Ingvar Hirdwall

Ingvar Hirdwall
Hirdwall in 2009
Born
Lars Ingvar Eriksson

(1934-12-05)5 December 1934
Stockholm, Sweden
Died6 April 2023(2023-04-06) (aged 88)
OccupationActor
Years active1950–2023
SpouseMarika Lindström
​
​
(m. 1975)​
ChildrenJacob Hirdwall
Agnes Dawidson Hirdwall

Lars Ingvar Hirdwall (5 December 1934 – 6 April 2023) was a Swedish actor.[1] In Sweden he is best known for his role in the Martin Beck film series; internationally he was perhaps best known for his role as the lawyer Dirch Frode in the Millennium films.

Characters

One of the country's most prolific stage and film actors, he is probably most widely recognised for his two heterogeneous roles in the Martin Beck universe; as the eponymous killer in Bo Widerberg's The Man on the Roof in 1976,[2] and the recurrent role as "The Neighbor" in the mass produced film series, a rambunctious raconteur who frequently interacts with the titular police investigator for the purpose of comic relief.[3] He also had a role in the film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series as the lawyer Dirch Frode, and starred as various colourful characters in Lars Molin's comedies.[4]

Career

Hirdwall was born in Stockholm, and was educated at Gothenburg City Theatre stage school 1957–1960. [5] Since the early 1960s he has been active as an actor in many films and TV series and on theatrical stages, mainly the Stockholm City Theatre. [6] He also worked at Oscarsteatern, with productions like West Side Story.[7] As well as Chinateatern, with the play "Revisorn" alongside his Beck-lead Peter Haber. [8] He is well known in Sweden, often portraying obstinate or strange characters. His most well-recognised role in his closing decades was as the eccentric “The Neighbor”, a rambunctious raconteur living next to the eponymous homicide investigator Martin Beck and often providing comic relief, and occasionally (unintentionally) vital insights, in the many Martin Beck TV movies made from 1997 into the 2020s.[5] He was also often in director Lars Molin's productions. In December 1993, Hirdwall played the leading role in the Swedish TV company SVT's annual children's Christmas "Advent calendar" – Tomtemaskinen (The mechanical Santa), one of the Pettson and Findus stories by Sven Nordqvist – with one 15-minute part shown each day until Christmas Eve. Hirdwall played the character of Pettson.[9]

Hirdwall received the Swedish Guldbagge Award for Best Actor at the 17th Guldbagge Awards for Barnens ö (Children's Island)[1] and the Thaliapriset prize in 1993.[10]

His last film role was "The Neighbour" in the film "Beck – Deadlock", which was released to the TV4 streaming service C More on 22 July 2023.[11]

Family and death

Hirdwall was married to the actress Marika Lindström. They had two children, director Jacob Hirdwall and actress Agnes Hirdwall.[12]

Hirdwall passed away on 6 April 2023, according to his widow from an act of suicide, at age 88.[13][14]

Selected filmography

Source:[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ingvar Hirdwall" (in Swedish). Swedish Film Institute. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  2. ^ ""Beck-grannen" död – skådespelaren Ingvar Hirdwall blev 88 år". MovieZine. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Efter 24 år: Becks granne avslöjar varför han bär stödkrage". Aftonbladet. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Folkkära skådespelaren Ingvar Hirdwall är död". Omni. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Skådespelaren Ingvar Hirdwall död". Svenska Dagbladet. 7 April 2023. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  6. ^ Pressmeddelande – Ingvar Hirdwall i drömroll Archived 7 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine Stadsteatern. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  7. ^ "West Side Story". Musikverket. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  8. ^ REVISORN En fars/komedi av Nikolaj Gogol Chinateatern. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  9. ^ Dagens Nyheter (16 April 1993). "Pettson och Findus fejar för jul. Ingvar Hirdwall och Ika Nord lever lantliv i årets julkalender i TV". Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Inspelningen av Barnens ö". filmsoundsweden.se. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Beck 48 – då har "Quid pro quo" premiär". Aftonbladet. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  12. ^ Marika Lindström: "Jag vill inte bli som min mamma". Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023. {{cite book}}: |magazine= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "Skådespelaren Ingvar Hirdwall död – blev 88 år". SVT Nyheter. 7 April 2023. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  14. ^ https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/jQQJBw/ingvar-hirdwall-begick-sjalvmord-blev-88-ar
  15. ^ "Ingvar Hirdwall – SFdb". 5 December 1934. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.