Paris (AFP)
Franco-Swedish actor Max von Sydow, who filmed in a dozen of his compatriot Ingmar Bergman's films before embarking on a supporting career in Hollywood, has died at 90, his wife said in a statement on Monday. forwarded by his agent.
"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," announced producer Catherine von Sydow, confirming information from Paris Match.
Born in Sweden in 1929, the actor of almost two meters with piercing blue eyes first became known by collaborating with Ingmar Bergman who made him play a game of chess against Death in "The seventh seal" , released in 1957.
A dozen other films will follow, including "Wild Strawberries" (1957), "The Face" (1958) or "The Link" (1971).
From the end of the 1960s, he left the borders of Sweden and toured the four corners of the world. He embodies Jesus in "The greatest story ever told" (1965) alongside Charlton Heston in particular, and plays in Hawaii (1966) with Julie Andrews.
His Hollywodian career was marked by his role as a priest in "The Exorcist" (1973) by William Friedkin, a huge box office success.
Then he will play many villains on the screen, turning under the direction of David Lynch ("Dune"), Steven Spielberg ("Minority report"), Martin Scorsese ("Shutter Island").
Tireless, he joined the saga "Star Wars" in 2014, with the role of Lor San Tekka, close to the Solo family, for the seventh episode "The awakening of force" before playing the Three-Eyed Crow in the series to the worldwide success "Game of Thrones".
Max von Sydow had acquired French nationality in 2002, he had been married since 1997 to French documentary filmmaker Catherine Brelet.
For the former Cannes Festival president Gilles Jacob, "he was one of the greatest actors in the world. He could play spectral or disturbing roles, but Max was of a very touching delicacy and humanity. "
© 2020 AFP