Bert-Åke Varg

Bert-Åke Varg photographed in 2007

Bert-Åke Varg (born Lundström, April 27, 1932) is a Swedish actor and singer.[1]

Life and career

He was born in Hörnefors[2] and received his theatrical training at the Calle Flygare Theatre School in Stockholm. In 1956 he had his breakthrough as a recording artist with Kökspolkan (1956). He showed versatility from the start, learning tap dancing in 16 days after being called in to replace Nils Poppe in the Swedish version of the musical Me and My Girl in the late 1950s.

Varg has performed in numerous revues. He has also dubbed a large number of roles; his voice is well known in Sweden from the Swedish versions of Fabeltjeskrant, The Jungle Book, SuperTed, and the Tintin and Asterix animated productions. In Tintin productions he sometimes voices the butler, Nestor, sometimes the detectives Dupont and Dupond (Thomson and Thompson in English versions). In the 1970s, as the owl Helge, he had a lead role alongside Birgitta Andersson in the children's TV series Från A till Ö.[2] He has also appeared in cabaret, in the 1990s revival of the comedy TV series Pratmakarna, and for a short time in the 1970s was a member of the Stockholm City Theatre.[2]

In the 1970s he starred with Eva Bysing in the TV series Fint som snus (1973) och (1977). He also played the painter Fabian in Gideon Wahlberg's 1978 TV comedy Grabbarna i 57:an. He also played the director Firmin in 100 performances during the long-running production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Oscarsteatern in Stockholm in 19891995,[2] where his ability to sing an operatic part without training raised some eyebrows. In the 1990s he became known to a younger generation for 10 years playing the machinist Gustav Sjögren in the TV series Rederiet;[2] Gösta Prüzelius, who starred as Reidar Dahlén, was a close friend of his.

Personal life

In 1960 he married Annette Varg; after her death in 1993, he married Julianna Varg (born 1947).[2] He has three children.

Selected filmography

References

  1. "Bert Åke-Varg", bibliographical entry in Nationalencyklopedin
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Eva Redvall, "'Man ska ha kul i livet'", Sydsvenskan, April 25, 2007 (Swedish)

External links