Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman are two of the most celebrated names in the history of cinema. Both were born in Sweden and achieved international fame and acclaim for their work in films. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer is no, they are not. Here is why.
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The Common Surname
Bergman is a fairly common name in Sweden, derived from the words “berg” (mountain) and “man” (man). It is similar to other surnames like Johnson, Anderson, or Smith in English-speaking countries. According to Wikipedia, there are about 31,000 people with the surname Bergman in Sweden, making it the 35th most common surname in the country.
The Different Backgrounds
Ingrid Bergman was born in 1915 in Stockholm to a Swedish father and a German mother. She began her acting career in Swedish and German films before moving to Hollywood in 1939. She starred in classics like Casablanca (1942), Gaslight (1944), Notorious (1946), and Anastasia (1956), winning three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. She also had a controversial affair and marriage with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, with whom she had three children, including actress Isabella Rossellini. She died of breast cancer in 1982 on her 67th birthday.
Ingmar Bergman was born in 1918 in Uppsala to a Lutheran minister father and a nurse mother. He started his career as a theater director and playwright before making his first film in 1946. He became one of the most influential and acclaimed filmmakers of all time, directing masterpieces like The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1972), and Fanny and Alexander (1982). He won three Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and many other honors. He also had five marriages and nine children, including four who became film directors. He died of pneumonia in 2007 at the age of 89.
The One Collaboration
The only time Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman worked together was in 1978, when they made the Swedish-language film Autumn Sonata. It was Ingrid’s last theatrical film role and Ingmar’s last film made for the cinema. The film is about a mother-daughter relationship that is strained by years of resentment and misunderstanding. Ingrid received her sixth and final Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance. Ingmar later said that working with Ingrid was “one of the happiest experiences of my film-making life”.
The Other Ingrid
To add to the confusion, Ingmar Bergman did marry another Ingrid, Ingrid von Rosen, who was his fifth and last wife. They married in 1971 and remained together until her death in 1995. She was occasionally referred to as “Ingrid Bergman” in poorly worded biographies, but she had no relation to the famous actress.
The Conclusion
So, there you have it. Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman were not related by blood or marriage. They just shared a common surname and a passion for cinema. They both left behind a legacy of artistic excellence that will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and film lovers alike.
