Victor Sjöström

Biography

Victor Sjöström, born on September 20, 1879, in Silbodal, Värmland County, Sweden, was a prominent Swedish actor, screenwriter, and film director. He moved to Brooklyn, New York, at a young age and returned to Sweden after his mother's death. Beginning his acting career at 17 with a touring theater company, Sjöström became a significant figure in the Swedish film industry. He made his first silent film in 1912 and directed over forty films by 1923 before moving to the United States. Adopting the name Victor Seastrom, he directed notable stars such as Greta Garbo and Lillian Gish. After struggling with talkies, he returned to Sweden and directed additional silent films, concluding his directing career in 1937. He later acted in numerous films, with his final performance in Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film, Wild Strawberries. Sjöström passed away on January 3, 1960, in Stockholm.