Curiosidades

Fluent in a number of languages, including Swedish, English, French and Italian.

He appeared in 13 films directed by Ingmar Bergman: O Sétimo Selo (1957), Morangos Silvestres (1957), O Sr. Sleeman Está Vindo (1957), No Limiar da Vida (1958), O Rosto (1958), Raiva - Cenas da Vida Humana (1958), A Fonte da Donzela (1960), Através de um Espelho (1961), Luz de Inverno (1963), A Hora do Lobo (1968), Vergonha (1968), A Paixão de Ana (1969) and A Hora do Amor (1971).

He was offered the title role in the first James Bond film 007 Contra o Satânico Dr. No (1962), which went to Joseph Wiseman.

He was one of the few actors to have played both God (in A Maior História de Todos os Tempos (1965)) and the Devil (in Trocas Macabras (1993)).

He was one of six Swedish actors to be nominated for an Academy Award. The others are Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Ann-Margret, Lena Olin and Alicia Vikander. von Sydow is the only male Swedish actor to be nominated for an Oscar.

His second Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actor for Tão Forte e Tão Perto (2011)) came at age 82, which was the same age as front-runner Christopher Plummer who was competing with him in the category (also in a second nomination). Plummer won the Oscar for Toda Forma de Amor (2010), in a role previously turned down by von Sydow.

He was one of very few actors to be nominated for an Oscar for a role in a foreign language film, for his performance in Pelle, o Conquistador (1987).

His performance as Lasse Karlsson in Pelle, o Conquistador (1987) is ranked #57 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

In his career, he had played Jesus, Satan, and was also the title character in the horror classic O Exorcista (1973).

In 2002, he received his French citizenship, at which time he had to renounce his Swedish citizenship.

Appeared in five films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Os Emigrantes (1971), O Exorcista (1973), Hannah e suas Irmãs (1986), Tempo de Despertar (1990) and Tão Forte e Tão Perto (2011).

He and his A Maior História de Todos os Tempos (1965) co-stars Donald Pleasence and Telly Savalas all later played the Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Pleasence in Com 007 Só Se Vive Duas Vezes (1967), Savalas in 007 - A Serviço Secreto de Sua Majestade (1969) and von Sydow in 007 - Nunca Mais Outra Vez (1983).

He never retired from acting.

Max von Sydow passed away on March 8, 2020, one month away from what would have been his 91st birthday on April 10.

After not appearing in an Ingmar Bergman film since A Hora do Amor (1971), von Sydow was reunited with the master, playing his grandfather in Den goda viljan (1991). While the film was directed by Bille August, the screenplay was written by Ingmar Bergman. Ironically, despite all the classic work von Sydow did with Ingmar Bergman such as the Knight in O Sétimo Selo (1957), the eponymous role in O Rosto (1958), and the father in A Fonte da Donzela (1960), his first Oscar nomination came under the hand of Bille August, for Pelle, o Conquistador (1987).

One of his favorite movies was Pelle, o Conquistador (1987).

He was considered for the role of William Fawcett Robinson in Em Algum Lugar do Passado (1980) before Christopher Plummer was cast.

Had four sons, Clas S. von Sydow and Henrik von Sydow with his first wife; and Cédric and Yvan with his second wife. In 1951, von Sydow married actress Christina Olin with whom he had two sons, Claes and Henrik. His children appeared with him in the film Havaí (1966), playing his son at different ages. He and Olin divorced on 26 February 1979 then he married French filmmaker Catherine Brelet in April 1997 in the Provence, France. He had two sons, Yvan and Cedric, with his second wife. Cédric has appeared and has worked with him since 1994. von Sydow resided in Paris, France with his second wife.

Most of his ancestry was Swedish. His parents also both had more distant German roots, and his mother had a remote Scottish ancestor.

First Swedish male actor to have received a Golden Globe nomination. The second was Alexander Skarsgård.

Distant relative of Swedish speaker of parliament and ex-minister of defence, Björn von Sydow.

Had resided in Los Angeles, California, Rome, Italy and Paris, France.

Had appeared in two films as a leading villain, in which plots include the use of eye replacement surgery as a means of fooling security eye scanners; as Blofeld in 007 - Nunca Mais Outra Vez (1983) and Lamar Burgess in Minority Report: A Nova Lei (2002).

He was among the actors in the running for Dr. Hans Fallada in the horror film Força Sinistra (1985). Frank Finlay was cast instead.

He was co-head of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1985.

Is one of 4 Swedish actors to have received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. The others in chronological order are: Ingrid Bergman, Alexander Skarsgård, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Adoptive father of Yvan and Cédric Brelet von Sydow, children of Catherine Brelet from a previous marriage.

Father of Henrik von Sydow and Clas S. von Sydow.