Lasse Hallström's passion for filmmaking was inherited from his father, an amateur filmmaker, and it wasn't long before he began creating his own short films. His first short film was released on Swedish television during his high school years.
Hallström then transitioned to working as a director, cameraman, and editor for Swedish television, where he also produced music videos and collaborated with the iconic band ABBA, directing their 1977 film "ABBA: The Movie".
He continued to work in television, directing Swedish productions such as "A Lover And His Lass" (1974),"Der Gockel", and "Happy We". By the mid-1980s, Hallström had established himself as a prominent figure in the Swedish film industry.
It was in 1985 that he made his international breakthrough as an author and director with "My Life as a Dog", a warm-hearted film that tells the story of a 12-year-old boy in the 1950s. The film received widespread critical acclaim and earned Hallström Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
The film also won the "Best Foreign Film" award from the New York Film Critics Circle. Hallström then went on to adapt the successful Astrid Lindgren stories "We Children from Bullerbü" (1986) and "News from Us Children from Bullerbü" (1986) for the big screen.
In 1991, Hallström collaborated with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss on his first American film, "A Charming Disgust". This was followed by the hit film "Gilbert Grape - Somewhere in Iowa" in 1993, which starred Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a disabled boy.
Hallström himself was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for "Gilbert Grape: Somewhere in Iowa". In 1994, he married actress Lena Olin, with whom he had two children.
After the failure of "The Power of Love" (1995) with Julia Roberts, Hallström returned to his strengths and delivered the drama "God's Work and the Devil's Contribution" in 1999, which earned him another Oscar nomination.
The subtle comedy "Chocolat" (2000) with Juliette Binoche, Judy Dench, and Johnny Depp was his next work, which was nominated for five Oscars in 2001. In 2002, Hallström's tragicomedy "Ship Reports" was released in German cinemas.
With "An Untamed Life" from 2005, he brought a drama to cinemas that shone with its plot and featured excellent actors such as Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, and Jennifer Lopez. Hallström settled privately in the USA and Sweden.
In 2018, he directed the American fantasy film "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms", concluding his illustrious career as a film director.
