Bengt Ekerot

Nils Bengt Folke Ekerot (8 February 1920 – 26 November 1971) was a Swedish actor best known for portraying Death in The Seventh Seal (1957) directed by Ingmar Bergman. In 1956, he directed the world premiere of Long Day's Journey into Night, the masterpiece of US playwright Eugene O'Neill.

Bengt Ekerot
Ekerot as Death in The Seventh Seal (1957)
Born
Nils Bengt Folke Ekerot

(1920-02-08)8 February 1920
Stockholm, Sweden
Died26 November 1971(1971-11-26) (aged 51)
Stockholm, Sweden
NationalitySwedish
OccupationActor, director
Years active1940-1968
Known forCollaborations with Ingmar Bergman
Notable work
The Seventh Seal, The Magician
Spouse(s)
Antoinette Gram
​
(m. 1946)​

​
​
(m. 1959⁠–⁠1968)​

Biography

Ekerot was born in Stockholm. He had several roles in Swedish films, but in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957) he portrayed Death as a white-faced man in a black cloak. The decision to perform the role in this way was a joint decision between the actor and director. Bergman wrote in his autobiography Images: My Life in Film that the two men "agreed that Death should wear a clown mask, a white clown’s mask. A fusion of a clown mask and a skull."[1]

A man with a self-destructive personality, health issues from smoking and excessive drinking affected Ekerot's later career resulting in him losing potential roles. He died from lung cancer in 1971.[1]

Partial filmography
  • They Staked Their Lives (1940) - Freedom Fighter
  • Hanna in Society (1940) - Fred Hummerberg
  • Det sägs på stan (1941) - Sven Törring
  • Snapphanar (1941) - Lille-Jonas
  • Lågor i dunklet (1942) - Åke Kronström, Student (uncredited)
  • Vi hemslavinnor (1942) - Linus Tallhagen
  • Man glömmer ingenting (1942) - Student at art school (uncredited)
  • Natt i hamn (1943) - John
  • När ungdomen vaknar (1943) - Lennart
  • Sonja (1943) - Bengt
  • Herre med portfölj (1943) - Stig
  • Tre söner gick till flyget (1945) - Erik
  • Rosen på Tistelön (1945) - Anton, hennes bror
  • Fram för lilla Märta eller På livets ödesvägar (1945) - Radio Speaker (voice, uncredited)
  • Brott och straff (1945) - Studenten
  • 13 stolar (1945) - Clerk (uncredited)
  • Brita i grosshandlarhuset (1946) - 'Paniken'
  • I dödens väntrum (1946) - Tjuven
  • Dynamit (1947) - Allan Axelson
  • Marianne (1953) - Companion (uncredited)
  • Hamlet (1955, TV Movie) - Hamlet, prins av Danmark
  • Sceningång (1956) - Johan Eriksson
  • The Seventh Seal (1957) - Death
  • Jazzgossen (1958) - Erik Jonsson
  • The Magician (1958) - Johan Spegel
  • På en bänk i en park (1960) - Sam Persson
  • Myten (1966) - Policeman / Social Worker / Guard / Doctor
  • Here Is Your Life (1966) - Byberg
  • Life's Just Great (1967) - The Neighbour
  • Ola & Julia (1967) - Max
  • Who Saw Him Die? (1968) - Eriksson
  • Korridoren (1968) - Birger Olsson (final film role)

References
  1. "Bengt Ekerot: Actor, 1920-1971". Ingmar Bergman. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
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