Erland Josephson, a renowned Swedish actor, was born on June 15, 1923, in Stockholm, Sweden. He is best known for his collaborations with Ingmar Bergman, a long-time friend and mentor. Josephson's early career was confined to the stage, where he worked alongside Bergman in the late 1930s.
Although he appeared in several films in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including a small role in Bergman's "The Man With an Umbrella" (1946),Josephson did not return to film until the late 1960s. He then appeared in Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" (1968),followed by collaborations on screenplays with Bergman and Alf Kjellin.
In 1966, Josephson succeeded Bergman as creative director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, a position he held until 1975. He also became Bergman's go-to actor in the 1970s, starring in films such as "The Passion of Anna" (1969),"The Touch" (1971),"Cries and Whispers" (1972),and "Face to Face" (1976).
François Truffaut praised Bergman's ability to direct his actors, saying, "He entrusts the principal roles in his films to the five or six actors he loves best, never type-casting them." Josephson's roles in Bergman's films of the 1970s often portrayed a neurotic, post-war 20th-century man: aloof, introspective, and self-centered.
Throughout his career, Josephson has appeared in numerous films, including Bergman's "Autumn Sonata" (1978),"Fanny and Alexander" (1982),and "After the Rehearsal" (1984). He has also worked with other acclaimed directors, such as Liliana Cavani, Franco Brusati, and Andrei Tarkovsky.
In addition to his acting career, Josephson is a talented writer, having written screenplays, dramas, novels, and poetry. He has co-directed a full-length film, "One and One", with fellow Bergman collaborators Ingrid Thulin and Sven Nykvist, and directed the full-length "Marmalade Revolution" (1980).
