Asta Nielsen
Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen (
September 11,
1883 -
May 24,
1972) was a
Danish actress and
sex symbol of the
1910s and
1920s in
German silent films. She was nicknamed
The Silent Muse.
She was born in the Danish town of Vesterbro to a
coppersmith Father and a washerwoman Mother. They both died before she was fifteen. She studied
acting at the Royal Theatre School of
Copenhagen.
She became the most famous stage actress across
Scandinavia while she toured. In
1909,
director Urban Gad encouraged her to become a silent screen actor and she starred in the
1910 film
Afgruden. The film was a success so she was encouraged to continue making silent films. Nielsen and Gad soon married then moved to Germany. She worked in film until
talkies became popular, continuing acting only on stage.
She died in 1972 shortly after her fifth marriage.
See also: List of Danes
External link