Nils Poppe (31 May 1908 â€" 28 June 2000) was a Swedish actor,
comedian, director, screenwriter and theatre manager. He is
internationally most famous for his part in Ingmar Bergman's The
Seventh Seal, but in Sweden he was much loved and participated in over
50 films on cinema and TV.He started as a serious stage actor in 1930,
but quickly realised that he was better suited for comedy, revue,
operetta and musical, especially as he also was a good dancer and
singer. In 1937 he moved into film and became Sweden's leading film
comedian during the 1940s. Consequently, Ingmar Bergman's decision to
cast him in The Seventh Seal surprised many, but with that role Poppe
showed that he could also convey much warmth and compassion. He would
later participate in yet another Bergman film, The Devil's Eye
(1960).After some time of inactivity in the early 1960s, he took over
the running of an open-air theatre in Helsingborg in 1966 and returned
to the stage. Through a deal with Swedish Television, he managed to
make the theatre known throughout the country and also revitalised his
own career. He retired from the stage at the age of 85, still able to
dance, but a few years later he suffered from several strokes, which
left him both blind, speechless and immobile. He died at the age of
92.Nils Poppe was married twice; first to actress Inga Landgré
(1949â€"1959), and then to actress Gunilla Poppe (née Sundberg)
(1965â€"2000) who was 29 years younger than him. He had two children
with each wife and three of them have become actors, like their
parents.
comedian, director, screenwriter and theatre manager. He is
internationally most famous for his part in Ingmar Bergman's The
Seventh Seal, but in Sweden he was much loved and participated in over
50 films on cinema and TV.He started as a serious stage actor in 1930,
but quickly realised that he was better suited for comedy, revue,
operetta and musical, especially as he also was a good dancer and
singer. In 1937 he moved into film and became Sweden's leading film
comedian during the 1940s. Consequently, Ingmar Bergman's decision to
cast him in The Seventh Seal surprised many, but with that role Poppe
showed that he could also convey much warmth and compassion. He would
later participate in yet another Bergman film, The Devil's Eye
(1960).After some time of inactivity in the early 1960s, he took over
the running of an open-air theatre in Helsingborg in 1966 and returned
to the stage. Through a deal with Swedish Television, he managed to
make the theatre known throughout the country and also revitalised his
own career. He retired from the stage at the age of 85, still able to
dance, but a few years later he suffered from several strokes, which
left him both blind, speechless and immobile. He died at the age of
92.Nils Poppe was married twice; first to actress Inga Landgré
(1949â€"1959), and then to actress Gunilla Poppe (née Sundberg)
(1965â€"2000) who was 29 years younger than him. He had two children
with each wife and three of them have become actors, like their
parents.
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