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Björn Andrésen

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
27

Gender
Male

Birthday
January 26, 1955 (71 years old)

Place of Birth
Stockholm, Sweden

Björn Andrésen

Biography

Björn Johan Andrésen (26 January 1955 – 25 October 2025) was a Swedish actor and musician. He was best known for playing the fourteen-year-old Tadzio in Luchino Visconti's 1971 film adaptation of the Thomas Mann novella Death in Venice.

Andrésen had only appeared in one film, En kärlekshistoria (1970) at the time he was cast in Death in Venice, which gained him international recognition. While the film performed relatively poorly at the box office, Andrésen was noted for his performance as Tadzio, the beautiful young Polish boy with whom the film's older protagonist Gustav von Aschenbach becomes obsessed. Film historian Lawrence J. Quirk commented in his study The Great Romantic Films (1974) that some shots of Andrésen "could be extracted from the frame and hung on the walls of the Louvre or the Vatican".

Rumors circulated in America at the time of the film's release as to whether or not Andrésen was homosexual (as the role demanded that he appear to exchange romantic glances with the protagonist, and on another occasion, be kissed and caressed by another teenage boy). Andrésen emphatically denied these, and later recounted his discomfort at being forced by director Luchino Visconti during filming to visit a gay bar, where he attracted the attention of a number of older men.  Eager to dispel the rumors regarding his sexuality and to shed his "pretty boy" image, Andrésen thereafter avoided homosexual roles and parts which he felt would play off of his good looks, and was angry when feminist writer Germaine Greer used a photograph of him on the cover of her book The Beautiful Boy (2003) without first obtaining his personal permission. Although Greer did consult photographer David Bailey (who owned the copyright for the image) before publishing the book, Andrésen maintained that it is common practice when a party uses an image of a person which has been copyrighted by a different individual to inform the individual and that he would not have given his consent for Greer to use his picture if she had informed him of her plans.

Andrésen has also appeared in several other films. These include Pelikaanimies (2004),  Kojan (1992) and Smugglarkungen (1985).

Known For

Acting

2021Two Sistersas AA-ledare
2021Agatha Christie's Hjersonas Oscar
2021The Most Beautiful Boy in the Worldas Self
2019Midsommaras Dan
2016De Vildfarneas Rolf Svensson
2016The Hotelas Self
2016Springflodenas Benseman
2016Shelleyas Leo
2014Gentlemenas Varg-Larsson
2010Wallander: The Heritageas Andreas Manrell
2005Wallanderas Andreas Manrell
2004Pelicanmanas Pianisti
1991Agnes Cecilia - En sällsam historiaas
1990Lucifer Sensommer - gult og sortas Mannen
1990À la recherche de Tadzioas Himself
19891939as
1987Lysande landningas Axel Lenke
1987Lysande landningas Alex Lenke
1986Peas & Whiskersas
1985The Smuggler Kingas
1982One-Week Bachelorsas Åsa
1982The Simple-Minded Murdereras Angel
1977Bluff Stopas Stefan
1971Death in Veniceas Tadzio
1970Visconti's Veniceas Self
1970Searching for Tadzioas Self (uncredited)
1970A Swedish Love Storyas Pär's Buddy

Production