Gunn Wållgren (born Gunnel Margaret Haraldsdotter Wållgren; ; 16 November 1913 – 4 June 1983) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

actress. Considered one of Sweden's better actresses, Wållgren was famous for her fragile and sensual way of acting and her inner soulfulness on stage. Her

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

and Ibsen character interpretations, in particular, are considered to be unsurpassed.

Biography

Gunn Wållgren was born in Gothenburg in November 1913. In her teenage years, she preformed in some local children's theaters. Gunn Wållgren wanted to become an actress when she was a child, altho her father Harald Wållgren did not support her. In an attempt to try to dissuade her, Gunn's father sent Gunn overseas on a trip to Switzerland. This proved unhelpful, as her desire to act only increased. By the time she returned home, she was more determined than ever. Carrying a tremendous shyness and insecurity, which came to personally restrict her all her life. In 1934, age 21, she secretly applied for the

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...

's acting school in Stockholm and was admitted first try. Gunn Wållgren's was awarded her first major role in 1936, at the

as ''"premiere actress",'' portraying Mildred in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's ''Ah, Wilderness!,'' which went on to become a very successful and long-running production. Winning the critics' and the audience's heart in her part she received an immediate contract with the Royal Dramatic Theatre after her graduation from drama school in 1937. Despite working at different theatres throughout her life, Gunn always returned to the national stage. Some masterful stage performances by Wållgren include her portrayal of Sorel Bliss in Noël Coward's '' Hay Fever'' in 1937, Celia in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's '' As You Like It'' 1938 (directed by

Alf Sjöberg Sven Erik Alf Sjöberg (21 June 1903 – 17 April 1980) was a Swedish theatre and film director. He won the Grand Prix du Festival at the Cannes Film Festival twice: in 1946 for '' Torment'' ( sv, Hets) (part of an eleven-way tie), and in 1951 ...

), the strong portrayal of Curley's wife in the original Swedish staging of John Steinbeck's ''Of Mice and Men'' in 1940, Iphigenia in

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

's ''

Iphigenia in Tauris ''Iphigenia in Tauris'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Ταύροις, ''Iphigeneia en Taurois'') is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written between 414 BC and 412 BC. It has much in common with another of Euripides's plays, '' Helen'', as ...

'' 1941, her

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

in the classic 1942 staging of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (opposite Lars Hanson in the title role), Mary Grey/

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

in ''Joan of Lorraine'' by

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

in 1948, Catherine Sloper in ''

The Heiress ''The Heiress'' is a 1949 American romantic drama film directed and produced by William Wyler, from a screenplay written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, adapted from their 1947 stage play of the same title, which was itself adapted from Henry Jame ...

'' by

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

and Augustus Goetz in the 1950/51 season, Indra's daughter in the

Olof Molander Olof Johan Harald Molander (8 October 1892 – 26 May 1966) was a Swedish theatre and film director. He was most notable for his many Strindberg and Shakespeare productions. Biography Molander was born in Helsinki. He was the son of the dire ...

-staging of

Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

's ''

A Dream Play ''A Dream Play'' ( sv, Ett drömspel) is a fantasy play in 14 scenes written in 1901 by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg. It was published in Swedish in 1902 and first performed in Stockholm on 17 April 1907. It remains one of Strindberg ...

'' 1955, Nina in

's ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises th ...

'' 1955, Masha in

's '' Three Sisters'' 1958, Isabella in

's '' Measure for Measure'' 1958, Nora in Ibsen's ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...

'' 1962, Gerda in

's ''Storm'' 1964, Mrs. Alving in Ibsen's '' Ghosts'' 196?, the grand portrayal of Madame Liubov Andreievna Ranevskaya in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' by

in 1967, Martha Brewster in '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' in 1970, the title role of ''Agnes'' in Kent Andersson's 1972 play, Lena in Fugard's ''Boesman and Lena'' 1977; and the role of Ethel Thayer in ''Sista sommaren'' (play based on the Oscar-winning film ''On Golden Pond'', starring Katharine Hepburn in the same part) in 1981. Her film debut was in ''Sonja'' in 1943, but her break-through came with ''Kvinnor i fångenskap'' the same year, where Wållgren portrayed a young prisoner on the run. Being "of the theatre", Gunn Wållgren filmed sporadically during her life. But whenever she turned to the big screen she was "The Actress". Ranked absolutely equivalent to Ingrid Bergman back in Sweden at the time, both in beauty and in talent (in Sweden even considered some notches higher than Bergman as an actress) she delivered electrifying performances in films such as ''Flickan och djävulen'' (The Girl And The Devil) (opposite

Stig Järrel Stig Järrel (8February 19101July 1998) was a Swedish actor, film director and revue artist. Järrel was one of the most popular actors in Sweden during his career, and also one of the most productive, participating in a total of 131 films. He a ...

) 1944, ''Var sin väg'' (Each To His Own Way) 1946, ''Medan porten var stängd'' (While The Door Was Locked) 1946 (written & directed by

Hasse Ekman Hasse Ekman (born Hans Gösta Ekman; 10September 191515February 2004) was a Swedish director, actor, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Biography Hasse Ekman is probably Sweden's most successful and critically acclaimed film ...

), '' Kvinna utan ansikte'' (Woman Without A Face) 1947 (with an early script by Ingmar Bergman), ''Glasberget'' (Mountain Of Glass) 1953 (directed by

) and ''Klänningen'' (The Dress) 1964 (directed by

with script by

Vilgot Sjöman David Harald Vilgot Sjöman (2 December 1924 – 9 April 2006) was a Swedish writer and film director. His films deal with controversial issues of social class, morality, and sexual taboos, combining the emotionally tortured characters of Ingm ...

), among others. Her supporting part in

Gunnel Lindblom Gunnel Märtha Ingegärd Lindblom (18 December 1931 – 24 January 2021) was a Swedish film actress and director. Career As an actress, Lindblom was particularly associated with the work of Ingmar Bergman, though in 1965 she performed the l ...

's debating drama '' Sally och friheten'' (1981) (Sally and Freedom), about a woman dealing with the painful memories and reality of an abortion, later in life rendered her Sweden's most prestigious film award, the

Guldbagge Award The Guldbagge Awards ( sv, Guldbaggen, en, Gold scarab) is an official and annual Swedish film awards ceremony honoring achievements in the Swedish film industry. Winners are awarded a statuette depicting a rose chafer, better known by the nam ...

(the Golden Beetle), for Best Actress. She was highly praised for her warm and sober portrayal of the grandmother – the immediate centre of the Ekdahl family - in Ingmar Bergman's colourful film '' Fanny och Alexander'' (1982). The role was to be her very last, as shortly after the shooting finished she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her condition deteriorated quickly and she died on 4 June 1983; ten months later Bergman's film was awarded with 4

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, one for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. Gunn Wållgren was married firstly to

Hampe Faustman Erik "Hampe" Faustman (born Erik Stellan Chatham; 3 July 1919 – 26 August 1961) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 20 films between 1940 and 1961. He also directed 20 films between 1943 and 1955. He was married ...

(born Erik Stellan Chatham), an actor and film director, from 1941 until their divorce in 1949. She married secondly to

Per-Axel Branner Per-Axel Helge Branner (né Larsson; 25 January 1899 – 31 July 1975) was a Swedish actor, screenwriter and film director.Qvist & von Bagh p.197 Selected filmography * '' Getting Married'' (1926) * ''His Life's Match'' (1932) * '' Pettersson ...

, a stage director, from 1954 until his death in 1975. She had two daughters from her marriage with Faustman: Susanne and Elaine.

Filmography

* '' Imprisoned Women'' (1943) as Viola * '' The Sixth Shot'' (1943) as Lulu * '' Sonja'' (1943) as Sonja's Room-mate * ''

Ordet ''Ordet'' (, meaning " The Word" and originally released as ''The Word'' in English), is a 1955 Danish drama film, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish Lutheran priest, first performed in 1932. The film w ...

'' (1943) as Kristina * '' The Girl and the Devil'' (1944) as Karin * '' The Emperor of Portugallia'' (1944) as Klara Fina Gulleborg * ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' (1945) as Sonja * ''

The Journey Away ''The Journey Away'' ( sv, Resan bort) is a 1945 Swedish drama film directed by Alf Sjöberg and starring Gunn Wållgren, Holger Löwenadler and Maj-Britt Nilsson. It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stockholm and on location around Lys ...

'' (1945) as Ellen Andersson * '' Desire'' (1946) as Ingrid * ''

While the Door Was Locked ''While the Door Was Locked'' (Swedish:''Medan porten var stängd'') is a 1946 Swedish drama film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot summary In an apartment building at an address in Östermalm, Stockholm the residents and their guests each play t ...

'' (1946) as Marianne Sahlen * '' Harald the Stalwart'' (1946) as Peasant woman * '' Woman Without A Face'' (1947) as Rut Köhler * '' Each to His Own Way'' (1948) as Birgit Sundell * '' The Nuthouse'' (1951) as Maggan * '' The Glass Mountain'' (1953) as Otti Moreus * '' The Dress'' (1964) as Helen Fürst * ''Asmodeus'' (1966, TV film) as Madame de Berthas * ''Kvinnas man'' (1966, TV film) as Lotta Friman * ''Tartuffe'' (1966, TV Movie) as Elmire * ''Fadren'' (aka

's ''The Father'') (1967, TV film) as Laura * ''Gengångare'' (aka Ibsen's '' Ghosts'') (1967, TV Movie) as Candida * '' Miss and Mrs Sweden'' (1969) as Rose Persson-Silvergrå * ''Frida och hennes vän'' (1970, TV Mini-Series) as Fridas mor * ''Söderkåkar'' (1970, TV Mini-Series) ) as Hanna Johnsson * ''

The Man Who Quit Smoking ''The Man Who Quit Smoking'' ( sv, Mannen som slutade röka) is a 1972 Swedish comedy film directed by Tage Danielsson, starring Gösta Ekman, Grynet Molvig, Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt and Gunn Wållgren. The film is known as a Hasse & Tage film an ...

'' (1972) as Aunt Gunhild * ''Kvartetten som sprängdes'' (1973, TV series) as Mrs. Åvik * ''Rulle på Rulseröd'' (1974, TV Series) as Farmor * ''Agnes'' (1974, TV film) as Agnes * ''Förvandlingen'' (1976) as Gregor's Mother * ''Leva livet'' (1976, TV film) as Mrs. Blom * '' The Brothers Lionheart'' (1977) as Sofia * ''Strandvaskeren'' (1978, TV Series) as Grandmother * ''Svartskallen'' (1981, TV film) as Inez Bergman * ''

Sally and Freedom ''Sally and Freedom'' ( sv, Sally och friheten) is a 1981 Swedish drama film directed by Gunnel Lindblom. Gunn Wållgren won the award for Best Actress at the 17th Guldbagge Awards. Cast * Ewa Fröling as Sally * Hans Wigren as Simon * Lei ...

'' (1981) as Sally's Mother * ''

Fanny and Alexander ''Fanny and Alexander'' ( sv, Fanny och Alexander) is a 1982 period drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The plot focuses on two siblings and their large family in Uppsala, Sweden during the first decade of the twentieth century. ...

'' (1982) as Helena Ekdahl - Ekdahlska huse

Awards

*The Eugene O'Neill Award (1959) *The

Swedish Theatre Critics Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

' Award (1962) *The

for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

(1981)

References

External links

*
Complete list of Gunn Wållgren's stage work at the Royal Dramatic Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallgren, Gunn 1913 births 1983 deaths Deaths from cancer in Sweden Eugene O'Neill Award winners Litteris et Artibus recipients Best Actress Guldbagge Award winners 20th-century Swedish actresses

Biography

Filmography

Awards

See also

References

Further reading

External links