In an e-mail to NTB on Saturday morning, Espen Skjønberg’s grandson Jeppe Skjønberg writes that his grandfather fell asleep quietly on Friday night. – It is incredibly sad that one of our greatest actors has passed away. Espen was truly a legend, with an impressive career in theater and film. He has given us so many beautiful moments, and we will take them with us, writes Culture Minister Anette Trettebergstuen in a text message to news. – It is with great sadness that we have received the news of Espen Skjønberg’s passing, says theater director Kristian Seltun at the National Theater to NTB. – Retained the joy of playing until the end.Acting colleague Anne Marie Ottersen describes Skjønberg as someone who always wanted to bring out the best in himself and others. – He demanded a lot from himself, and from the people around him. But he was very fun to play with, so it was a very nice experience for me, says Ottersen, who worked with Skjønberg at the Nationaltheatret from 1970. Ottersen says Skjønberg retained the joy of playing until the end. – He kept going. He always read “Pikene med svovelstikken” at the Nationaltheatret Christmas party. He did that almost to the end, says Ottersen. – He is probably considered one of our best actors. There are few who have lasted that long, at that level. – Enormous respect Ellen Horn played together with Skjønberg for many years, but was also his boss at the Nationaltheatre for a period. – If there was one thing I was excited about, it was how on earth I was going to be able to assume such an authoritative role as theater manager vis-à-vis Espen, for whom I had such enormous respect. He was one of those people you really value very, very highly. But then he was the one who gave me authority and security in a completely natural way, recalls Horn. – When I got the job, he sought me out, and was like a supporter from day one. And I even felt that he was a little proud of me. I was the first female manager at the theatre, and one of those he knew well. – That contact has been there all along. I have enormous respect for him. It is a big, big loss for Norwegian theater and performing arts, says Horn. Child actor Espen Skjønberg was born in Oslo on 7 April 1924. He was born into an acting family. Both his mother Henny and father Eugen Skjønberg were actors. He made his film debut as a child actor in 1932, and was employed by the National Theater in 1946. He was also the Radio Theatre’s “Grand Old Man”. Skjønberg helped create radio drama for over 60 years. – The radio theater and a bit of film were among the few jobs we had in the years just after the end of the war, when I was young, said Espen Skjønberg in a radio portrait from October 2011. We also know him from a number of the Television Theater’s productions and several feature films. Photo: news / news/Archiv Espen Skjønberg started his career at Chat Noir and Stavanger Theater in 1945. After a period at the National Theater from 1946 to 1949, Skjønberg was employed at Oslo Nye Teater for 17 years, and after a couple of years at Det Norske Teatret he was back at the National Theater in 1968. The actor has also appeared on British and American stages with Ibsen and Shakespeare roles. READ: – Shakespeare’s darkest play Hear Espen Skjønberg talk about his role in Shakespeare’s “Othello” We also know him from a number of the Television Theater’s productions and several feature films. “Berlinerpoplene” In the 90s, Skjønberg played in the TV series “The family saga De syv søstre” on TV 2, where he also played opposite his actress wife Mona Hofland. In 1999, he became a familiar face to many children through the news Christmas calendar “Christmas in Blåfjell”. In news’s drama effort “Berlinerpoplene” from 2007, Espen Skjønberg was almost indispensable. He played the father Tormod, a central figure in Anne B. Ragde’s novels of the same name. He played the father Tormod, a central figure in Anne B. Ragde’s novels of the same name. Photo: Ekroll, Anne Liv / Anne Liv Ekroll, news Skjønberg has received a number of awards for her efforts as an actress. As recently as 2015, he received the Hedda prize for best male supporting actor in a production at the Nationaltheatret. READ: Golden route to the “Berliner poplars”
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Espen Skjønberg is dead, aged 98 – news Culture and entertainment
