Bibi Andersson Dies: Remembering Ingmar Bergman’s Legendary Muse
Bibi Andersson has died at the age of 83. The actress became known for her roles in several Ingmar Bergman films, including The Seventh Seal. Read more
Bibi Andersson has died at the age of 83. The actress became known for her roles in several Ingmar Bergman films, including The Seventh Seal and When Two Women Sin.
The information came from her friend, the artist Chistina Olofson. Bibi had suffered a stroke in 2009 and had been hospitalized since the event.
Berit Elisabeth Andersson was born in Stockholm on November 11, 1935. Her family had no connections to the arts; her father was a businessman and her mother was a social worker. After finishing her studies, Bibi joined the Royal Dramatic Theatre, a place frequented by Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Max Von Sydow.
At the age of 18, she was called by Ingmar Bergman to participate in a soap commercial. Yes, the famous director did make a few commercials before achieving international fame.
And so began a long-lasting partnership. Bibi made her film debut in 1951, but only began to be credited a few years later, in Dum-Bom (1953). The actress acted in 15 productions by Ingmar Bergman between 1958 and 1973.
But her career was not limited to Bergman alone. Bibi worked alongside directors such as Vilgot Sjöman, John Huston and Robert Atman, receiving nominations for her roles in Syskonbädd 1782 (1966), by Vilgot Sjöman, and was awarded for her performances in The Edge of Life (1958) and The Swedish Mistress (1962). It is worth remembering that in total she participated in more than 90 films, TV movies and series.
But there is no denying that it was because of the influence of her performance in Persona that she became more recognized and began to receive more work invitations. In parallel to the screen, Bibi developed a modest career in theater, acting in some plays and even directing shows in the 90s. With the arrival of new times, the actress also began to act on TV, in series and telefilms.
The actress had a relationship with Gösta Terserus when he was around 48 years old and she was 17. According to IMDB data, the relationship ended after an abortion. There are no further details on the subject, perhaps in the autobiography released by the actress in 1996: Ett ögonblick (free translation: A Moment).
She was married three times: to Kjell Grede (1960 – 1973), Per Ahlmark (1979 – 1981) and Gabriel Mora Baeza, with whom she remains married to this day. With Kjell she had her only daughter, Jenny.
Her private life has always been very discreet. We have little information, except that in 2009 the actress unfortunately suffered a stroke and since then she could no longer speak or walk. She remained in a hospital in Stockholm, being well cared for by the hospital staff and visited by her family. She passed away on April 14, 2019.
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