Lena Olin
Biography
Lena Maria Jonna Olin, born 22 March 1955 in Stockholm, Sweden, is a Swedish actress. She was mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and made her screen debut in Bergman's film Face to Face (1976). After completing drama school she joined the Royal Dramatic Theatre and appeared in Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982) and After the Rehearsal (1984). Olin achieved international recognition with her portrayal of a free‑spirited artist in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Over her career she has received nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, and has accumulated more than seventy credited film and television roles.
Career overview
Lena Maria Jonna Olin was born on 22 March 1955 in Stockholm, Sweden, and has built a career as a film and television actress. She was mentored by the filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and made her screen debut in a small part in his 1976 film Face to Face. After completing her studies at drama school, Olin joined the Royal Dramatic Theatre, where she continued to develop her stage craft before returning to the screen in further collaborations with Bergman.
Olin appeared in Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander (1982) and After the Rehearsal (1984), establishing herself within Swedish cinema. Her international breakthrough arrived with the role of a free‑spirited artist in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), a performance that earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. Throughout her career she has been recognized by several major awarding bodies, receiving nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
72 titles- Upgraded (2024) as Catherine
- Spaceman (2024) as Zdena
- The Darkness (2024) as DI Hulda Hermannsdóttir
- One Life (2023) as Grete Winton
- Second Act (2023) as Eva
- Hilma (2022) as Hilma af Klint
- Nine Perfect Strangers (2021) as Helena von Falkenberg
- Carina Bergfeldt (2021) as Self - Guest
- The Jonsson Gang (2021) as Anita
- Hunters (2020) as Eva Braun-Hitler / The Colonel
- Adam (2020) as Yevgeina
- The Artist's Wife (2020) as Claire Smythson
- Intensive Care (2020) as Margaret
- Hasse & Tage - En kärlekshistoria (2019) as Self
- Bergman Revisited (2019)
- Bergman's Reliquarium (2018)
- Bergman: A Year in a Life (2018) as Self
- MINDHUNTER (2017) as Annaliese Stilman
- Riviera (2017) as Irina Atman Clios
- Tillsammans med Strömstedts (2017) as Herself
- Maya Dardel (2017) as Maya
- Vinyl (2016) as Mrs. Fineman
- Welcome to Sweden (2014) as Viveka
- Night Train to Lisbon (2013) as Older Estefania
- Trespassing Bergman (2013) as Self
- The Devil You Know (2013) as Kathryn Vale
- The Hypnotist (2012) as Simone Bark
- Hellenius Hörna (2010) as Self - Guest
- Remember Me (2010) as Diane Hirsch
- Skavlan (2009) as Self - Guest
- The Reader (2008) as Rose Mather
- Awake (2007) as Lilith Beresford
- Made in Hollywood (2005) as Self
- Casanova (2005) as Andrea
- Bang Bang Orangutang (2005) as Nina
- Hollywood Homicide (2003) as Ruby
- The United States of Leland (2003) as Marybeth Fitzgerald
- Queen of the Damned (2002) as Maharet
- Darkness (2002) as Maria
- Ignition (2002) as Faith Mattis
- Alias (2001) as Irina Derevko
- Chocolat (2000) as Josephine Muscat
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Ingrid Block
- The Ninth Gate (1999) as Liana Telfer
- Mystery Men (1999) as Dr. Anabel Leek
- Hamilton (1998) as Tessie
- Polish Wedding (1998) as Jadzia
- Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) as Peggy Lindstrom
- Lumière & Company (1995) as (segment "Lasse Hallström")
- The Night and the Moment (1995) as The Marquise
- Mr. Jones (1993) as Dr. Elizabeth 'Libbie' Bowen
- Romeo Is Bleeding (1993) as Mona Demarkov
- Havana (1990) as Bobby Duran
- Hebriana (1990) as Lena
- Enemies, a Love Story (1989) as Masha
- S/Y Joy (1989) as Annika Larsson
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) as Sabina
- Komedianter (1987) as Ann
- Friends (1987) as Sue
- A Matter of Life and Death (1986) as Nadja Melander
- Flight North (1986) as Karin
- Glasmästarna (1986) as The lady with the dog
- Fanny and Alexander (1984) as Rosa
- After the Rehearsal (1984) as Anna Egerman (older)
- Fanny and Alexander (1982) as Rosa
- One-Week Bachelors (1982) as Nina
- Pappa är död (1982) as Berit
- Kärleken (1980) as Lena
- The Adventures of Picasso (1978) as Dolores
- Tabu (1977) as Flicka på båten
- Face to Face (1976) as Shop Assistant (uncredited)
- Face to Face (1976) as Shop Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Lena Olin best known for?
Lena Olin is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Upgraded (2024), Spaceman (2024), One Life (2023), Nine Perfect Strangers (2021).
When and where was Lena Olin born?
Lena Olin was born on March 22, 1955 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.
How many credits does Lena Olin have?
Lena Olin has accumulated over 72 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1976 to 2024.
What is Lena Olin's background in cinema and television?
Lena Maria Jonna Olin, born 22 March 1955 in Stockholm, Sweden, is a Swedish actress. She was mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and made her screen debut in Bergman's film Face to Face (1976). After completing drama school she joined the Royal Dramatic Theatre and appeared in Bergman's Fanny and Alexander (1982) and...