Cast
Asta Nielsen
Acting
Cast
Asta Nielsen
Known for
Acting
Born
1881-09-11
From
Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark
Died
1972-05-25
Also known as Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen, The Silent Muse, Die Asta
Biography
Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen (1881â1972) is considered one of the most influential figures in early film history. Born on September 11, 1881, in Copenhagen, she grew up in modest circumstances. Her father died when she was young, and the family had to move frequently. Despite these difficult circumstances, Nielsen developed a strong affinity for the stage even as a young girl. She took acting lessons and gained her first experience at small theaters before becoming a mother to a daughter in 1901. The decisive turning point in her career came in 1910 with the Danish film âAfgrundenâ (The Abyss). Her passionate, modern performance made her internationally famous overnight. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Nielsen did not act in an overly theatrical manner, but relied on subtle facial expressions and psychologically rich body language. This new style of acting made her one of the first major international stars of silent film. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Germany, where she became one of the most sought-after actresses between 1911 and the early 1920s. Together with director Urban Gad, to whom she was married for a time, she starred in a series of successful films. Nielsen often portrayed strong, independent female characters who challenged social normsâan approach that was both unusual and courageous at the time. Among her best-known works are Die arme Jenny (1912), Engelein (1914), and especially her extraordinary portrayal of Hamlet (1921), in which the title character is raised as a woman. With the advent of sound film, Nielsen increasingly withdrew from the cinema. She was convinced that her expressiveness was better showcased in silent film and later focused on theater work, art, and writing. In 1946, she published her memoirs, âThe Silent Muse,â in which she reflected openly on her life and work. Asta Nielsen remained a cultural icon into her old age. She spent her final years living a secluded life in Denmark and died on May 25, 1972, in Frederiksberg. Her influence on the art of film is still felt today: she is regarded as a pioneer of a modern, natural acting style and as one of the first women to possess true star power in the international film industry.
Tragedy of the Street
as Auguste - Old Street Walker
FrÀulein Julie
as Julie
Small Town Sinners
as Selma Karchow
Joyless Street
as Maria Lechner (Mizzi)
The Fallen
as Anna Grosser
The Suffragette
as Nelly Panburne
Intoxication
as Henriette Mauclerc
Agitated Woman
as Clarina
Little Angel
as Jesta
The Film in the Film
as Self
Zapata's Gang
Wandering Souls
as Nastassja Baraschkowa
Poor Jenny
as Jenny Schmidt
The Traitress
The Queen of the Stock Exchange
as Helene Netzler
Earth Spirit
as Lulu
Hamlet
as Hamlet
Vanina
as Vanina
So Ends My Song
as Dora Waren
The Strange Bird
as Miss May Wolton
Athleten
as Prinzessin Wanda Hoheneck
I.N.R.I. â A Film of Humanity
as Maria Magdalena
The Film Prima Donna
as Ruth Breton
Frontstairs and Backstairs
as Sabine Schulze
Living Buddhas
as Tibetanerin
Der Totentanz
as Bella Burk
Gypsy Blood
as Jonna
The Vice of Humanity
as Tamara
The Abyss
as Magda Vang
In the Eyes of the Law
as Sonja Waler - Journalist - Her Daughter
Impossible Love
as Vera Holgk
Die Tochter der Landstrasse
as Zigeunerin Zirzi
Towards the Light
as Komtesse Ysabel, grevindens datter
In Turmoil
as Margit
Dora Brandes
as Dora Brandes
The Ballet Dancer
as Camille
Das Feuer
as Wanda Petri
The Black Dream
as Stella, cirkusdanserinde
Death in Seville
as Juanita
The White Roses
as Thilda Wardier
Play On! Shakespeare in Silent Film
as Self
Roswolsky's Mistress
as Mary Verhag
KurfĂŒrstendamm
as Girl Lissy / Mulatto / Filmstar / Maria
Das Kind ruft
as Elana
The Merry-Go-Round
as Elena
Asta Nielsen
as Herself
Youth and Madness
as Jesta MĂŒller
Steuermann Holk
as Isabella Bouflon
The Great Moment
as Annie
Little Angel's Wedding
as Jesta Schneider
Navarro the Dancer
as Navarro
The False Asta Nielsen
as Herself
S1
as Von Hessendorffs Tochter
A Romany Spy
as Zidra
The Woman in Flames
as Josephine
The General's Children
as Thekla von der Linde
Comedians
as Kamma
The House by the Sea
as Enricos Ehefrau Teresa
The ABC of Love
as Lis
Revenge of the Bandits
as Anica
The Dangerous Age
as Elsie Lindtner
Die Macht des Goldes
as Creszenz Fitzinger
Downfall
as Kaja Falk
Asta Nielsen - Europas erste Filmikone
as Self (archive footage)
Battle of the Butterflies
When the Mask Falls
as Sanna
Die SĂŒnden der VĂ€ter
Graf Sylvains Rache
as Madelaine
Sex, Sensations & Superstars: The History of Danish Silent Cinema
as Self â Interviewee (archive footage)
Cinderella
as Lotte
Die ewige Nacht
as Marta
The Eskimo Baby
as Eskimo Ivigtut
Hedda Gabler
as Hedda Gabler
Gypsy Blood
as Luscha
The Orphanage Child
as Esther
Zu Tode Gehetzt
as Paula MĂŒller
The Moth
as Olga, Mademoiselle Yvonne
Asta Nielsen: A Great Artist
as Self (archive footage)
Eine Rose der Wildnis
as Wanda
Mata Hari
as Mata Hari
Asta Nielsen als Mannequin
Den talende muse - samtaler med Asta Nielsen
as (archive footage)
The Guinea-Pig
as Jesta
Die Asta - portrĂŠt af Asta Nielsen
as Self (archive footage)