, and gave wonderful performances for both.
BTW if you appreciate 'Scenes From a Marriage', I assume you've seen 'Saraband'. If not make sure you do. It's the conclusion to the story 30 years later.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
Sad.
He was great even late in his career revisiting his Scenes from a Marriage character in Bergman's Saraband.
One hell of a canvas of films he has - so many masterpieces. Of course that'll happen when you appear in a number of Bergman and Tarkovsky films.
He was great even late in his career revisiting his Scenes from a Marriage character in Bergman's Saraband.
One hell of a canvas of films he has - so many masterpieces. Of course that'll happen when you appear in a number of Bergman and Tarkovsky films.
Last edited by Coral; 02-27-12 at 09:11 PM.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
I hadn't heard that he had died, but I'm posting so it can be acknowledged that more than eight DVD Talk members know who he was. I know that there are some legitimate cinephiles on here, so not surprised when there are the occasional threads acknowledging the likes of Erland Josephsson (and his association with some great filmmakers).
By the same token, I expect that if a piano or something landed on Vin Diesel and killed him, the thread on DVD Talk lauding his contribution to cinema history would go on for twenty pages.
By the same token, I expect that if a piano or something landed on Vin Diesel and killed him, the thread on DVD Talk lauding his contribution to cinema history would go on for twenty pages.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
My wife and I have been on a watch all Ingmar Berman in order project. Just finished Scenes From A Marriage. Much good interviews with Erland and Liv et. el. on the extras. Amazing that Max Von Sydow just keeps on trucking.
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Re: RIP Erland Josephson
The guy did a nude scene in his 80's. Takes balls at his age.
I've yet to see his Tarkovsky films but the work he and Bergman did together will last forever.
RIP.
I've yet to see his Tarkovsky films but the work he and Bergman did together will last forever.
RIP.