Helena Bergström

Helena Bergström, born Helena Kristina Bergström on 5 February 1964 in Kortedala, Gothenburg, Sweden, hails from a distinguished acting lineage; her mother Kerstin Widgren was a celebrated actress and her grandfather Olof Widgren a renowned stage veteran. After an exchange year in Mississippi during her teens, she returned to Sweden and entered the world of performance early, appearing in a family‑directed film in 1978 and officially launching her screen career with the television mini‑series Time Out in 1982. She honed her craft at the prestigious Teaterhögskolan in Stockholm, graduating in 1988, and subsequently joined the Royal Dramatic Theatre and Stockholm City Theatre, where she earned acclaim for her stage presence. The breakthrough role in The Women on the Roof cemented her reputation as a leading Swedish actress, and she later garnered the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress for her powerful performance in The Last Dance, a film also directed by her husband Colin Nutley. Over the decades she has showcased remarkable versatility, starring in classics such as Miss Julie, House of Angels, and portraying Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf in a 2008 drama, while also exploring behind‑the‑camera work as a director, screenwriter, and singer of Édith Piaf songs.

Beyond her professional achievements, Bergström’s personal life intertwines with cinema; she met Colin Nutley while filming Blackjack, and the couple married, raising two children, Molly and Timothy, together. They reside on Stockholm’s Kungsholmen island, maintaining a country house as a retreat. In addition to acting, she co‑wrote the screenplay Så olika (2009) with Tove Alsterdal and directed four feature films, including Mind the Gap (2007) and Holy Mess (2015). Her multifaceted career and enduring influence make her a pivotal figure in contemporary Swedish film and theatre.