Sydow

Sydow is a surname of Swedish origin. The name is found in Sweden and among emigrant communities in Europe and North America. In some contexts the form von Sydow is used, with von indicating noble lineage in German-speaking regions.

Max von Sydow (1929–2020) was a Swedish actor whose career spanned more than six decades. He achieved international recognition through collaborations with Ingmar Bergman, appearing in The Seventh Seal (1957) as a knight and in The Virgin Spring (1960) and Through a Glass Darkly (1961). He later appeared in global productions, notably The Exorcist (1973) as Father Lankester Merrin and, many years afterward, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as Lor San Tekka. For Pelle the Conqueror (1987) he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and he received an Academy Honorary Award in 2012 for his contributions to cinema. His work encompassed stage, film, and television, and he remained a prominent figure in both Swedish cinema and international productions.