Nils Asther(1897-1981)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Nils Asther was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1897 and raised in
Malmö, Sweden, by his wealthy Swedish parents. After attending the
Royal Dramatic Theater School in Stockholm, he began his stage career
in Copenhagen. His film debut came in 1916 when the director Mauritz Stiller
cast him in the lead role (as an aspiring actor, appropriately enough)
in the Swedish film Vingarne (1916). After working with Victor Sjöström in Sweden and
Michael Curtiz in Germany, Asther moved to Hollywood in 1927, where his exotic
looks landed him romantic roles with co-stars such as Greta Garbo, Pola Negri,
and Joan Crawford. Although his foreign accent was a hindrance in "talkies",
his Hollywood career continued until 1934 when he was blacklisted for
breaking a contract and went to Britain for four years. After his
return to Hollywood in 1938, his career declined and by 1949 he was
driving a truck. In 1958, he returned to Sweden, where he remained
until his death, making occasional appearances in television and on
stage.
