He appeared in the opening scenes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Lor San Tekka and as the Three-eyed Raven in Game of Thrones Season 6. In more recent years, von Sydow was part of two massive pop-culture properties. His best known roles throughout the '80s include Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon (1980), King Osric in Conan the Barbarian (1982), Blofeld in Never Say Never Again (1983), and Doctor Kynes in Dune (1984), as well as the Oscar-winning films Hannah and her Sisters (1985) and Pelle the Conqueror (1987). Von Sydow's post-Exorcist career mixed more serious drama with work in a variety of popular sci-fi and fantasy movies.
Max von sydow movie#
The film was the most successful movie of 1973, and his portrayal of aging priest Father Lankester Merrin (von Sydow was in fact 43 at the time) was highly acclaimed. Von Sydow started working in Hollywood in the mid-'60s, appearing in a variety of supporting roles, before the blockbuster horror movie The Exorcist established him as a star. Now Playing: Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Biggest Unanswered Questions ? clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Goodnight, Max von Sydow, one of the greatest actors to ever grace the stage and screen, whose vigorous performances in films like THE SEVENTH SEAL will forever be carved into cinema history. You were in many much more respected movies than Strange Brew and Flash Gordon but I loved you for those flicks first. The legendary actor who gave us both Brewmeister Smith and Ming the Merciless has finally laid down his King in the eternal chess match. He changed the face of international film with Bergman, played Christ, fought the devil, pressed the HOT HAIL button & was Oscar nominated for a silent performance. Max Von Sydow, such an iconic presence in cinema for seven decades, it seemed like he'd always be with us. I picture Max in heaven wearing his white linen suit, w Sven, Ingmar Bergman, Bibi Andersson, laughing & loving each other ? /ENdcB9bPKZ- Mia Farrow March 9, 2020 Here was Max Von Sydow with his dear friend, master cinematographer, Sven Nykvist. Turns out he was a lot more! - Seth Meyers March 9, 2020 Being a kid, I just assumed he was a famous Canadian comedian. This was the first Max Von Sydow film I ever saw. “It is very boring to be stuck in more or less one type of character.” Social-media tributes have been pouring in for the actor, some of which can be read below. “What I as an actor look for is a variety of parts,” he previously told the BBC.
Von Sydow received two Oscar nominations for his work in 1987’s Pelle the Conqueror and 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, as well as a recent Emmy nomination for his portrayal of the Three-Eyed Raven in Game of Thrones.
The Swedish-born von Sydow is perhaps best known for playing the chilly Father Lankester Merrin in The Exorcist, but his oeuvre is remarkably robust: He’s worked with everyone from Ingmar Bergman (13 times!), David Lynch, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese, while most recently enjoying a supporting role in J.J. His death was confirmed by his family “with a broken heart and infinite sadness” to the BBC. Max von Sydow, a prolific actor in international cinema and television for well over half a century, has died at the age of 90.