Knut Wigert

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Knut Wigert (3 October 1916 – 14 June 2006) was a Norwegian actor, known for his many Ibsen roles and the establishment of an Ibsen museum in Oslo.

Personal life

Knut Hansen was born in Skien, as the son of Major Sigvald Hansen and his wife Carmen Franciska Christina Kirsebom. He changed his last name to Wigert in 1935. Wigert was married to Eva Nordlie from 1942 to 1946. He was married to ship owner Sofie Helene Huitfeldt from 1950 until her death in 1989, and to journalist Vera Dietrichson from 1991.[1]

Career

Actor

Wigert made his stage début at Centralteatret in 1937, and started acting for the National Theatre in Oslo from 1938.[1][2] He played "the pilot" in an adaptation of Karel Čapek's anti-Nazi play Matka (The Mother), which had dress rehearsal on 8 April 1940 and never premièred due to the German invasion of Norway the following day.[2] Among his roles were "Hugo" in a 1950 adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre's Dirty Hands, and "Brick" in a 1956 adaptation of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.[3] He played a long series of Ibsen characters, such as "Hertug Skule" (from The Pretenders), "Peer" (from Peer Gynt), "Rosmer" (from Rosmersholm), "Brack" (from Hedda Gabler), "Helmer" (from A Doll's House), "Rubek" (from When We Dead Awaken), "Solness" (from The Master Builder), "Borkman" (from John Gabriel Borkman) and "Julian" (from Emperor and Galilean).[1]

He made his film début in 1940, in the film Tante Pose, acted in the 1946 film Englandsfarere, and played the role "Fridtjof Nansen" in Bare et liv from 1968.[1]

World War II

During World War II Wigert was a member of the Norwegian Independent Company 1, recruited by former actor and leader of the group Martin Linge.[4] He participated in the Operation Archery raid at Måløy in December 1941, and later graduated as lieutenant from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1943.[1] He published the book Landflyktig in 1945, describing his travel via Stockholm, Moscow, Istanbul, Cairo and South Africa to England, and later service in the army.[4]

Organizing career

Wigert chaired the Riksmål Society from 1974 to 1983.[5] He was decorated Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1988 for his contributions to Norwegian theatre.[1] He received the city of Oslo's cultural prize in 1992 for his initiative and efforts which resulted in the establishment of a Henrik Ibsen museum in Oslo.[1][5] He received the Fritt Ord Honorary Award in 1996.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Berg, Thoralf. "Knut Wigert". In Helle, Knut. Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 15 July 2009. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rønneberg, Anton (1949). Nationaltheatret gjennom femti år (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gyldendal. pp. 342, 364–366. 
  3. ↑ Rønneberg, Anton (1974). Nationaltheatret 1949-1974 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gyldendal. pp. 46–47, 98. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wigert, Knut (1945). Landflyktig (in Norwegian). Oslo: John Griegs Forlag. pp. 1–126. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Larsen, Sven Erik Løken (2007). "Knut Wigert". In Henriksen, Petter. Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 15 July 2009. 
Cultural offices
Preceded by
Aksel Lydersen		 Leader of the Riksmål Society
1974–1983 		Succeeded by
Jan Willoch
Authority control
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