Eva Wenche Steenfeldt Stang (5 December 1917 – 28 March 2011), better known as Wenche Foss (), was a leading
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
of stage, screen and television.
Personal life
Wenche Foss was born to engineer
Christian August Steenfeldt-Foss (1878–1960) and Alfhild Røren.
[ Foss grew up with an ]atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
mother and a devout Christian father; she inherited both views but has stated: "I could not fall asleep without the prayer".
Her first marriage was to engineer and film producer Alf Scott-Hansen (1903–1961), a son of port director Alf Scott-Hansen, but the marriage was dissolved. In 1953 she married landowner and industrialist Thomas Stang
Thomas Stang (27 November 1897 – 5 January 1982) was a Norwegian forester and businessperson. He is known as founder of the company Maarud, and also as husband of actress Wenche Foss.
Personal life
He was born in Kristiania as a son of landowne ...
(1897–1982),[ thus becoming a sister-in-law of Axel Heiberg Stang and daughter-in-law of Ole A. Stang and Emma Heiberg.] Her son Fabian Stang was mayor of Oslo
The Mayor of Oslo is the chief executive of the Oslo. The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within Oslo city.
List of mayors of oslo
This is a list of ...
from 2007 to 2015.
Career
She made her stage debut in 1935 as Ingrid in Vilhelm Dybwad
Vilhelm Dybwad (12 February 1863 – 16 March 1950) was a Norwegian barrister and writer. He wrote comedies, revues and songs. In his later years he wrote several memoir books from his life as a lawyer.
Personal life
Dybwad was born in Chri ...
's operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
''Taterblod''. She was subsequently part of the ensemble at the Carl Johan Teater Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
from 1936 to 1939, and then became a central figure in Centralteatret
Centralteatret ( en, Central Theater) is a theatre on Akersgata in the city centre of Oslo, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western ...
. She received acclaim in a number of leading roles. Her breakthrough role was in Carl Erik Soya
Carl Erik Soya, (30 October 1896 – 10 November 1983), also known by the single appellation Soya, was a Danish author and dramatist. His works were often satirical provocations against double standards and dishonesty. In 1975, Soya received Denma ...
's '' To tråder''.[ Later she played numerous leading roles in the ensembles of ]Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo ( no, Nationaltheatret) is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.
History
The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christia ...
and Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater is a theater located in Oslo, Norway. The theater has its main stage in its own theater house at Rosenkrantz' gate 10. It is one of Norway's most visited theatres. Oslo Nye Teater AS is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality. Histor ...
, being a regular at Nationaltheatret since 1952.
Foss was also an accomplished vocalist (mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
) who received classical training with M. Hviid and K. B. Børresen. Her performances in Emmerich Kálmán
Emmerich Kálmán ( hu, Kálmán Imre; 24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas and a prominent figure in the development of Viennese operetta in the 20th century. Among his most popular works are '' Die Csár ...
's operetta '' Die Bajadere'', Eduard Künneke's '' Der Vetter aus Dingsda'', Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe'').
Life ...
's operettas ''Der Graf von Luxemburg
''Der Graf von Luxemburg'' (''The Count of Luxembourg'') is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to a German libretto by Alfred Maria Willner, Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein. A Viennese take on Bohemianism, ...
'' and ''The Merry Widow
''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'', in which she played the title role.[ She pioneered musical parts in such musicals as '']Kiss Me, Kate
''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-s ...
'', ''Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
'' and '' Hello, Dolly''.[
Foss also took the occasional role as a voice actress. She provided the voice of Enkefru Stengelføhn-Glad in the 1975 animated feature film Flåklypa Grand Prix, known in English as ''Pinchcliffe Grand Prix''. She voiced the same character in another animated feature, 1998's ''Solan, Ludvig og Gurin med reverompa'' (Gurin with the Foxtail).
]
Activist and humanitarian
In 1953, Foss gave birth to a child with Down syndrome
Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...
who died at a young age. She is credited with raising public awareness about disabled individuals, founding, among other things, the vacation resort "Solgården" ("Hacienda del Sol") in Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.[
She survived ]breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
in 1971 and wrote a candid account of her experience. She was a strong supporter of gay rights[ and an outspoken critic of the ]Christian Democratic Party
__NOTOC__
Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...
owing to its opposition to gay marriage and gay rights. She also questioned the ''raison d'être
Raison d'être is a French expression commonly used in English, meaning "reason for being" or "reason to be".
Raison d'être may refer to:
Music
* Raison d'être (band), a Swedish dark-ambient-industrial-drone music project
* ''Raison D'être' ...
'' of the party, maintaining that "religion and politics should not be mixed".
Death and recognition
Foss was decorated as a Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 1972. In 1988 she was promoted to Commander with Star in the same order. She was one of few Norwegian civilians to hold such a high rank in the King's order of chivalry. She has also been awarded the Red Cross Badge of Honour and appointed a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...
.
Foss received a number of accolades, among them the Hedda Award
The Hedda Award (''Heddaprisen'') is a Norwegian theatre award, first presented in 1998. It is named after the character "Hedda" from Ibsen's play ''Hedda Gabler''. Among its categories, which have varied over the years, are: Best Theatre Producti ...
, an honorary Amanda prize, and Toleranseprisen.[ In 2007, ]Queen Sonja of Norway
Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V.
Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relations ...
unveiled Per Ung
Per Ung (5 June 1933 – 20 June 2013) was a Norwegian sculptor and graphic artist.
Biography
Ung was born in Oslo, Norway. He was the son of Per Ohlsen (1907–85) and Randi Tangen (1905-89). He was schooled in the conservative sculptural ...
's statue of Foss outside Norway's National Theater. She was awarded the Ibsen Centennial Commemoration Award The Ibsen Centennial Commemoration Award (Norwegian: ''Ibsenstatuetten'') was awarded by the Government of Norway in commemoration of playwright Henrik Ibsen on the occasion of the 2006 Ibsen Year, the 100th anniversary of Ibsen's death. The prize ...
in 2006.
On 2 December 2010, Wenche Foss announced that she was seriously ill and did not expect to live past New Year. She died in her sleep on 28 March 2011 at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, surrounded by her family.
Her death saw an outpour of public grief and tributes rarely bestowed upon civilians. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with government honour at state expense, the fifth woman in Norwegian history to be given this respect. The funeral was broadcast live on national television, 4 April 2011, and was, in keeping with Foss' own wishes, open to the public. It was also attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, as well as Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other prominent members of government.
Foss is depicted on the tail fin of a Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle Aksjeselskap, ASA, trading as Norwegian, is a Norway, Norwegian Low-cost carrier, low-cost airline and Norway's largest airline. It is the fourth largest low-cost carrier in Europe behind Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair, the ...
Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
, with the registration EI-FHY.
Selected filmography
* 1940: '' Tørres Snørtevold''
* 1942: ''En herre med bart
''En herre med bart'' ( en, A Gentleman with a Moustache}) is a 1942 Norwegian comedy film directed by Alfred Maurstad, based on a play by Finn Bø, and starring Per Aabel and Wenche Foss. Attorney Ole Grong (Aabel) and his wife Cecilie (Foss) are ...
''
* 1942: ''Jeg drepte!
''Jeg drepte!'' (I Have Killed!) is a Norwegian film directed by Toralf Sandø. It premiered on August 17, 1942.
Plot
A doctor is operating on a male patient. Under anesthesia, the man reveals that he is in a relationship with the doctor's wife. ...
''
* 1942: '' The Dangerous Game''
* 1945: ''Rikard Nordraak
Rikard Nordraak (12 June 1842 – 20 March 1866) was a Norwegian composer. He is best known as the composer of the Norwegian national anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".
Biography
Rikard Nordraak was born and grew up in Oslo, Norway. His family ...
''
* 1946: ''Et spøkelse forelsker seg
''Et spøkelse forelsker seg'' (A Ghost Falls in Love) is a Norwegian adventure film and spoof comedy from 1946. The film was directed by Tancred Ibsen, who also wrote the screenplay.>
Plot
At the Krogeby estate, which is owned by the Vinkelkrog ...
''
* 1948: ''Trollfossen
''Trollfossen'' is a Norwegian film from 1948. It was directed by Alf Scott-Hansen and featured Ola Isene and Wenche Foss in the lead roles.
The film tells the story of the skilled pianist Sylvia Strøm (Wenche Foss), who is forced by her husb ...
''
* 1951: ''Kranes konditori
''Kranes konditori'' (Krane's Café) is a Norwegian drama film from 1951 directed by Astrid Henning-Jensen. Henning-Jensen also wrote the screenplay, which was based on Cora Sandel's novel of the same name.
Plot
The film takes place in a small No ...
''
* 1952: ''Det kunne vært deg
''Det kunne vært deg'' ( no, It Could Have Been You}) is a 1952 Norwegian comedy film directed by Kåre Bergstrøm and Henki Kolstad, starring Inger Marie Andersen, Henki Kolstad
Henki Kolstad (3 February 1915 – 14 July 2008) was a Norweg ...
''
* 1953: ''Ung frue forsvunnet
''Ung frue forsvunnet'' (Young Woman Missing) is a 1953 Norwegian drama film directed by Edith Carlmar. The film stars Astri Jacobsen, Adolf Bjerke, Lalla Carlsen, Wenche Foss, Espen Skjønberg, and Guri Stormoen.
Plot
The university instructor ...
''
* 1959: '' Støv på hjernen''
* 1959: '' Herren og hans tjenere''
* 1962: ''Tonny
''Tonny'' is a 1962 Norwegian drama film directed by Nils R. Müller and Per Gjersøe. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.
Cast
* Per Christensen as Tonny
* Wenche Foss as Tonnys mor
* Liv Ullmann as Kari
* Joachi ...
''
* 1963: ''Om Tilla
''Om Tilla'' (About Tilla) is a Norwegian drama film from 1963 directed by Arne Skouen. Skouen wrote the screenplay, which was based on his 1959 novel ''Bare om barn''. It contained a series of articles from the newspaper ''Verdens Gang'', in whic ...
''
* 1974: '' Bør Børson Jr.''
* 1975: '' Flåklypa Grand Prix'' (voice of ''Enkefru Stengenfhøn-Glad'')
* 1980: ''Life and Death
Life and death (死活) is a fundamental concept in the game of Go, where the status of a distinct ''group'' of ''stones'' is determined as either being "alive", where they may remain on the board indefinitely, or "dead", where the group will b ...
''
* 1982: ''Victoria L
''Victoria L'' ( no, Leve sitt liv) is a 1982 Norwegian comedy film directed by Petter Vennerød and Svend Wam. The film was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 55th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a ...
''
* 2006: ''En udødelig mann ''An Immortal Man'' (''En udødelig mann'') is a miniseries on Henrik Ibsen's childhood and youth in three episodes, produced by the NRK in 2006 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ibsen's death. It was directed by Berit Nesheim and written ...
'' (Kristine Cathrine Ploug Kristine Cathrine Ploug (née Altenburg) (1760–1837), known as Aunt Ploug (''Faster Ploug'' in Norwegian), was a relative of playwright Henrik Ibsen, cited as the influence of some of the characters in his plays, such as The Rat-Wife in ''Little ...
)
References
External links
*
The family tree of Wenche Foss om Geni.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foss, Wenche
1917 births
2011 deaths
Musicians from Oslo
Norwegian film actresses
Norwegian stage actresses
Norwegian women singers
Norwegian voice actresses
Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog
Recipients of the Red Cross Badge of Honour
Norwegian Christians
Stang family (Halden lineage)
Norwegian television actresses