Erland Josephson 1923-2012

Natasha Parry and Erland Josephson in The Cherry Orchard

We at BAM were sad to hear the news of Erland Josephson’s passing. One of Sweden’s greatest actors, Josephson was most well known for his roles in Ingmar Bergman’s films—though Josephson was much more than a Bergman actor. He was also a director and a writer, and he starred in Andrei Tarkovsky’s final masterpiece, The Sacrifice.

Josephson also appeared in two productions in BAM’s Majestic Theater (now the Harvey Theater). First, in 1988, he played Gaev in Peter Brook’s The Cherry Orchard, and in 1991 he played Doctor Rank in Bergman’s A Doll's House. He came back to BAM in 2002 to play Melvil in Bergman's Maria Stuart in the Opera House.

Every performer who has acted or danced or played on BAM’s stages leaves a permanent mark. It is the mark of a human presence. Erland Josephson’s presence will be felt throughout BAM for a very long time.