R.I.P.: Max von Sydow has passed away at age 90

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We have some sad news to report this morning, as the family of Swedish actor Max von Sydow has announced that he passed away yesterday, March 8th, at the age of 90.

After starting a theatre club in high school, von Sydow went on to have an incredible screen acting career and has been a major presence in cinema for decades. He made his screen debut in 1949, at the age of 20, in the Swedish film ONLY A MOTHER, and over the last seventy-one years has earned over 160 more credits. Seventy-one years in the business, that is really a staggering accomplishment.

He worked with Ingmar Bergman on eleven films, including THE SEVENTH SEAL, WILD STRAWBERRIES, and THE VIRGIN SPRING. He played Jesus Christ in THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, he was FLASH GORDON's Ming the Merciless, STRANGE BREW's Brewmeister Smith, DUNE's Doctor Kynes, and CONAN THE BARBARIAN's King Osric. He played James Bond's nemesis Blofeld in NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, starring Sean Connery. He worked with Steven Spielberg on MINORITY REPORT, with Dario Argento on SLEEPLESS. A couple of his most recent roles were in STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS and Game of Thrones. He received two Academy Award nominations, the first for his leading role in 1987's PELLE THE CONQUEROR and the second for a supporting role in 2011's EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE. Among all the acting, von Sydow only directed one film, 1988's KATINKA. 

Genre fans may know him for his role in DREAMSCAPE, for providing the voice of Vigo in GHOSTBUSTERS II, or for playing Leland Gaunt in the Stephen King adaptation NEEDFUL THINGS.

And of course, everyone knows him for playing Father Merrin in one of the greatest horror movies ever made, THE EXORCIST.

Von Sydow had a role in the World War II drama ECHOES OF THE PAST, which is currently in post-production. Sadly, that appears to be the final film we'll see him in.

Von Sydow was married to the late actress Christina Olin from 1951 to 1979, and they had two sons together, Clas and Henrik. In 1997 he married Catherine Brelet, who has been credited as his personal assistant on some of his recent projects. He is survived by Clas, Henrik, and Catherine.

Our condolences go out to von Sydow's family, friends, and fans. And we thank Max von Sydow for over seventy years of entertainment.