Sad news for all cinema lovers today. The legendary actor Max von Sydow has passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday, his wife confirmed to Deadline on Monday morning. Von Sydow was born in Sweden in 1929, where he studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre. He started with his first acting roles under Ingmar Bergman’s supervision in movies such as the Swedish historical fantasy The Seventh Seal.
The Sweden-born French actor played many important roles in his multi-decade career. Many fans and critics alike appreciated his work 1973’s The Exorcist, where he played Father Merrin. Superhero Hype readers may remember him for appearing as the Emperor Ming the Merciless in 1980’s Flash Gordon, or as King Osric in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian. He also played Doctor Kynes in David Lynch’s Dune back in 1984.
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More recently, Sydow worked on two of the most important modern franchises: Star Wars and Game of Thrones. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens he was Lor San Tekka, a retired adventurer on Jakku. Tekka helped the Resistance in finding Luke Skywalker before Kylo Ren killed him for it. Sydow also dubbed Tekka in the Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens videogame.
In HBO’s Game of Thrones Sydow portrayed the Three-Eyed Raven in the sixth season of the show. The Three-Eyed Raven was a crucial character in the development of Bran Stark, who reached his full magical potential only after his encounter with the greenseer beyond the Wall. Von Sydow’s efforts earned him an Emmy nomination for his role.
Which was your favorite role played by Max Von Sydow? Which of the many movies he played in did you cherish the most? Let us know in the comments section below.
