Lasse Kolstad

Lasse Kolstad
Kolstad in 1980
Born(1922-01-10)10 January 1922
Kristiania, Norway
Died14 January 2012(2012-01-14) (aged 90)[1]
Oslo, Norway
Years active1943–2003
Spouse(s)Randi Kolstad (1946–1955)
Bab Christensen (1957–2012)

Lars "Lasse" Kolstad (10 January 1922 – 14 January 2012) was a Norwegian actor and singer. Active from the 1940s, he was known from many stage roles, but primarily as "Tevye" in Fiddler on the Roof.

As a secondary school student, Kolstad was president of the graduating class (russ) council of his school, and eventually for all of Oslo. As this was in 1940, the German occupation of Norway put a damper on any great festivities that year.[2] In 1943 he had his début at Trøndelag Teater, where he remained until 1949. He has later worked at Centralteatret, Edderkoppen, Riksteatret, Fjernsynsteatret og Det Norske Teatret.[3] He has had roles in plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare and Sophocles, and musicals such as Zorba and The Threepenny Opera.[4] His best-known character though, was "Tevye" in Fiddler on the Roof, a role Kolstad played 400 times.[5]

Kolstad also had various roles in movies and on television, and still took on occasional roles after his retirement. In 1958 he took part in the documentary Windjammer about the full-rigged ship Christian Radich. He played the title role in the television series Skipper Worse (1968), based on the novel by Alexander Kielland, and was a Viking in the American movie The Island at the Top of the World (1974).[6]

Kolstad was married to the actress Bab Christensen; they lived in Oslo and had one child.[4] His older brother Henki, who died in 2008, was also a well-known actor. His other older brother, Knut, was a politician.

Select filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1951 Dei svarte hestane Peasant boy
1953 Skøytekongen Hans Hellemo
1958 Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich Himself
1961 Hans Nielsen Hauge Constable Ole Nielsen
1961 Bussen Lars
1968 Skipper Worse Skipper Worse TV
1973 Kanarifuglen Chief of personnel
1974 Bortreist på ubestemt tid Martin
1974 Bortreist på ubestemt tid Martin
1974 The Island at the Top of the World Erik
1975 Fru Inger til Østråt Olav Skaktavl
1979 Olsenbanden og Dynamitt-Harry mot nye høyder Roy
1981 Fleksnes fataliteter Chief of police TV, 1 episode
1992 Bat Wings Per [Den nye kapellanen]
1994 The Julekalender Narrator
1996 Sånt är livet Norwegian priest
2003 Olsenbanden Jr. går under vann Rudolf Bollerud
2007 Kodenavn Hunter Vice patrol TV, 1 episode, (Last appearance)

References

  1. ^ "Lasse Kolstad er død – Nyheter – NRK Nyheter". NRK. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  2. ^ "Fra russepresident til samfunnstopp" (in Norwegian). E24. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  3. ^ Orre, Annette (3 December 2006). "Dyp stemme, gedigen rolle" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b Østby, Hilde (6 August 1998). "Lasse Kolstad". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  5. ^ Kristensen, Eivind (15 January 2007). "Fortsatt en spellemann". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Lasse Kolstad". IMDb. Retrieved 9 October 2009.