Bodil Kjer (; 2 September 1917 – 1 February 2003) was a Danish actress whose talent and charisma earned her status as a Primadonna and the title of first lady of Danish theater.Piil, Morten, ''Bodil Kjer'' Danske Filmskuespillere, Gyldendal, (2001), pp. 230–235 Bodil Kjer Grab

Kjer's leading roles reflect the span of Denmark's modern cinema: such as the artistic maturity of the war-torn 1940s in '' Jenny and the Soldier'', the light-hearted romance of the 1950s and 1960s in '' Mød mig på Cassiopeia'', the action drama of the 1970s in '' Strømer'', and the modern epic tale in '' Babette's Feast'' (1987). Denmark's highest film prize, the

Bodil Awards The Bodil Awards are the major Denmark, Danish film awards given by the Danish Film Critics Association. The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in Copenhagen. Established in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe. The awards ...

, were named in honor of Kjer and

Bodil Ipsen Bodil Ipsen (; 30 August 1889 – 26 November 1964) was a Danish actress and film director, and is considered one of the great stars of Danish cinematic history. Her acting career, which began in theater and silent films, was marked by leading ...

. Kjer twice received her namesake award for Best Actress (1948, 1952) and once for Best Supporting Actress (1977). In 1997, she accepted an honorary Bodil for lifetime achievement.

Biography

Bodil Valborg Karen Ellen Leland Kjer was born 2 September 1917 in

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. She entered film in 1938 in '. Kjer died on 1 February 2003.

Filmography (selected)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kjer, Bodil 1917 births 2003 deaths Best Actress Bodil Award winners Danish film actresses Actresses from Odense Best Supporting Actress Bodil Award winners Bodil Honorary Award recipients