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Max Von Sydow Dies: Revered Star Of ‘The Exorcist’ & ‘The Seventh Seal’ Was 90

Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow Picture Perfect/Shutterstock

Max von Sydow, the Sweden-born French actor whose credits included Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, and the role of Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.

The actor’s 65-year career spanned acclaimed arthouse, Hollywood blockbusters, and television. In recent years, he played Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones, and voiced a character on The Simpsons.

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow, on March 8, 2020,” a statement from his widow Catherine von Sydow read, sent via the actor’s international reps who confirmed to Deadline that he passed away on Sunday, March 8.

Born in Lund, Sweden, von Sydow studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre before getting his start in the film business through his work with mentor Ingmar Bergman. The pair’s credits included world cinema classic The Seventh Seal, in which he portrays a man who plays a chess game with Death, the Oscar-nominated Wild Strawberries, and the Oscar-winning The Virgin Spring.

After gaining international recognition through those Bergman pics, von Sydow made the move to Hollywood in the mid-1960s, appearing as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told, and then receiving Golden Globe nominations for Hawaii in 1966 and as the title character in The Exorcist in 1973.

He received two Oscar nominations, for his lead turn in Bille August’s 1987 drama Pelle The Conqueror and more recently his supporting role in Stephen Daldry’s 9/11 pic Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Showcasing his enduring versatility, the 2000s saw von Sydow take roles in the box-office hit Rush Hour 3, Julian Schnabel’s Cannes award-winning pic The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, and further collabs with Martin Scorsese on Shutter Island, and with Steven Spielberg on Minority Report.

On the small screen, he appeared in Showtime’s drama series The Tudors, and scored an Emmy nomination for his role on Thrones.

His final film role was set to be in Nicholas Dimitropoulos’ upcoming drama Echoes Of The Past, which is reported to be in post.

Von Sydow was married twice, and has four sons.

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  • Daniel

    What?! Ming the Merciless cannot die!
    R.I.P. Good sir. You will be missed.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    RIP Ming the Merciless. You were always the best part of Flash Gordon. I grew up with that movie so I grew up knowing how cool you are

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    Loved Emperor Ming!! Condolences to his loved ones and all that adored him.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    A giant of the screen, both in stature and immense talent. He lived a good long life with countless iconic roles. The industry is poorer without him.

    Reply
  • veganmark

    My deepest condolences go out to Me. Sydow’s wife, sons, family and friends. He was an extraordinary actor and he will be missed.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    He was an extraordinary actor who lived a long life. My deepest condolences are offered to his wife, sons, family and friends.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    A man of true talent and dignity. I first encountered Max at the age of 11. I had convinced my mother to take me to ‘The Excorcist’ and his Father Merrin was my only way to survive this movie. His performance gave gravity to a lunatic circus. Never before has an actor convinced us of a man decades older than his true age. (Dick Smith’s glorious makeup as well – but the actor needed to inhabit it) And he provided the necessary sobriety that keeps the film’s ballast and in doing so, makes it all the more terrifyingly possible.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    “After gaining international recognition through those Bergman pics, von Sydow made the move to Hollywood in the mid 1960s, appearing as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told…”

    And as the Devil in “Needful Things.” Never let it be said that von Sydow didn’t touch all the bases he could.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    What a fantastic career, RIP.

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    RIP. One of my favorites.

    Reply

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