Johan Ydstrand
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In 1998, if you had told 14 year old Johan Daniel Ydstrand that one day he would be considered as one of the most promising underground up and coming actors/musicians in Sydney Australia, he would probably have smiled and told you his ambition was far greater than that. Born in 1984 in Borås Sweden, Johan showed artistic skills early on in his childhood, and at the age of 11 he made his screen debut when he was selected to appear on the famous TV show Jeopardy! hosted by Magnus Härenstam. Finishing in second place and clinching a brand new mountain bike he quickly became interested in showbusiness and together with his cousin Marcus he started his first production company, “insert name here”, specializing on horror movies and Jackass inspired stunt movies. Johan often starred in his own movies, frequently as the hero or the accomplice and you could easily spot his talent even at the tender age of 13. In 1997 he gained a small cult following when he co-wrote, directed and starred in the “Varberg Sessions”, a compilation of his three most successful features, all taking place in Swedish smalltown Varberg located in the heart of Småland. The films was considered quite brutal and fixated on violence, and eventually Johan got in trouble for the excessive use of blood and constant adult themes. He had a hard time getting his movies out to the public and tried to appeal to the younger crowd with a couple of action oriented features where he and his cousin performed sometimes dangerous but often quite harmless stunts on the plains and rock formations of Varberg. The movie was an immediate disaster and failing to gain popularity with the larger audience and also overriding the budget, this would ultimately become the end of Johan’s film career in Varberg.
So, in 1997 Johan did what every film enthusiast with a vision would have done; He left town and moved to Helsingborg, a place where his visions and enthusiasm could nourish and explode into the big scene. But the hard times didn’t end for Johan. Instead, he would find himself in a situation where he had to choose between his interest in film or music. Johan chose the latter and over the next 5 years the name of Johan Ydstrand would not be associated with filmmaking or acting. After a somewhat successful stint with his music in Helsingborg he yet again packed his bags and moved to Singapore in 2000 where he would spend his three most successful years in moviemaking, returning to his true passion in life; Acting.
Struggling at first, Johan soon became acclimated to the rough and fast life in Asia and it didn’t take long until he scored his first gig in a commercial as a waiter. Several ads, some mediocre modeljobs and a couple of stand-in jobs later he stumbled upon a fascinating career opportunity when him and his band The Bleached was offered a gig for MTV Singapore. The show was a success and suddenly Johan found himself in a situation where he was offered roles, not only because of his striking good looks and Scandinavian appeal, but also because his earlier work had started to gain unexpected fame on the internet.
In 2004 director Tzang Merwyn Tong was scouting for a strong lead in his upcoming movie about The Little Red Riding Hood. He needed someone to portray the Wolf with sexual ferocity but also with a hint of innocence, and when Johan Ydstrand came along there wasn’t any need for an audition; He had found his Wolf. This would become the big break Johan had been looking for, and after a gruelling shoot expanding over almost a year the production was finally finished and when the movie was being edited Johan took the time to promote the movie in Sweden, creating a buzz all around the country.
And when “A Wicked Tale” finally premiered in April 2005 at the Singapore International Film Festival receiving good reviews Johan Ydstrands film career could finally kick off in the extravagant way he had always hoped for. The newfound fame brought him to Sydney, Australia where he now is establishing himself as a promising scriptwriter and actor working on several projects.
