Viola Davis, Mia Farrow, more celebrities react to Max von Sydow's death

Joey Nolfi
·6 min read

Max von Sydow's professional partners and personal admirers are paying tribute to the late actor.

Following the two-time Oscar-nominated performer's death Sunday at age 90, collaborators from Viola Davis to Mia Farrow shared remembrances of the Swedish star's accomplishments on the big screen.

"You left a body of work that defines excellence," tweeted Davis, who starred alongside von Sydow in 2011's Extremely Loud & Incredible Close. "You were a rare jewel. Rest well sir."

Farrow, who worked with von Sydow in Woody Allen's 1986 classic Hannah and Her Sisters, hailed the actor as a "great artist" as she posted a photo of him sitting next to cinematographer Sven Nykvist on location in Bora Bora as they filmed the 1979 romance The Hurricane.

"Two true gentlemen," Farrow tweeted. "I picture Max in heaven wearing his white linen suit, w Sven, Ingmar Bergman, Bibi Andersson, laughing & loving each other."

Director Kevin Smith also praised von Sydow as a "legendary actor" before bidding him "farewell," tweeting: "You were in many much more respected movies than Strange Brew and Flash Gordon but I loved you for those flicks first."

In addition to his aforementioned roles, von Sydow amassed an impressive filmography working with directors across his 71-year career, including Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal), Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), William Friedkin (The Exorcist), John Huston (The Kremlin Letter), and Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island). Fittingly, filmmaker Edgar Wright honored von Sydow by saying his "iconic presence" made it seem as if "he'd always be with us."

“Max Von Sydow was something like a consummate actor, with a pride in his art and a dedication to his craft that I’ve encountered in very few people in my life," Scorsese said in a statement. "I had the chance to work with him only once and I cherished every minute of it. On the set he was remarkable, and off the set he a complete gentleman. He made many great pictures throughout his long career, including The Emigrants, The New Land and The Exorcist. And what he and Ingmar Bergman found together is more precious than gold. Tonight I’ll watch one of those pictures—maybe Shame, or Hour of the Wolf, or Winter Light, or The Seventh Seal—and find myself shocked, surprised and awed all over again.”

"He changed the face of international film with Bergman, played Christ, fought the devil, pressed the HOT HAIL button & was nominated for a silent performance," Wright's tweet continued, referencing von Sydow's characters. "A god."

Read on for more celebrity tweets shared following von Sydow's death.

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