Nils Asther

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Nils Asther (January 17, 1897 - October 13, 1981) was a Danish-born Swedish stage and film actor.

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Asther grew up in Sweden and attended the Royal Dramatic Theater School in Stockholm. After returning to Copenhagen to do stage work, he soon began appearing in European films, working with acclaimed directors such as Victor Sjostrom.

He soon left for Hollywood, his first film there being released in 1927. By 1928 his good looks had made him into an intense leading man, playing opposite such stars as Pola Negri, Marion Davies, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo with whom he made two films. He had the misfortune to be labelled "the male Greta Garbo". His foreign looks made him a popular actor, and he soon grew a thin moustache which amplified his suave appearance.

With the arrival of sound in movies, Asther took voice lessons so as to minimize the presence of his accent. In 1935 he was forced to seek work in England after breach of contract lead to him being blacklisted. Although allowed back in 1941, his career in Hollywood dwindled throughout the 1940s, and he soon returned to Sweden, where he remained an active actor on stage and television until his death.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6705 Hollywood Blvd. His height was 6'0½" (1.84m).