Livia Millhagen

Livia Millhagen
Millhagen in 2014
Born (1973-05-23) 23 May 1973
Stockholm, Sweden
Alma materMalmö Theatre Academy
OccupationActress
SpouseOscar Norbeck
Children2
Parents
  • Lars Millhagen
  • Beate Sydhoff
Awards

Livia Maria Millhagen (born 23 May 1973) is a Swedish actress known for her roles on stage and screen. She has received various accolades for her work, including the Thalia Prize from Svenska Dagbladet and the Litteris et Artibus royal medal in recognition of outstanding contributions to theatre. She has also been nominated for a Guldbagge Award for Best Actress.

The daughter of artist Lars Millhagen and The House of Culture director Beate Sydhoff, Millhagen attended Kungsholmens gymnasium and began participating in Stockholm Student Theatre productions. After graduating from the Malmö Theatre Academy in 1999, she appeared in productions at Uppsala City Theatre and made her feature film debut in Miffo (2003), for which she received critical praise and a Guldbagge nomination. She became a member of the Royal Dramatic Theatre's permanent ensemble, and since appeared in numerous productions. Some of her most critically acclaimed stage performances were playing Lydia Stille in The Serious Game at Stockholm City Theatre (2008) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Royal Dramatic Theatre (2019).

In addition to her stage roles, she has continued to appear in film and television productions. She was featured in romantic comedies such as Road to Italy (2005) and Fishy (2008), as well as the historical drama films Everlasting Moments (2008) and Fågelfångarens son (2019). She had a major television roles in Molanders (2013), Veni Vidi Vici (2017), and the first season of Bäckström (2020). She also appeared in Young Royals (2021). Millhagen has also worked as a voice actress for Swedish dubs of Disney/Pixar films including The Good Dinosaur (2015), The Lion King (2019), and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).

Early life and education

Livia Maria Millhagen was born in Stockholm on 23 May 1973 to Lars Millhagen and Beate Sydhoff.[1] Her father was a sculptor and cartoonist, while her mother was an art critic and writer who also served as director for The House of Culture.[2] Millhagen has an older sister, and also had an older brother who died shortly after he was born.[3] She was raised in Gamla Stan, until her family moved to Washington, D.C. for three years while her mother worked at the Swedish embassy there. After moving back to Sweden, she attended Kungsholmens gymnasium.[4] She had roles in several Stockholm Student Theatre productions before being admitted to the Malmö Theatre Academy in the autumn of 1995.[5] In May 1996, about a year into her studies, her father died of cancer.[6] During her 1997 internship at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, she appeared in their production of August Strindberg's Fadren, directed by Staffan Valdemar Holm.[7]

Career

1999–2002: Career beginnings on stage

After completing her education, Millhagen was employed at Uppsala City Theatre, where she participated in a number of productions there.[8] She appeared in their production of Rebecca Prichard's play Essex Girls, which was adapted into a Swedish setting by Nils Gredeby with a new title of Ur funktion.[9] With direction by Birgitta Englin, the play centred on four teenage girls, played by Millhagen, Alexandra Rapaport, Frida Hallgren, and My Bodell. In preparation for the role, the actresses met with youths from the Uppsala suburb of Gottsunda.[10] It premiered on 24 September 1999.[11] The following year, she was a member of the ensemble for Lage, a musical revue directed by Stefan Böhm at Scalateatern in Stockholm.[12] Then she returned to the Uppsala City Theatre, to play the "enterprising" (driftiga) Loretta in Phyllis Nagy's Las Vegas in 2001. The play had again been translated into Swedish by Gredeby and the production was directed by Dritëro Kasapi; it marked the first time that Las Vegas had been staged in Sweden. Millhagen's performance was described as "remarkably good" (anmärkningsvärt bra) by Pia Huss in Dagens Nyheter.[13] She had a supporting role in another Englin-directed work: Sophocles' Ancient Greek tragedy Electra, which premiered on International Women's Day in 2001.[14] Millhagen and Magdalena Eshaya played the title character's best friends, Cissi and Linda.[15] In addition to showings at the Uppsala City Theatre, the production made a guest appearance at the Royal Dramatic Theatre that autumn.[16] The following year, she played a supporting role in the television film Beck – Annonsmannen.[17]

2003–2008: Film breakthrough and critical success

She made her feature film debut in Miffo (2003), directed and written by Daniel Lind Lagerlöf and Malin Lagerlöf, respectively. Millhagen played Carola, a wheelchair user living in a run-down flat with her alcoholic mother, who meets and begins a relationship with Tobias, a sheltered, upper-class minister played by Jonas Karlsson. Millhagen's performance garnered critical praise. In a review for Dagens Nyheter, Eva af Geijerstam wrote that Millhagen was "absolutely brilliant in her debut film role" (alldeles utmärkt i sin debutroll på duken).[18] Gunnar Rehlin of Variety agreed, stating that she was the "real find" of the film.[19] Millhagen was nominated for a Guldbagge Award for Best Actress for Miffo.[20] She collaborated again with Lagerlöfs for Road to Italy (2005), where she played the lead role of Ylva, a woman who learns about her husband's affair right before taking her choir group on a trip. Her performance was commended by Rehlin in Variety and Jens Peterson in Aftonbladet.[21] She played Isabella in Yannis Houvardas's production of William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, which was translated into Swedish by Göran O. Eriksson. Millhagen's Isabella was negatively received by Leif Zern in Dagens Nyheter. He suggested she may have been miscast, arguing that her "strained" and "shouting" (pressar rösten och skriker) vocal delivery obscured her character's emotional depth.[22] She had television appearances in 27 sekundmeter snö and Mästerverket.[23] In 2006, she participated in two productions at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. First, she played Gertrud in I skuggan av Hamlet by Irena Kraus.[24] Second, she played the title role in Frank Wedekind's Lulu, translated into Swedish by Ulf Peter Hallberg and directed by Ole Anders Tandberg. Her performance was described by Ingegärd Waaranperä in a review for Dagens Nyheter as a "strong, modern" (stark, modern) character interpretation centred on a "longing for a lost self" (längtan efter ett förlorat jag). Waaranperä credited her performance as a core strength of the production, as her character transitioned from an object of sexual fantasy to a victim of violence.[25]

In 2007, Millhagen appeared in Sam Shepard's Buried Child, known in Swedish as Hem till gården, which premiered at the Elverket stage of the Royal Dramatic Theatre. The production marked her first of many theatre collaborations with director Stefan Larsson.[26] In 2008, she played Lydia Stille opposite Gustaf Skarsgård's Arvid Stjärnblom in Lagerlöf's stage directing debut of The Serious Game at Stockholm City Theatre.[27] Although the production itself received mixed reviews, Millhagen's performance was universally lauded by critics. Jenny Aschenbrenner of Dagens Nyheter stated that it was Lydia's "accurately portrayed rebellion and vulnerability that cuts through the game and makes it serious."[28] In Expressen, Nils Schwartz criticized the direction and Skarsgård's performance but wrote that Millhagen had delivered "an absolutely superb interpretation of the role."[29] She had a supporting role in Maria Blom's low-budget black comedy film Fishy (2008), as the protagonist's best friend Mio. Hedvig Weibull of Borås Tidning praised Millhagen's performance, writing that she "brightens up the film like a bold red lipstick" (piffar upp filmen som ett knallrött läppstift).[30]

2009–2015: Establishment at the Royal Dramatic Theatre

The Royal Dramatic Theatre added six actors, including Millhagen, to its permanent ensemble in May 2009.[31] Later that year, she and Jonas Karlsson starred as Marianne and Johan in a Larsson-directed production of Ingmar Bergman's 1973 miniseries Scenes from a Marriage.[32] Bergman simplified the story while adapting it for stage during his time in Munich. The stage version had thus not been previously shown in Sweden before the premiere in August 2009.[33] Expressen theatre critic Margareta Sörenson praised the performances of both Millhagen and Karlsson.[34] After 60 sold-out showings at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, a touring production was announced, still featuring Karlsson and Millhagen, in association with the National Swedish Touring Theatre.[35]

She appeared in a stage adaptation of Fanny and Alexander by the Royal Dramatic Theatre. It had an American premiere at the Kennedy Center from 7–9 March 2013, as part of the Nordic Cool Festival.[36] She had a leading role as cardiologist Fanny Molander in Molanders (2013). The series focused on the titular family moving from Stockholm to Alingsås.[37] The same year, she was one of several actors given the Carl Åkermark Award.[38] Millhagen was awarded with a Litteris et Artibus royal medal in 2015 by King Carl XVI Gustaf, in recognition of outstanding contributions to theatre.[39]

2016–present: Recent work on stage and screen

She played the titular characters in productions of Medea (2016) and Anna Karenina (2017), both staged at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Also in 2017, she had a supporting role in Helena Bergström's 2017 dramatic comedy film Mending Hugo's Heart and in the comedy series Veni Vidi Vici.[40] In 2018, she appeared in Sisters 1968.[41]

Millhagen played Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, which premiered at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 2019. The production was highly praised; Leif Zern wrote for Dagens Nyheter that it was "one of the best Royal Dramatic Theatre performances in many years" (en av de bästa Dramatenföreställningarna på många år). He highlighted Millhagen's performance as "continuously captivating and gut-wrenching" (oavbrutet fängslande och gastkramande).[42] Her work in A Streetcar Named Desire also earned her the Thalia Prize from Svenska Dagbladet.[43] The same year, she also appeared in Richard Hobert's Faroese drama The Birdcatcher's Son (2019). In a generally negative review for Dagens Nyheter, Johan Croneman praised Millhagen's "brilliant" (strålande) work as a "lively and domineering innkeeper" (livliga och dominanta värdshusvärdinnan).[44]

In 2020, she appeared in the first season of Bäckström as prosecutor Hanna Hwass.[45] She also had a minor role in the first season of Young Royals (2021).[46] She starred opposite Rolf Lassgård as a divorcing couple clearing out their summer home in Love Proof (2022).[47] She played Rita in Little Eyolf at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 2024. In a somewhat mixed review for Dagens Nyheter, Maina Arvas described Millhagen as the production's greatest asset. She also wrote that her take on Rita was "an example of what can be done with Ibsen's female roles" (ett exempel på vad som går att göra med Ibsens kvinnoroller).[48]

Personal life

She and her husband Oscar Norbeck have two children.[49]

Acting credits

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Miffo Carola Main role [19]
2005 Rubinbröllop Short film [50]
Road to Italy Ylva Main role [51]
2008 Fishy Mio [30]
Everlasting Moments [31]
2009 Oskar, Oskar Sonja [52]
2015 The Good Dinosaur Voice (Swedish dub) [53]
2017 Mending Hugo's Heart
2019 The Lion King Shenzi Voice (Swedish dub) [54]
The Birdcatcher's Son Livia [44]
2021 Raya and the Last Dragon Voice (Swedish dub) [55]
2022 Love Proof Marie [47]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2002 Beck – Annonsmannen Television film [17]
2005 27 sekundmeter snö Television film [56]
2006 Mästerverket Sara [57]
2008 Häxdansen Li [58]
2013 Molanders Fanny Molander [59]
2017 Veni Vidi Vici Jonna [60]
2018 Sisters 1968 Ulla [61]
2020 Bäckström Hanna Hwass Season 1 [45]
2021 Young Royals Smysan Season 1 [46]

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Notes Ref.
1994 Skuggan av Mart Teater Blå at Folkkulturcentrum Stockholm Student Theatre [62]
1995 Woyzeck Teater Blå at Folkkulturcentrum Stockholm Student Theatre [63]
1997 Fadren Royal Dramatic Theatre Målarsalen stage [64]
1999 Ur Funktion Uppsala City Theatre [9]
2000 Lage Scalateatern [12]
2001 Las Vegas Loretta Uppsala City Theatre [13]
Electra Uppsala City Theatre [65]
2002 Född skyldig Uppsala City Theatre Small stage [66]
2003 Ett litet drömspel Royal Dramatic Theatre Lejonkulan stage [67]
Mother Courage and Her Children Kattrin Royal Dramatic Theatre Målarsalen stage [68]
2004 Valpen Siri von Essen Strindberg's Intimate Theatre [69]
2005 Measure for Measure Isabella Royal Dramatic Theatre [22]
2006 I skuggan av Hamlet Gertrud Royal Dramatic Theatre Lejonkulan stage [24]
Lulu Lulu Royal Dramatic Theatre [25]
2007 Buried Child Royal Dramatic Theatre [70]
Fördold Metta Royal Dramatic Theatre [71]
2008 The Serious Game Lydia Stille Stockholm City Theatre Small stage [28]
Den ömhet jag är värd Sanna Royal Dramatic Theatre [72]
2009 Scenes from a Marriage Marianne Royal Dramatic Theatre Small stage [73]
Autumn Sonata Helena Royal Dramatic Theatre Main stage [74]
2010 August: Osage County Karen Weston Royal Dramatic Theatre [75]
2011 The Misanthrope Celimène Royal Dramatic Theatre [76]
2012 The Red and the Black Sveriges Radio Drama [77]
2013 Fanny and Alexander Emelie Ekdahl Kennedy Center Nordic Cool 2013 Festival [36]
2014 Rosmersholm Rebekka West Royal Dramatic Theatre [78]
2016 Medea Medea Royal Dramatic Theatre [79]
2017 Anna Karenina Anna Karenina Royal Dramatic Theatre [80]
2019 A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois Royal Dramatic Theatre Small stage [42]
2022 Så enkel är kärleken Hedda Maximteatern [81]
2021 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Maggie Maximteatern [82]
2024 Little Eyolf Rita Royal Dramatic Theatre [48]
2025 Blank Royal Dramatic Theatre [83]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Result Ref.
2003 Guldbagge Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Miffo Nominated [18]
2006 Gunn Wållgren Award Won [84]
2013 Carl Åkermark Award Won [38]
2015 Litteris et Artibus Won [39]
2019 Svenska Dagbladet Thalia Prize A Streetcar Named Desire Won [43]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Boda (2019); Herou (2023); Gezelius (2019).
  2. ^ Herou (2023); Nittve (2020).
  3. ^ Svedell (2012).
  4. ^ Haeberlein (2008); Johansson (2020).
  5. ^ Malaise (1994); Hansell (1995); Dagens Nyheter (1995).
  6. ^ Dagens Nyheter (1996); Svedell (2012).
  7. ^ Waaranperä (1997); Royal Dramatic Theatre.
  8. ^ Gezelius (2019).
  9. ^ a b Hansell (1999).
  10. ^ Kronbrink (1999).
  11. ^ Hennéus (1999).
  12. ^ a b Linnell (2000).
  13. ^ a b Huss (2001a).
  14. ^ Huss (2001b); Larsson (2001).
  15. ^ Streberg (2001).
  16. ^ Larsson (2001).
  17. ^ a b Svärdkrona (2003).
  18. ^ a b af Geijerstam (2003).
  19. ^ a b Rehlin (2003).
  20. ^ Lithell (2004).
  21. ^ Rehlin (2005); Peterson (2005).
  22. ^ a b Zern (2005).
  23. ^ Sundsvalls Tidning (2005); Sahlin (2006).
  24. ^ a b Ullgren (2006).
  25. ^ a b Waaranperä (2006).
  26. ^ Shepard (2007); Zern (2007); Svedell (2019).
  27. ^ Ring (2008); Domellöf-Wik (2011).
  28. ^ a b Aschenbrenner (2008).
  29. ^ Schwartz (2008).
  30. ^ a b Gentele (2008); Weibull (2008).
  31. ^ a b Helsingborgs Dagblad (2009).
  32. ^ Waaranperä (2009).
  33. ^ Fristorp (2009); Arbetarbladet (2009).
  34. ^ Sörenson (2009).
  35. ^ Dagens Nyheter (2010).
  36. ^ a b Dawkins (2013).
  37. ^ Nylund (2013); Ring (2013).
  38. ^ a b Svenska Dagbladet (2013).
  39. ^ a b Svenska Dagbladet (2015).
  40. ^ Stjärnered (2017); Morris (2018).
  41. ^ Asp (2018).
  42. ^ a b Zern (2019).
  43. ^ a b Ångström (2019).
  44. ^ a b Croneman (2019).
  45. ^ a b Aftonbladet (2020).
  46. ^ a b Bley Griffiths (2021).
  47. ^ a b Eriksson (2022).
  48. ^ a b Arvas (2024).
  49. ^ Johansson (2020).
  50. ^ Munkhammar (2005).
  51. ^ Rehlin (2005).
  52. ^ Söderqvist (2009).
  53. ^ Peterson (2016).
  54. ^ Lundvik (2021).
  55. ^ Hedmark (2021).
  56. ^ Sundsvalls Tidning (2005).
  57. ^ Sahlin (2006).
  58. ^ Rabe (2008).
  59. ^ Nylund (2013).
  60. ^ Morris (2018).
  61. ^ Krutmeijer (2018).
  62. ^ Malaise (1994).
  63. ^ Hansell (1995).
  64. ^ Waaranperä (1997).
  65. ^ Huss (2001b).
  66. ^ Lindh-Garreau (2002).
  67. ^ Waaranperä (2003a).
  68. ^ Waaranperä (2003b).
  69. ^ Sörenson (2004).
  70. ^ Ring (2007).
  71. ^ Edström (2007).
  72. ^ Granath (2008).
  73. ^ Åhlund (2009).
  74. ^ Ring (2009).
  75. ^ Ring (2010).
  76. ^ Waaranperä (2011).
  77. ^ Ring (2012).
  78. ^ Edström (2014).
  79. ^ Arvas (2016).
  80. ^ Lündstrom (2017).
  81. ^ Lundström (2022).
  82. ^ Berg (2021).
  83. ^ Arvas (2025).
  84. ^ Dagens Nyheter (2008).

Sources

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