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Mimi PollakSwedish actress and theater director
Date of Birth: 09.04.1903
Country:  Sweden |
Content:
Biography of Mimi Pollak
Mimi Pollak, born Maria Helena Pollak, was a Swedish actress and theater director. She was born in 1903 in Sweden to an Austrian Jewish family. Pollak received her acting training at the prestigious Dramatens elevskola, affiliated with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.
Early Career
Pollak started her acting career in the 1920s, performing in theaters such as Helsingborg City Theatre and The Blanche Theatre. After a break, she returned to the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm in the 1940s, where she not only acted but also directed plays. In 1948, Pollak made history by becoming the first female director at Dramaten, directing Jean Genet's play "The Maids" ("Slaves" in Swedish).
Film Career
Pollak made her film debut in 1922 in the Swedish film "Amatörfilmen." She then took a significant break from film and returned in 1938 with the Swedish movie "Den stora kärleken." From then on, Pollak balanced her work in theater with roles in various films. In the 1940s, she appeared in several movies, including "Skolka skolan" (1949), "Klänningen" (1964), and "Nattmara" (1965). She also collaborated with renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, starring in his films "Summer Interlude" (1951) and "Autumn Sonata" (1978).
Later Career and Personal Life
In 1971, Pollak joined the cast of the family film "Emil and the Piglet" ("Emil i Lönneberga") and continued her role in the subsequent TV series. She also appeared in the biographical drama "Flight of the Eagle" ("Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd") in 1982, directed by Jan Troell. Pollak's last film roles were in the Swedish movies "Agnes Cecilia - en sällsam historia" and "Midsommar" in 1991, when she was almost 90 years old. In the same year, she made her final stage appearance in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya."
Pollak was known to be a close friend of Greta Garbo, whom she met in the early 1920s at a Stockholm theater. Although Garbo moved to the United States, their friendship lasted for over 60 years. There were rumors of a deeper connection between the two women, but the details of their relationship remained private. Pollak was married to Swedish actor Nils Lundell from 1927 to 1938.
