Morten Grunwald is dead
B.T.
November 15, 2018
Morten Grunwald is best known for the films about the Olsen band. But the theater was close to him too. He was 83 years old.
Actor Morten Grunwald slept quietly Wednesday evening after a small day's hospitalization at Sankt Lukas hospice. A long course of cancer has taken place before.
Morten Grunwald had won a lot of prizes and participated in more than 50 films, probably the most famous for the 14 of the Olsen bands.
With yellow socks, a goose's goose and the reply 'Skide goed Egon', Morten Grunwald made the Danes known with the ever-optimistic Benny in the Olsen band.
The 14 'Olsen-band' film was made for Grunwald from 1968 to 1998.
Although it's the role of Benny, who made him known and loved, he also had roles in a number of other feature films, TV shows and theater shows in his more than 55 year career.
However, he had never concealed the fact that the 'Olsen bands' films have a special meaning. He had never been sad that people have dunked him in the back and said 'Hey Benny' - on the contrary.
Which Olsen Banden movie is your favorite?
It was also during these films that he had a close relationship with both Poul Bundgaard and Ove Sprogøe, who formed the rest of the band.
In connection with the 50th anniversary of the first 'Olsen band' film, Morten Grunwald again recounted that comedy films about the three criminals have filled a lot. "Obviously, that's something I've been very happy and grateful for - and proud of-having helped," said Grunwald.
He played in the act when he entered the school of the Aarhus Teaterskole in 1956. The last part of the student day took place in Copenhagen, where he in 1962 also got one of his first major roles in the 'Billy Løgneren' and at the same time began his career on film and on television.
In 1965, he got a Bodil for his role in 'Fem man and Rosa', and in 1968 he became famous at the time when the first story about the 'Olsen bands' hit the Danish cinemas.
The role did not prevent him from turning his eyes in other directions, and in 1971 he became director of the Bristol Theater in Copenhagen, where his wife, Lily Weiding, was also affiliated.
In 1980 he continued to Alléscenen, renamed the Betty Nansen Theater.
Morten Grunwald sat for 12 years in the executive chair before joining Østre Gasværk, where he put up the musical successes 'Les Miserables' and 'Miss Saigon'.
In 1998 he decided to stop as busy and stressed theater director. He gave up his job and did something about his lifestyle with too much food and drink at all times of the day. It meant 40 fewer kilos and that he could again fit the pants from the first 'Olsen band' movie.
After a long break, Grunwald returned to the film studio, and in 2008 he was rewarded with a Bodil for his efforts in the movie 'White Night'.
The last time he was seen in the cinema, was in 2014, where he appered in the movie 'Silent Heart' and played a husband for a woman - played by Ghita Nørby who, due to incurable illness, will commit suicide.
In 2017 he retired from the theater.
For a while, he also served as a film consultant for feature film at the Danish Film Institute.
Morten Grunwald lived since 1965 with Lily Weiding, whom he married in 1980. Together they have Tanja, the wife's two daughters from a former marriage.
In mid-October, Grunwald he was told he had cancer.
GRUNWALD, Morten (Walter Morten Grunwald)
Born: 12/9/1934, Odense, Denmark
Died: 11/14/2018, Hellerup, Denmark
Morten Grunwald’ western – actor:
Wilde West (TV) – 1965 (Chuck Cooper)