Actor
Bengt Ekerot
Born 8 February 1920 · Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden — died 26 November 1971
Bengt Ekerot (1920–1971) was a Swedish actor and occasional director who worked in film and theatre from the 1940s. He is best remembered for playing Death, the pale figure in a black cloak, in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. That image became a lasting template for depictions of Death in cinema.
Key films
The Seventh Seal (1957)
His defining role: Death, who plays chess with the knight, became one of cinema's most imitated images.
The Magician (1958)
Another Bergman collaboration, showing his place in the director's circle right after The Seventh Seal.
Here Is Your Life (1966)
A later major Swedish feature, directed by Jan Troell, in which he appeared in a supporting role.
Sceningång (1956)
A film he directed himself, showing his work behind the camera as well as in front of it.
Crime and Punishment (1945)
An early literary adaptation from his 1940s run of Swedish film roles.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 41
- 1940Hanna in High Society · as Fred HummerbergActor
- 1940They Staked Their Lives · as Dick, freedom fighterActor
- 1941Snapphanar · as Lille-JonasActor
- 1941The Talk of the Town · as Sven TörringActor
- 1942We Home Toilers · as Linus TallhagenActor
- 1942Flames in the Dark · as Åke KronströmActor
- 1942Man glömmer ingenting · as Student at art school (uncredited)Actor
- 1943Sonja · as BengtActor
- 1943Natt i hamn · as JohnActor
- 1943När ungdomen vaknar · as LennartActor
- 1943Herre med portfölj · as StigActor
- 1945Put Our Märta First or As Luck Will Have It · as radio man (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1945The Royal RabbleActor
- 1945Crime and Punishment · as StudentActor
- 1945Rosen på Tistelön · as Anton HaraldssonActor
- 194513 ChairsActor
- 1945Three Sons · as ErikActor
- 1946Interlude · as German patientActor
- 1946Brita i grosshandlarhuset · as "Paniken"Actor
- 1946BarbackaDirector
- 1946Det glada kalasetDirector
- 1947Dynamite · as Allan AxelsonActor
- 1951The Nuthouse · as A studentActor
- 1953MarianneActor
- 1955Hamlet · as HamletActor
- 1956SceningångDirector
- 1956Sceningång · as Johan EriksonActor
- 1957The Seventh Seal · as DeathActor
- 1958The Magician · as Johan SpegelActor
- 1958Jazz Boy · as Erik JonssonActor
- 1959MåsenDirector
- 1960On a Bench in a Park · as Sam PerssonActor
- 1963Det går anActor
- 1963The Face of War · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1964Portrait of Stockholm - A Walk Through 5 CenturiesActor
- 1966Here Is Your Life · as BybergActor
- 1966The D.T.'s · as Policeman/Social Worker/GuardActor
- 1967Ola and Julia · as MaxActor
- 1967Life's Just Great · as The neighbourActor
- 1968Who Saw Him Die? · as ErikssonActor
- 1968The Corridor · as Birger OlssonActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.