For more than 30 years, Michael Nyqvist shared his incredible acting skills with the world. His resume includes a wide variety of roles and he always showed that he was capable of taking on any kind of role that came his way. During his career he achieved international success and people all over the world were saddened when he passed away in 2017 after a battle with lung cancer. Although Michael is no longer here, his work continues to live on. Three of his projects were released after his death and fans were thankful to be able to see him debut a new project one last time. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Michael Nyqvist.
1. He Was Adopted
Michael was born in Sweden but spent the first year of his life living in an orphanage after being left there by his biological parents. He was adopted into a loving family where his father was a a lawyer and his mother was a writer. He eventually located his biological parents once he reached adulthood. Michael learned that he was of Swedish and Italian descent.
2. He Wanted To Be A Hockey Player
There are countless actors who spent their entire lives wanting to be performers. They often have stories of putting on little shows for their family and friends before they could even really talk. That isn’t Michael’s story, however. He didn’t always want to be an actor and instead saw himself with a career in sports. His ultimate goal was to become a hockey player.
3. He Had Nearly 100 Acting Credits
Michael achieved more success in his career than many actors can even imagine. His ability to play a wide range of characters meant there was no shortage of opportunities for him. He was able to work consistently up until the end and his resume is very impressive. He has over 90 on screen credits including the three from the projects that were released after his death.
4. He Took Ballet Classes
Michael is what many other actors would consider a late bloomer. He didn’t take an interest in acting until spent a semester abroad in high school studying in the United States. After returning to Sweden, he decided to begin ballet training but he stopped after just one year.
5. He Was An Author
Everybody has a story to tell, and Michael decided to have his written and immortalized in a book. He released a memoir in 2010 titled Just After Dreaming. The book provided some insight into his childhood. Just After Dreaming was Michael’s first and only book.
6. He Was A Producer
Michael spent the majority of his career in front of the camera, but that wasn’t the only part of the entertainment world he was involved in during his career. He also tried his hand at doing some producing. He produced three episodes of the 100 Code in 2005.
7. He Was A Father
The world may have seen Michael as a big actor, but at home he was simply a father and a husband. He and his wife, Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth, were married from 1990 until his death. The couple had two children together. Catharina also works in the entertainment industry and is a production designer.
8. He Was Very Serious About Getting Into Character
Getting into character is one of the most important parts of acting. In order for an actor to accurately bring a story to life, they must fully encompass the role they’re playing. This is something Michael had a good understanding of. He put a lot of research and energy into making sure he knew as much about his characters as he could. Doing an interview he said, “I have to understand the culture, being born into the role; otherwise, it will be false.”
9. He Worked With Some Of The Biggest Names In The Industry
Michael was blessed to have a lot of amazing opportunities throughout his career. While his name may not have been as widely known as some of the other people in the business, he did get to work with several A-listers. Some of the stars Michael worked with included Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves. Michael earned the respect of all the people he worked with.
10. He Was An Award Winner
There are countless actors who will put their best work out into the world and never receive any recognition or praise, luckily for Michael he got the chance to get his flowers while he was still here. Most notably, he won a Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
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