Bibi Andersson


Actor
Bibi Andersson

About

Also Known As
Berit Elizabeth Andersson
Birth Place
Sweden
Born
November 11, 1935

Biography

A major star of the Swedish cinema of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Bibi Andersson was appearing on stage at Malmo when discovered by Ingmar Bergman, who was casting a 1951 Bris soap commercial. She went on to became a staple of the director's stock company, distinguishing herself in such films as "Wild Strawberries" (1957), as the young hiker who brings comfort into the life of an elderly man...

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Gosta Terseus
Companion
Actor. Had brief relationship in the early 1950s.
Ingmar Bergman
Companion
Director, screenwriter. Had affair c. 1956-59.
Kjell Grede
Husband
Director, writer. Married in 1960; divorced in 1973.
Per Ahlmark
Husband
Politician. Married in 1978.

Bibliography

"One Moment"
Bibi Andersson (1996)

Notes

Not to be confused with transvestite actor Manuel Fernandez Chica who acts under the name of "Bibi Andersen" in the Spanish films: "Cambio de sexo" (1977) and the Almodovar films: "Matador" (1986), "La Leo de Deseo/The Law of Desire" (1987) and "High Heels" (1991).

Biography

A major star of the Swedish cinema of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Bibi Andersson was appearing on stage at Malmo when discovered by Ingmar Bergman, who was casting a 1951 Bris soap commercial. She went on to became a staple of the director's stock company, distinguishing herself in such films as "Wild Strawberries" (1957), as the young hiker who brings comfort into the life of an elderly man (Victor Sjostrom), "Brink of Life" (1958), as the protective mother of an illegitimate child, for which she was named Best Actress at Cannes and "The Devil's Eye" (1959). Her finest work is undoubtedly "Persona" (1966), Bergman's masterpiece about a mute actress (Liv Ullman) and her nurse (Andersson) who gradually switch minds and identities. In "The Touch" (1971), Andersson was cast as a homemaker who seems content, but doubts her very happiness

Andersson made her English-language debut as a woman raped by an Apache and subsequently gives birth to a half-breed in "Duel at Diablo" (1965). Her big bid for stardom outside Sweden came with John Huston's underrated "The Kremlin Letter" (1970), as the doomed wife of a suspected spy (Max Von Sydow). She made a successful shift to character roles with "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" (1977), a disturbing study of schizophrenia with Andersson as a compassionate psychologist. To date, her widest exposure may have come with the Oscar-winning Danish film "Babette's Feast" (1987), in which she portrayed a Swedish lady-in-waiting.

Andersson has worked extensively on stage in Sweden, notably in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." On the Broadway stage, she appeared as Anna in "Full Circle" (1973). She was based in the US during the mid-70s while having tax problems in Sweden. Andersson appeared in the NBC rendition of Arthur Miller's "After the Fall" (1974), but she is better known for her roles in Bergman's Swedish TV production "Scenes From a Marriage" (1973; later re-edited and released theatrically) and as Major von Dardel in "Wallenberg: A Hero's Story" (NBC, 1985).

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Nar Morkret Faller (2007)
Det gar aldrig som man tankt sig (2000)
Ljuset Haller Mig Sallskap (2000)
I Rollerna Tre (1996)
Not Love, Just Frenzy (1996)
Cristina
Il Sogno Della Farfalla (1994)
Mother
Dromspel (1994)
Victoria
Una Estacion de paso (1992)
Lise
Fordringsagare (1989)
Tekla
Svart gryning (1987)
The Ambassador
Babette's Feast (1987)
Swedish Royal Opera Patron
Los Duenos del silencio (1987)
Swedish Ambassador
Pobre Mariposa (1986)
Gertrud
Huomenna (1986)
Singer
Berget pa manens baksida (1984)
Ann-Charlotte Leffler
Sista Leken (1984)
Viktor'S Wife
Svarte Fugler (1983)
Simone Cambral
Exposed (1983)
Jag rodnar (1981)
Marmeladupproret (1980)
Anna-Berit
Twee Vrouwen (1979)
Laura
Quintet (1979)
Ambrosia
The Concorde--Airport '79 (1979)
Barnfoerbjudet (1979)
Mother
An Enemy Of The People (1978)
Catherine Stockmann
L' Amour en Question (1978)
Catherine Dumais
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden (1977)
Il Pleut sur Santiago (1975)
Monique
Blondy (1975)
Mitta
La Rivale (1974)
Blanche
Afskedens Time (1973)
Scenes From a Marriage (1973)
Katarina
Ingmar Bergman (1972)
Herself
Mannen fran andra Sidan (1972)
The Touch (1971)
Karin Vergerus
The Passion of Anna (1970)
Eva Vergerus
Story of a Woman (1970)
Karin Ullman
The Kremlin Letter (1970)
Erika
Short Is the Summer (1968)
Edvarda Mack
Le viol (1968)
Marianne Pescourt
The Girls (1968)
Liz; Lysistrata
Persona (1967)
Nurse Alma
My Sister, My Love (1967)
Charlotte
Duel at Diablo (1966)
Ellen Grange
All These Women (1964)
Humlan
The Swedish Mistress (1964)
Girl
Square of Violence (1963)
Maria
The Devil's Eye (1961)
Britt-Marie
The Magician (1958)
The Seventh Seal (1958)
Brink of Life (1958)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
Actress

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Ingmar Bergman (1972)
Other

Cast (Special)

World of Film (1993)
After the Fall (1974)
Holga

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985)

Life Events

1949

Worked as movie extra

1951

First collaboration with Ingmar Bergman, appearing in his TV commercial for Bris soap

1953

Screen acting debut in "Dum-Bom"

1955

First film for Ingmar Bergman, "Smiles of a Summer Night"

1957

Had major roles in Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries"

1965

US film debut in "Duel at Diablo"

1966

Co-starred in Bergman's "Persona"

1973

Last film collaboration with Bergman, "Scenes From a Marriage"

1973

Made Broadway debut, "Full Circle"

1974

Played Holga in "After the Fall" (NBC)

1976

Arrested in Sweden for tax evasion

1985

Co-starred in "Wallenberg: A Hero's Story" (NBC)

1987

Starred in "Babette's Feast"

1990

Debut as stage director

Photo Collections

Wild Strawberries - Movie Poster
Here is an original Swedish movie poster for Wild Strawberries (1957), directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring Victor Sjostrom and Bibi Andersson.

Videos

Movie Clip

Seventh Seal, The (1956) -- (Movie Clip) I'm In Dull Company Distracted from his chess game with Death, returned crusader Block (Max Von Sydow) has watched but not yet met dazzling young mother and actor Mia (Bibi Andersson) and her anxious husband Jof (Nils Poppe), discussing their prospects together, in Ingmar Bergman’s celebrated The Seventh Seal, 1957
Seventh Seal, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) God Is Punishing Us The penitents arrive in the village, interrupting the actors, Block (Max Von Sydow), Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) et al watching, and a monk (Anders Ek) with a tirade, in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, 1957.
Persona (1967) -- (Movie Clip) A Film By Ingmar Bergman The second and relatively conventional piece of the opening to Ingmar Bergman's Persona, 1967, this time with credits and introducing stars Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann.
Persona (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Hello Mrs. Vogler The initial meeting, encompassing three scenes, between nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson) and stricken actress Mrs. Vogler (Liv Ullman), and the unseen doctor (Margaretha Krook) from Ingmar Bergman's Persona, 1967.
Persona (1967) -- (Movie Clip) It's Almost Morning Nearing the end of their long first evening at the summer house, nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson) and Mrs. Vogler (Liv Ullmann) in a mundane and mystical encounter from Ingmar Bergman's Persona, 1967.
Persona (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Doctor's Summer House Narration resumes as Nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson) and patient Mrs. Vogler (Liv Ullmann) arrive at the summer house where their relations will intensify, in Ingmar Bergman's Persona, 1967.
Scenes From A Marriage (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Katarina Is A Business Man Divorce lawyer Marianne (Liv Ullmann) and husband Johan (Erland Josephson), subjects of an admiring article about their marriage, with friends Katarina (Bibi Andersson) and Peter (Jan Malmsjo), who choose the occasion to dissect their own, early in Ingmar Bergman's Scenes From A Marriage, 1973.
Passion of Anna, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) Opening, His Name Is Andreas Opening titles and the introduction of Andreas (Max von Sydow) as narrated by the director in Ingmar Bergman's second color film, The Passion of Anna, 1970.
Passion of Anna, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) Those Deep French Caves Married Eva (Bibi Andersson) visits lonely Andreas (Max von Sydow) as the sun sets in Ingmar Bergman's second color film The Passion of Anna, 1970.
Passion of Anna, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) Some Form Of Truth Andreas (Max von Sydow) joins widow Anna (Liv Ullman) and hosts Elis (Erland Josephson) and Eva (Bibi Andersson) for a dinner party starting with narration in Ingmar Bergman's The Passion of Anna, 1970.
Wild Strawberries (1957) -- (Movie Clip) My Name Is Isak Borg First jarring then absorbing in its candor, director Ingmar Bergman’s opening from his original screenplay, narrated by Victor Sjostrom as Professor Borg, leading to the credits, from the internationally celebrated Wild Strawberries, 1957.
Wild Strawberries (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Even Clearer Images Of Memory Having spontaneously stopped at the his family’s old country vacation home, dismissing his daughter-in-law (Ingrid Thulin), Professor Isak Borg recalls his youth, his cousin Sara (Bibi Andersson) and eldest brother (Per Sjostrand), in Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, 1957.

Family

Josef Andersson
Father
Karin Andersson
Mother
Gerd Andersson
Sister
Ballerina. Older.
Jenny Matilda Grede
Daughter
Born in 1973.

Companions

Gosta Terseus
Companion
Actor. Had brief relationship in the early 1950s.
Ingmar Bergman
Companion
Director, screenwriter. Had affair c. 1956-59.
Kjell Grede
Husband
Director, writer. Married in 1960; divorced in 1973.
Per Ahlmark
Husband
Politician. Married in 1978.

Bibliography

"One Moment"
Bibi Andersson (1996)

Notes

Not to be confused with transvestite actor Manuel Fernandez Chica who acts under the name of "Bibi Andersen" in the Spanish films: "Cambio de sexo" (1977) and the Almodovar films: "Matador" (1986), "La Leo de Deseo/The Law of Desire" (1987) and "High Heels" (1991).