Photo: Georges Biard / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Max von Sydow was born in Lund, Skåne County, Sweden on April 10, 1929. Max von Sydow was listed as a television actor, film director and stage actor. Death is recorded on March 8, 2020, at the age of 90. Awards on record include Knight of the Legion of Honour (2012), Donostia Award (2006), Litteris et Artibus (1978) and 5 more. The listed height was 191 cm.
My Take
Max von Sydow is, for me, a measuring stick for what screen acting can be. The knight playing chess with Death in Bergman's The Seventh Seal is pure cinematic scripture, and that towering 191 cm frame gave him gravity no one could fake. Across a 70-year career he made over 150 films in multiple languages, equally at home with Bergman's austerity and Hollywood spectacle like The Exorcist. He passed in 2020, decorated with the Legion of Honour, but the work feels immortal. He taught me what dignity looks like on screen, and I doubt anyone will replace that particular kind of presence.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Max von Sydow
- Name (Japanese)
- マックス・フォン・シドー
- Reading
- まっくす・ふぉん・しどー
- Born
- April 10, 1929 – March 8, 2020
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Snake
- Origin
- Lund, Skåne County, Sweden
- Height
- 191 cm
- Occupation
- television actor / film director / director / stage actor / film actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2012 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 2006 Donostia Award
- 1978 Litteris et Artibus
- 1968 Swedish Academy's Theatre Award
- 1988 European Film Award for Best Actor
- 2016 Sitges Grand Honorary Award
- Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
- 1988 Guldbagge Award for Best Director
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Max von Sydow born?
Born April 10, 1929.
When did Max von Sydow die?
Died March 8, 2020, aged 90.
Where was Max von Sydow from?
Max von Sydow was from Lund, Skåne County, Sweden.
What did Max von Sydow do?
Max von Sydow worked as television actor, film director, director, stage actor, film actor.
How tall was Max von Sydow?
Max von Sydow was 191 cm.
Television actor — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from Sweden →