Pernilla August (; born 13 February 1958), also known as Pernilla Östergren Pernilla Wallgren, and Pernilla Wallgren-Östergren, is a Swedish actress, director and screenwriter. She was a longtime collaborator with director

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

and won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for her role in his film '' The Best Intentions''. She is best known internationally for portraying Shmi Skywalker in

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...

's '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' and '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones''.

Biography

August was born on 13 February 1958, as Mia Pernilla Hertzman-Ericson, in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden.

Acting

August started acting during her childhood in theatre and at school. Her professional acting career started in 1975 when director

Roy Andersson Roy Arne Lennart Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedes, Swedish film director, best known for his distinctive style of absurdism, absurdist humor and Melancholia, melancholic depictions of human life. His personal style is characterized by ...

cast her in a minor role in the film '' Giliap'' the same year, followed from 1979 by films by other directors, Vilgot Sjöman (among them, the film about

Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( ; ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He also m ...

, 1983) and

Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop music, pop group ABBA, but came to international attention with his 1985 feature film ''My L ...

. She studied acting at Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in

1979–82. Before finishing her studies, she attracted the attention of

, who cast her in his film ''

Fanny and Alexander ''Fanny and Alexander'' () is a 1982 Historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The plot focuses on two siblings and their large family in Uppsala, Sweden during the first decade of the twentieth century. Follow ...

'' (1982), playing the nanny in the director's romanticised portrait of his childhood. That marked the beginning of two decades of collaboration, collecting several international awards, including television series '' The Best Intentions'' (1991), where she portrayed Bergman's mother and met her second husband to be, director

Bille August Bille August (; born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. August's 1987 film ''Pelle the Conqueror'' won the , Academy Awards, Academy Award and Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Awar ...

, and TV-productions '' Private Confessions'' (1996), directed by

Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and filmmaker. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, whom she date ...

and Bergman's own '' In the Presence of a Clown'' (1997). August also starred in Bo Widerberg's '' The Serpent's Way'' (1986) as well as his TV-production of

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's ''

The Wild Duck ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It explores the complexities of truth and illusion through the story of a family torn apart by secrets and the intrusion of a ...

'' (1989). Among the many

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n and international films are also Bille August's ''

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

'' (1996), Richard Hobert's ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' (1999) ranted her a Guldbagge Award as Best actress">Guldbagge_Award.html" ;"title="ranted her a Guldbagge Award">ranted her a Guldbagge Award as Best actressand ''The Birthday'' (2000], ''I Am Dina'' (2002), Björn Runge's ''Om jag vänder mig om''/''If I Turn Around'' (2003) [a Silver Bear at Berlin International Film Festival 2004 and more Best actress awards], [ er Fly's ''

Manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

'' (2005), Swedish-

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

ese '' Miss Kicki'' (2009) and

Jan Troell Jan Gustaf Troell (born 23 July 1931) is a Swedish writer-director and cinematographer. His realistic films, with a lyrical photography in which nature is prominent, have placed him in the first rank of modern Swedish film directors along with I ...

's ''Truth and Consequence'' (2012). At the

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The theatre has been at its present lo ...

in Stockholm, August has acted in several plays, starting 1981, several directed by Ingmar Bergman and touring internationally. These include

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (1986) part she has also played in another Swedish television film, 1985

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 60 pla ...

's '' A Dream Play'' (1986), Nora in

's ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' (1989), Hermione in Bergman's special version of '' A Winter's Tale'' (1994), the title role in Schiller's '' Mary Stuart'' (2000) and Helene Alving in

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's ''

Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'' (2002). She also worked with Russian director Jurij Ljubimov in

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...

's ''A Feast in the Time of Plague'' (1996). In 1983–84, she worked at Folkteatern i Gävleborg (The Folk Theatre in Gävleborg) with director Peter Oskarson in

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

's '' Three Sisters''. In 2008, she acted in the stage production of ''

Steel Magnolias ''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts. The screenplay by Robert Harling is based on hi ...

'' in Stockholm. August appeared in two episodes of

's ''

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...

'' in 1993. Many in the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

know her best as Shmi Skywalker, the mother of

Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the Star Wars original trilogy, original film trilogy as the primary Antagonist, antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire (Star W ...

, from Lucas's '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999), and its sequel ''

Attack of the Clones Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Attack (fencing) * Charge (warfare) * Offensive (military) * Strike (attack) Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic and animation * Attack! Books, a publis ...

'' (2002). She shared the role as

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

in ''

Mary, Mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

'' (1999) with Melinda Kinnaman. She played a significant role in the Swedish film '' Sprängaren'' (2001) alongside Helena Bergström. In 2004 August voiced Madame Suliman in the Swedish dub of '' Howl's Moving Castle''. In 2011, she reprised her role as Shmi Skywalker in the third season of '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' for the episode "Overlords", which aired in 2011. She played the recurring character of Queen Kristina of Sweden in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Young Royals'', which premiered in 2021. In 2023 she appeared as Annie in the television series '' Blackwater'', with her daughters Asta and

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

playing young Annie and Annie's daughter Mia.

Directing

After her directorial debut with the 2005 short film ''Time Bomb'' (''Blindgångare''), August debuted as feature-film director and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

in 2010 with '' Beyond'', starring Noomi Rapace and Ola Rapace. The film was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards and was much awarded with Swedish

Guldbagge Award The Guldbagge Awards (, ) is an official and annual Sweden, Swedish film awards ceremony honoring achievements in the Swedish film industry. Winners are awarded a statuette depicting a Cetonia aurata, rose chafer, better known by the name Guldbagg ...

s and more; August won for Best Director and Best Script. In October 2011, August was asked to direct a new Danish drama series, ''Arvingerne'', an offer she accepted. The series premiered on DR on 1 January 2014. Her two youngest daughters have cameos in the series.

Awards

Among many international awards and nominations, at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival she won the award for Best Actress, for her role in

's '' The Best Intentions''. For the same film she also won the Best Actress award at the 28th Guldbagge Awards. In 2002 she was honored with the Royal Swedish medal Litteris et Artibus for her artistic work.

Personal life

August has been married twice and changed her name both times. Her first marriage was in 1982 to Klas Östergren, with whom she has one daughter; the marriage ended in divorce in 1989. The second marriage was in 1991 to

, with whom she has two daughters; this marriage also ended in divorce, this time in 1997. She has three daughters: Agnes, Asta, and

. She has been known as Pernilla Östergren, Pernilla Wallgren, and Pernilla Wallgren-Östergren.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:August, Pernilla 1958 births Living people Actresses from Stockholm Swedish film actresses Swedish film directors Swedish stage actresses Swedish television actresses Eugene O'Neill Award winners Litteris et Artibus recipients Best Actress Guldbagge Award winners Best Supporting Actress Guldbagge Award winners Best Director Guldbagge Award winners Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners Swedish women film directors 20th-century Swedish actresses 21st-century Swedish actresses