Beginning in the 1920s, Hollywood became a mecca for the entertainment business. The major motion picture studios of Hollywood attracted talented actors and actresses from around the globe, all with their hearts set on stardom. Sweden was well-represented. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, several Swedish actresses invaded the American film industry and made their mark on the silver screen, including these six beautiful and talented Nordic stars.
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1905. She began her acting career in Swedish silent films in the 1920s and quickly gained recognition for her natural talent and ability to convey complex emotions on screen. Her breakthrough came when she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925 and moved to Hollywood. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Garbo starred in a series of successful films that solidified her status as a leading actress. Known for her dramatic intensity and mysterious allure, she became known as the ‘Divine Garbo,’ Some of her most memorable films include Flesh and the Devil in 1926, Grand Hotel in 1932, Queen Christina in 1933, Anna Karenina in 1935, and Camille in 1936. Her career spanned both the silent film era and the transition to talkies. In fact, her distinctive voice helped her make it a smooth and successful transition.
Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson was born in 1941 in Valsjöbyn, Sweden. She came to the United States in 1946 and obtained her American citizenship in 1949. She began her career in the entertainment industry as a singer and dancer. She signed a recording contract in the early 1960s and released several successful albums. Ann-Margret made her film debut in 1961 with a minor role in Pocketful of Miracles. It was her role in the 1963 film, Bye, Bye, Birdie, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, that launched her to stardom. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Ann-Margret starred in several successful films that showcased her versatility as an actress, singer and dancer. Among her notable movies were the 1964 Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley, Carnal Knowledge in 1971 with Jack Nicholson, and Tommy in 1975. Her career spans more than six decades. Her talent, energy, charisma, and beauty have made her an icon of Hollywood.
Ingrid Bergman
Born in Stockholm in 1915, actress Ingrid Bergman gained prominence in the Swedish film industry in the 1930s before Hollywood came calling. A natural talent with beauty, brains, and versatility, Bergman quickly became a leading lady in the 1940s and 1950s. In fact, she is considered an icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She co-starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 megahit, Casablanca, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Bergman also appeared in the 1946 film, Notorious, earned and Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1944 film, Gaslight, and starred in the 1945 movie, Spellbound. Her role in the 1956 film, Anastasia, earned her another Oscar, and her 1974 film, Murder on the Orient Express, was a box office hit.
Anita Ekberg
Anita Ekberg, born Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg in 1931 in Malmö, Skåne, Sweden, was a fashion model turned pageant competitor when she won the title of Miss Sweden and went on to compete in the 1951 Miss Universe pageant, held in the United States. When she first started acting, she moved to Italy and appeared in Italian films. In a memorable scene in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita, Ekberg splashed in Rome’s Trevi Fountain wearing a sexy strapless black dress. This role solidifies Ekberg’s status as an international sex symbol. Among her other notable movies were War and Peace in 1956, Hollywood or Bust in 1956, and Boccaccio ’70 in 1962. With her blonde hair, captivating blue eyes, and voluptuous figure, Anita Ekberg embodied the sensual Hollywood star of the 1950s.
Bibi Andresson
Bibi Andresson was born Berit Elisabeth Andersson in 1935 in Stockholm, Sweden. She began acting in the 1950s and very quickly became one of Sweden’s most prominent actresses. She collaborated with renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman in several notable films, including The Seventh Seal in 1957, Wild Strawberries in 1957, and Persona in 1966. She appeared in John Huston’s The Kremlin Letter in 1970 and Robert Altman’s Quintet in 1979. Andersson made her Hollywood debut in 1973 in Full Circle, however her most successful Hollywood movie was the 1977 film, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
Britt Ekland
Swedish actress and singer, Britt-Marie Ekland was born in Stockholm in 1942. She gained international fame during the 1960s and 1970s when she made the transition from Swedish films to international projects. Her roles in several notable films showcased her on-screen magnetism, such as her appearance in The Double Man in 1967, Get Carter in 1971, and The Wicker Man in 1973. Her most famous role was that of a Bond girl in the 1974 James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun, in which she portrayed Mary Goodnight opposite Roger Moore and the charming Agent 007. Britt Ekland also pursued a singing career and hit the UK Top Ten charts in 1980 with her song, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”
The six Swedish actresses highlighted here made significant contributions to the Golden Age of Hollywood and greatly impacted the film industry. They are all remembered for their individual talents, beauty, and performance styles, but collectively, they showed Hollywood and the world that Sweden could produce major motion picture stars.