Knut Gunnar Johanson (13 November 1909 – 24 May 1986) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

actor known for his frequent work with writer and director Ingmar Bergman.

Biography

Björnstrand was born Knut Gunnar Johanson in Stockholm as son of actor Oscar Johanson and Ella Mauléon. After his education at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school, he made several appearances in theatre, film and radio. Björnstrand's first collaboration with Ingmar Bergman was the 1941 theatre production of

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

's ''

The Ghost Sonata ''The Ghost Sonata'' ( sv, Spöksonaten, links=no) is a play in three acts by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg. Written in 1907, it was first produced at Strindberg's Intimate Theatre in Stockholm on 21 January 1908. Since then, it has be ...

''. His first major film role was in

Hampe Faustman Erik "Hampe" Faustman (born Erik Stellan Chatham; 3 July 1919 – 26 August 1961) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 20 films between 1940 and 1961. He also directed 20 films between 1943 and 1955. He was married ...

's ''Natt i hamn'' in 1943. After signing a contract with

Svensk Filmindustri SF Studios is a Swedish film and television production and distribution company (both Swedish and international) with headquarters in Stockholm and local offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London. The studio is owned by Nordic media cong ...

, he was offered mainly parts in comedies, including Bergman's ''

Smiles of a Summer Night ''Smiles of a Summer Night'' ( sv, Sommarnattens leende) is a 1955 Swedish comedy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was shown at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. In 2005 ''TIME'' magazine ranked it one of the 100 greatest films s ...

'' (1955). In 1957, however, he appeared in two dramatic roles for Bergman, in ''

The Seventh Seal ''The Seventh Seal'' ( sv, Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Sweden during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of ch ...

'' and '' Wild Strawberries''. He regularly starred in other films by Bergman until 1968, when his work for the director became infrequent. He also played major roles at the Stockholm Stadsteater and in private theaters. In later years, due to the consequences of a stroke, Björnstrand avoided long-term contracts, and focused on theatre and television work. His last film was Bergman's '' Fanny and Alexander'' (1982): since he was suffering from memory loss at the time, the production was a difficult one for him. Björnstrand died in Stockholm in 1986. Gunnar Björnstrand

In 1983 he won the Ingmar Bergman Award at the

19th Guldbagge Awards The 19th Guldbagge Awards ceremony, presented by the Swedish Film Institute, honored the best Swedish films of 1982 and 1983, and took place on 31 October 1983. '' Fanny and Alexander'' directed by Ingmar Bergman was presented with the award for ...

ceremony. Björnstrand was married to actress and writer Lillie Björnstrand. They had three daughters, Kristina, Gabrielle and Veronica Björnstrand. Veronica has also acted on stage and TV. Björnstrand was also politically active and participated in protests against the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

.Gunnar Björnstrand
at the website of the Ingmar Bergman Foundation. He was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

and is buried in the Northern Cemetery of Solna.

Selected filmography

* '' The False Millionaire'' (1931) as Member of the choir (uncredited) * ''Mon coeur et ses millions'' (1931) as Un choriste (uncredited) * '' Ship Ahoy!'' (1931) as Young man (uncredited) * '' His Life's Match'' (1932) as Student carrying 'Nicken' (uncredited) * '' International Match'' (1932) as Young student watching competition (uncredited) * '' Fired'' (1934) as Kirre Skoglund (uncredited) * '' The People of Bergslagen'' (1937) as Birthday guest (uncredited) * ''Vi som går scenvägen'' (1938) as A Man (uncredited) * ''Panik'' (1939) as Bank Manager Ryder * ''

The Two of Us ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1939) as Doctor (uncredited) * ''Mot nya tider'' (1939) as August Palm's Associate (uncredited) * '' Heroes in Yellow and Blue'' (1940) as Sgt. Kristian (uncredited) * '' June Night'' (1940) as Journalist (uncredited) * '' A Real Man'' (1940) as Clerk (uncredited) * '' Her Melody'' (1940) as Miss Lindenstjärnas fiance (uncredited) * ''Alle man på post'' (1940) as Military Doctor * '' The Ghost Reporter'' (1941) as Sausage Factory Engineer (uncredited) * ''Snapphanar'' (1941) as Soldier (uncredited) * '' Adventurer'' (1942) as Count Conti * '' General von Döbeln'' (1942) as Löjtnant Bäckström * '' Night in Port'' (1943) as Sven Eriksson * '' I Killed'' (1943) as Lindén * ''

Appassionata Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 (colloquially known as the ''Appassionata'', meaning "passionate" in Italian) is among the three famous piano sonatas of his middle period (the others being the ''Waldstein'', Op. 53 ...

'' (1944) as Svensson, Editor of Vecko-Bilden (uncredited) * '' Live Dangerously'' (1944) as Hahn * '' My People Are Not Yours'' (1944) as Major Rolf von Ritter * '' Torment'' (1944, dir. Alf Sjöberg) as Teacher (uncredited) * ''Nyordning på Sjögårda'' (1944) as Felix Palmer * ''Vad vet ni om Sussie'' (1945) as Harry Hellberg * ''I som här inträden...'' (1945) as Hagman * '' Peggy on a Spree'' (1946) as Harald Haraldsson * '' Kristin Commands'' (1946) as Dr. Westman Senior / Vilhelm Westman * '' Incorrigible'' (1946) as Dr. Bertil Langenfeldt * ''

It Rains on Our Love ''It Rains on Our Love'' ( sv, Det regnar på vår kärlek) is a 1946 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman from the screenplay written by Herbert Grevenius and Bergman, based on the Norwegian play ''Bra Mennesker'' (''Good People'') by ...

'' (1946) as Mr. Purman * ''

While the Door Was Locked ''While the Door Was Locked'' (Swedish:''Medan porten var stängd'') is a 1946 Swedish drama film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot summary In an apartment building at an address in Östermalm, Stockholm the residents and their guests each play t ...

'' (1946) as Erik Sahlen * '' The Bride Came Through the Ceiling'' (1947) as Sune Eriksson * ''Pappa sökes'' (1947) as Shoe-shiner Tom, 'Plutten' * '' Soldier's Reminder'' (1947) as Sgt. Löfgren * '' One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer'' (1947) as 40-talisten * ''Här kommer vi...'' (1947) as Actor Bob Hill, aka Robert Berg * ''

Two Women ''Two Women'' ( it, La ciociara , rough literal translation "The Woman from Ciociaria") is a 1960 war drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica from a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini and De Sica, based on the novel of the same name by Alberto ...

'' (1947) as Bengt Larsson * ''

Music in Darkness ''Music in Darkness'' ( sv, Musik i mörker), known in the United States as ''Night Is My Future'', is a 1948 Swedish drama film directed by Ingmar Bergman. The screenplay was written by Bergman and Dagmar Edqvist, whose novel, ''Music In Darkn ...

'' (1948) as Klasson * '' Each to His Own Way'' (1948) as Sture Widman * '' A Swedish Tiger'' (1948) as Hans Wolff * '' Lilla Märta kommer tillbaka'' (1948) as Kaptenen * '' Private Bom'' (1948) as Korpral Berglund * '' Playing Truant'' (1949) as Bertil Kronberg * ''

The Girl from the Third Row ''The Girl from the Third Row'' (Swedish: Flickan från tredje raden) is a 1949 Swedish comedy film directed by Hasse Ekman. Plot An extraordinary ring is being handed down amongst many people. They find it and lose it or give it away, but th ...

'' (1949) as Dr. Edvin Burelius * '' Father Bom'' (1949) as Sportsman Fritjof Krafft * '' My Sister and I'' (1950) as Architect Gunnar Stenwall * ''

Fiancée for Hire ''Fiancée for Hire'' (Swedish: ''Fästmö uthyres'') is a 1950 Swedish comedy film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Olof Winnerstrand, Karl-Arne Holmsten and Eva Dahlbeck.Qvist & Von Bagh p.115 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stock ...

'' (1950) as Actor Julius Brumse * '' The Kiss on the Cruise'' (1950) as Film Director Lasse Brenner * '' The Quartet That Split Up'' (1950) as Engineer Planertz * '' The White Cat'' (1950) as Jarl Eksell * ''

Customs Officer Bom ''Customs Officer Bom'' (Swedish: ''Tull-Bom'') is a 1951 Swedish comedy film directed by Lars-Eric Kjellgren and starring Nils Poppe, Inga Landgré and Gunnar Björnstrand.Guide to the Cinema of Sweden and Finland p.56 The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1951) as Frans Melin, aka Hamn-Casanova * '' The Nuthouse'' (1951) as Armékapten * ''Livat på luckan'' (1951) as Conscript * '' Say It with Flowers'' (1952) as Oskar Blomkvist * ''Möte med livet'' (1952) as Narrator (voice) * '' One Fiancée at a Time'' (1952) as Valentin Fredriksson-Frisk * '' Secrets of Women'' (1952) as Fredrik Lobelius * ''

Bom the Flyer ''Bom the Flyer'' (Swedish: ''Flyg-Bom'') is a 1952 Swedish comedy film directed by Lars-Eric Kjellgren and starring Nils Poppe, Elisaveta, Yvonne Lombard and Gerd Andersson.Qvist & Von Bagh p.56 It was shot at the Råsunda in Stockholm. The f ...

'' (1952) as Sgt. Niklas Slevbrink * '' The Green Lift'' (1952) as Malte Lövman * ''

Dance, My Doll ''Dance, My Doll'' (Swedish: ''Dansa, min docka'') is a 1953 Swedish comedy film directed by Martin Söderhjelm and starring Nils Poppe, Gunnar Björnstrand, Adolf Jahr and Inga Landgré.Qvist & Von Bagh p.126 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios ...

'' (1953) as Zdenko Zapatil * '' We Three Debutantes'' (1953) as Director Brummer * '' Sawdust and Tinsel'' (1953) as Mr. Sjuberg * '' The Glass Mountain'' (1953) as Dr. Dalander * ''Flottans glada gossar'' (1954) as Shipowner Ludvig Ekman * ''Seger i mörker'' (1954) as Henrik Kugelström * '' A Lesson in Love'' (1954) as David Erneman * '' Gabrielle'' (1954) as Robert Holmén * '' Uncle's'' (1955) as Acke Kullerstedt * ''

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

'' (1955) as Otto Sönderby, Consul * ''

'' (1955) as Fredrik Egerman * '' Det är aldrig för sent'' (1956) as Professor Rocke * '' Seventh Heaven'' (1956) as Ernst C:son Kruuse, major * '' The Biscuit'' (1956) as Freddie Braxenhjelm * ''

'' (1957) as Jöns, squire * '' Night Light'' (1957, dir. Lars-Eric Kjellgren) as Mr. Purman * '' Summer Place Wanted'' (1957) as Lawyer Gustaf Dahlström * '' Wild Strawberries'' (1957) as Dr. Evald Borg * '' You Are My Adventure'' (1958) as Tore Hall * '' Miss April'' (1958) as Marcus Arwidson * '' The Magician'' (1958) as Dr. Vergerus, Minister of Health * '' Swinging at the Castle'' (1959) as Agne C:son Stressberg * ''

Crime in Paradise ''Crime in Paradise'' (Swedish: ''Brott i paradiset'') is a 1959 Swedish crime thriller film directed by Lars-Eric Kjellgren and starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand and Karl-Arne Holmsten.Qvist & Von Bagh p.39 It was shot at the Råsu ...

'' (1959) as Adam 'A.P.' Palmquist * '' Heaven and Pancake'' (1959) as Ernst C:son Kruuse * '' Pirates on the Malonen'' (1959) as 'Greven' * ''

The Devil's Eye ''The Devil's Eye'' ( sv, Djävulens öga) is a 1960 Swedish fantasy-comedy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Plot In accordance with the Irish proverb that "A woman's chastity is a stye in the Devil's eye", Satan believes a pain he ...

'' (1960) as Actor * '' Through a Glass Darkly'' (1961) as David * '' The Pleasure Garden'' (1961, dir. Alf Kjellin) as David Samuel Franzén * ''

Winter Light ''Winter Light'' ( sv, Nattvardsgästerna, lit=The Communicants) is a 1963 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring his regulars, Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin and Max von Sydow. It follows Tomas Ericsson (Bj� ...

'' (1962) as Tomas Ericsson * ''Lyckodrömmen'' (1963) as Sebastian * ''Min kära är en ros'' (1963) as Georg Ehnström * '' The Dress'' (1964) as Helmer Berg * '' Äktenskapsbrottaren'' (1964) as Herr Fotograf Fäger * '' Loving Couples'' (1964) as Dr. Jacob Lewin * '' My Sister, My Love'' (1966) as Count Schwartz * ''Träfracken'' (1966) as Dr. Rune Wester * ''

Persona A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...

'' (1966) as Mr. Vogler * ''

Here Is Your Life ''Here Is Your Life'' ( sv, Här har du ditt liv) is a Swedish coming-of-age film directed by Jan Troell. It was released to cinemas in Sweden on 26 December 1966, The film is based on a novel of the same name, the second of Eyvind Johnson's semi ...

'' (1966) as Lundgren * ''

Hagbard and Signe ''Hagbard and Signe'' or ''The Red Mantle'' ( da, Den røde kappe, sv, Den röda kappan, is, Rauða skikkjan) is a 1967 internationally co-produced drama film based on the story of Hagbard and Signy from the twelfth-century work ''Gesta Danor ...

'' (1967) as King Sigvor * '' Stimulantia'' (1967) as Paul Hartman * ''Tofflan'' (1967) as Engineer Morgan Alm * '' The Girls'' (1968) as Hugo * '' Shame'' (1968) as överste Jacobi, borgmästare * ''Pappa varför är du arg? Du gjorde likadant själv när du var ung'' (1968) as Adm. Carl * '' The Rite'' (1969, TV Movie) as Hans Winkelmann * '' Blow Hot, Blow Cold'' (1969) as Prof. Gunnar Lindmark * ''Lockfågeln'' (1971) as Maj. Swedenhielm * '' Pistol'' (1973) as Alisia's Friend * '' Face to Face'' (1976) as The Grandfather * ''Tabu'' (1977) as Rådmanskan * ''

Autumn Sonata ''Autumn Sonata'' ( sv, Höstsonaten, link=no) is a 1978 drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and starring Ingrid Bergman (in her final film role), Liv Ullmann and Lena Nyman. Its plot follows a celebrated classical pianist and he ...

'' (1978) as Paul * ''Charlotte Löwensköld'' (1979) as Rural Dean Forsius * ''Avskedet'' (1982) as Morfadern * '' Fanny and Alexander'' (1982) as Filip Landahl - Teatern

References

External links

*
Gunnar Björnstrand page at Bergmanorama
1909 births 1986 deaths Male actors from Stockholm Swedish male film actors 20th-century Swedish male actors Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen {{Sweden-actor-stub