Actor Max von Sydow, who has appeared in films and TV series including The Exorcist, Flash Gordon and Game of Thrones, has passed away.
Von Sydow’s family announced “with a broken heart and infinite sadness” that the Swedish-born actor died on Sunday, aged 90.
Max von Sydow was a talented actor whose career stretched back over seventy years.
While he starred in many classic films, it was his performance in the 1957 film The Seventh Seal which helped him gain a name for himself. The film and von Sydow’s performance are widely regarded as one of the great works of cinema with still images of the film being hugely iconic. He was also cast in The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and considered one of the most successful movies of all-time.
Max Von Sydow was known for his distinctive appearance, deep accented voice, and enthralling acting ability, and worked with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and a plethora of Hollywood stars. More recently, Sydow played Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and as Three-Eyed Raven on HBO’s Game of Thrones, where his acting ability stunned his co-stars. Von Sydow’s Game of Thrones costar Isaac Hempstead-Wright stated:
“There are certain lines that you think are almost fillers, lines you don’t think are imperative to any kind of storytelling, like, ‘He’s over there.’ But when Max von Sydow says it, it sounds like it’s the most important news you’ve ever heard.”
Not only was the actor renowned for his skills and outstanding career, but for his kind and humble personality. Describing him in 2007, the Los Angeles Times wrote:
“von Sydow is an inherently imposing screen presence with distinctive chiselled features. But in person, he is a warm, unpretentious man profoundly grateful for a career that he himself refuses to consider remarkable.”
It is clear that Max von Sydow made his mark on the world of film and will be sorely missed, however, he will be remembered through his remarkable body of works.
