Lena Janet Yvonne Ågren (born 6 April 1949) is a Swedish former actress and model. She starred primarily in Italian

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...

Life and career

Ågren was born in

Landskrona Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, an ...

, Sweden, a town she once described to Italian entertainment journalists as a "Northern Naples". Her modeling career brought her to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where she studied acting at the Drama School directed by

Alessandro Fersen Alessandro Fersen (5 December 1911 – 3 October 2001) was a Polish-born Italian dramatist, actor, theater director, author and drama teacher. Life He was born as Aleksander Fajrajzen in Łódź to a Jewish family, that moved to Genoa in 1913. ...

. She made her film debut in

Luciano Salce Luciano Salce (25 September 1922 – 17 December 1989) was an Italian film director, comedian, television host, producer, actor and lyricist. His 1962 film ''Le pillole di Ercole'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the ...

's ''Colpo di stato'', and her early roles included the

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

film ''

Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit * Pulp (band), an English rock band Engineering * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture ...

'' (1972) as a receptionist, and the

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

comedy ''

Avanti! ''Avanti!'' (; Italian interjection – 'come in!') is a 1972 comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on Samuel A. Taylor's pla ...

'' (1972) as a nurse. She appeared in 57 films, including '' The Left Hand of the Law'' (1975),

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including Commedia all'italiana, comedies and spagh ...

's ''

City of the Living Dead ''City of the Living Dead'' (, also released as ''The Gates of Hell'') is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Lucio Fulci. It stars Christopher George, Catriona MacColl, Carlo de Mejo, Antonella Interlenghi, Gi ...

'' (1980),

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unre ...

's ''

Eaten Alive! ''Eaten Alive!'' ( — same meaning but with plural expressed) is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Umberto Lenzi. The film is about a young woman (Janet Agren) who is searching for her sister after her abduction by a cult in the jungles of ...

'' (1980), ''

Panic Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...

'' (1982), ''

Red Sonja Red Sonja is a sword-and-sorcery character created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino. A warrior from the Hyborian Age of Ear ...

'' (1985), the

Bud Spencer Bud Spencer (born Carlo Pedersoli; 31 October 1929 – 27 June 2016) was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partner and friend Ter ...

comedy '' Aladin'' (1986) and the cult horror film '' Ratman'' (1988). In the early 1980s, she also had a brief musical career."Janet Agren canta il rap e sogna il teatro «serio»". ''

La Stampa (English: "The Press") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin with an average circulation of 87,143 copies in May 2023. Distributed in Italy and other European nations, it is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy. Until the late 1970 ...

''. 28 August 1983. p. 16. She quit acting in the early 1990s and moved to the US where she currently resides. She married the Italian film producer Carlo Maietto.

Selected filmography

*''Donne... botte e bersaglieri'' (1968) – Rika *''

The Two Crusaders ''The Two Crusaders'' () is a 1968 comedy film directed by Giuseppe Orlandini, co-written by horror icon Lucio Fulci and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Viscount Ciccio is on the bill, so the people who live in his lands begin t ...

'' (1968) – Clorinda *'' Normal Young Man'' (1969) – Diana *''

One on Top of the Other ''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian: ''Una sull'altra'', which the English title translates accurately but without expressing twice the feminine), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulc ...

'' (1969) – Girl looking for Neurosedyl (uncredited) *''

Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You ''Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Rod Amateau. Intended as a sequel to the 1965 film ''What's New Pussycat?'', it stars Ian McShane, Anna Calder-Marshall, John Gavin and Severn Darden. Plot A neurotic ...

'' (1970) – (uncredited) *''Du soleil plein les yeux'' (1970) – Monica *'' Io non spezzo... rompo'' (1971) – Carla Viganò *''Io non vedo, tu non parli, lui non sente'' (1971) – Monica Gorletti *''

'' (1972) – Publisher's Receptionist *''

Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? ''Life Is Tough, Eh Providence?'' (, also known as ''Sometimes Life Is Hard - Right, Providence?'') is a 1972 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Giulio Petroni. The film was a box office success and generated an immediate se ...

'' (1972) – Stella *''

'' (1972) – Nurse *''

The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life ''The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life'' (Italian: ''La più bella serata della mia vita''; French: ''La plus belle soirée de ma vie'') is a 1972 Italian- French comedy drama film directed by Ettore Scola. It is based on the novel '' A Dangerou ...

'' (1972) – Simonetta *''

Master of Love ''Master of Love'' (, also known as ''Decameron Sinners'') is a 1972 commedia sexy all'italiana co-written and directed by Brunello Rondi. Plot Cast * Rossano Brazzi as Lorenzo del Cambio * Tina Aumont as Dirce * Janet Agren as Maddalena ...

'' (1972) – Maddalena *''

Fiorina la vacca ''Fiorina la vacca'' (''Fiorina the Cow'') is a 1973 commedia sexy all'italiana directed by Vittorio De Sisti. The film, loosely based on several works by Ruzante, is an example of the '' Decamerotici'' genre popular in the early 1970s. Plot ...

'' (1972) – Tazia *''Tecnica di un amore'' (1973) – Monica *''Ingrid sulla strada'' (1973) – Ingrid *''

The Killer Reserved Nine Seats ''The Killer Reserved Nine Seats'' () is a 1974 Italian ''giallo'' film directed by Giuseppe Bennati. Plot Patrick Davenant invites a group of friends to visit a theatre inside his villa, a place which later reveals itself as sinister. Within a ...

'' (1974) – Kim *'' The Profiteer'' (1974) – Teresa Adiutori *''L'erotomane'' (1974) – Ciccia Persichetti *''

Paolo Barca, Schoolteacher and Weekend Nudist ''Paolo Barca, Schoolteacher and Weekend Nudist'' () is a 1975 Italian comedy film directed by Flavio Mogherini. Cast *Renato Pozzetto: Paolo Barca *Magali Noël: Rosaria Cacchiò *Janet Agren: Giulia Hamilton * Stefano Satta Flores: Director ...

'' (1975) – Giulia Hamilton *'' The Left Hand of the Law'' (1975) – Gloria *''Sensualidad'' (1975) – María José *''Chi dice donna dice donna'' (1976) – Anita (segment "Ma non ci sposano") *''Vai col liscio'' (1976) – Celeste *''Per amore'' (1976) – Daniela Rovati *''

Stato interessante ''Stato interessante'' is a 1977 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Sergio Nasca. It consists of three segments, all sharing abortion as the main theme. Cast First segment * Janet Agren: Carla * Duilio Del Prete: Federico * Quinto P ...

'' (1977) – Carla (first story) *'' Bermuda: Cave of the Sharks'' (1978) – Angelica *'' The Uranium Conspiracy'' (1978) – Helga *'' The Perfect Crime'' (1978) – Lady Gloria Boyd *'' Deadly Chase'' (1978) – Giulia Medici *''

The Iron Commissioner ''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...

'' (1978) – Vera *''

Lobster for Breakfast ''Aragosta a colazione'' (internationally released as ''Lobster for Breakfast'') is a 1979 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Capitani. For his performance in this film and in '' Il ladrone'', Enrico Montesano was awarded with a Special Davi ...

'' (1979) – Monique Dubois *''7 ragazze di classe'' (1979) – Laura *''Maria – Nur die Nacht war ihr Zeuge'' (1980) – Maria *''

'' (1980) – Sheila Morris *''

'' (1980) – Sandra *''Prestami tua moglie'' (1980) – Ingrid Nillsen *'' L'onorevole con l'amante sotto il letto'' (1981) – Anna Vinci *''

La gatta da pelare ''La gatta da pelare'' (''A Hard Nut to Crack'') is a 1981 Italian comedy film written, directed and starred by Pippo Franco. It is his only film as a director. Plot A jealous cartoonist kills, in his comics, his wife's psychoanalyst. When the ...

'' (1981) – Margaret *'' Don't Play with Tigers'' (1982) – Frau Kuppler *''

Sogni mostruosamente proibiti ''Sogni mostruosamente proibiti'' () is a 1982 Italian comedy film directed by Neri Parenti. The film is loosely inspired by ''The Secret Life of Walter Mitty''. Plot Paolo Coniglio is a naive and bumbling writer in a publishing house of comics ...

'' (1982) – Dalia *''

'' (1982) – Jane Blake *''L'inceneritore'' (1982) *''

Dagger Eyes ''Dagger Eyes'' () is a 1983 Italian thriller film directed by Carlo Vanzina and written by Carlo Vanzina and Enrico Vanzina, starring Carole Bouquet as Mystère. Plot Mystère is a high-class French prostitute who works in Rome. Her friend an ...

'' (1983) – Pamela *''

Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio ''Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio'' (Italian for "Eye, evil eye, parsley and fennel", also known as ''Evil Eye'') is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Martino. The film consists in two episodes spoofing superstition and magic ...

'' (1983) – Helen *''

Questo e Quello ''Questo e Quello'' () is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot First segment: the life of a comic book artist in a creative crisis is revolutionised by the casual encounter with a beautiful stranger. Second segment: a wri ...

'' (1983) – Lucilla (segment "Questo... amore impossibile") *''

Vediamoci chiaro ''Vediamoci chiaro'' (''Let's See It Clear'') is a 1984 Italian comedy film directed by Luciano Salce. The author Enrico Giacovelli referred to the film as "a kind of '' Scent of a Woman'' but more ambiguous, midway between Luigi Pirandello's '' H ...

'' (1984) – Geneviève *''

'' (1985) – Varna *'' Hands of Steel'' (1986) – Linda *'' Aladin'' (1986) – Janet Haddin *'' Karate Warrior'' (1987) – Julia Scott *'' Night of the Sharks'' (1988) – Liz Ziegler *'' Ratman'' (1988) – Terry *''Magdalene'' (1988) – Anna *''Per sempre'' (1991) – Eleonora Rondi (final film role)

References

External links

*
National Library of Sweden Catalog – Janet Ågren
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agren, Janet 1949 births Living people People from Landskrona Actresses from Skåne County Swedish film actresses Swedish expatriate actresses in the United States