Biography
Who is Lena Olin?
Early life and education
Lena Maria Jonna Olin was born in the Hedvig Eleonora and Oscar Parish of Stockholm, Sweden, on March 22, 1955. She was the youngest of three children born to actors Britta Holmberg and Stig Olin. Before she began her professional acting training, she held jobs as a nursing assistant and a substitute teacher. Her brother is Mats Olin.
In October 1974, at the age of nineteen, she was crowned Miss Scandinavia in Helsinki, Finland. She pursued formal training at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting, also known as the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, between 1976 and 1979.
Theatrical and early career
Lena Olin spent over a decade performing with the Royal Dramatic Theatre ensemble in Stockholm starting in 1980. During this period, she worked in productions featuring the plays of August Strindberg and William Shakespeare. Her well-known stage roles included the title part in Miss Julie and the character Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
She also toured internationally with director Ingmar Bergman, appearing in a production of King Lear where she played the role of Cordelia. Her stage career included performances in cities such as Moscow, New York, and Paris. In 1980, she received the Ingmar Bergman Award at the Guldbagge Awards.
Film and television success
Filmmaker Ingmar Bergman mentored Lena early in her career. She made her screen debut in his 1976 film Face to Face. She later appeared in his movies Fanny and Alexander and After the Rehearsal. Her international breakthrough arrived in 1988 with the film The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Lena received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a Holocaust survivor in the 1989 film Enemies, A Love Story. She later appeared in movies like Romeo Is Bleeding, The Ninth Gate, Chocolat, and The Reader. Her television work includes a major role as Irina Derevko on the spy thriller Alias, which brought her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She also starred in the series Hunters and the 2024 production The Darkness.
Personal life and family
Lena Olin has a son named August from a previous relationship with actor Örjan Ramberg. In 1994, she married the filmmaker Lasse Hallström. The couple has a daughter named Tora. She and her husband have collaborated professionally on projects such as the film Chocolat and the television series The Darkness. They currently reside in Bedford, New York.
Birthday and age
Lena Olin was born on March 22, 1955, which makes Lena 71 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Lena shares the date with 61 other famous people.
Explore more
