Thommy Berggren

• Name — Thommy Berggren • Birth Name — Tommy William Berggren • Born — 12 August 1937 • Birthplace — Mölndal, Sweden • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1959–2003 • Partner — Monika Ahlberg • Children — 3

Tommy William Berggren was born on 12 August 1937, in Mölndal, Sweden, an impoverished working class district on the country's west coast. His father, William Berggren, was a sailor by trade and a socialist involved with the worker's rights movement in Sweden. His mother was employed at the local factory and was similarly politically inclined. When he was born, he suffered with a disease of the lungs, which caused him to have to stay in a hospital facility for one year. Berggren's father was also an alcoholic. In Stefan Jarl's 2002 film The Bricklayer, a documentary about Berggren's life and career, he recounted an incident in which he had walked a great distance to meet his father at a train station, only to discover that he had not kept the appointment with his son. Instead, he had remained in town drinking. Berggren later defended his father, stating that he was not aggressive or abusive in any way, and that both of his parents were well-meaning people. Berggren's father supported and encouraged his son's career choice as an actor. Believing that acting and the theatre were "immaterial", he encouraged his son to be "a better actor than the rest".

Berggren began to study acting at the Pickwick Club Theatre School in Gothenburg. He made his stage debut at the age of seventeen at the Atelier Theatre. He worked there for two years, until he was accepted into Gothenburg City Theatre's drama course in 1956. In 1959, he was engaged as a regular player at the Gothenburg City Theatre, where he worked until 1961, when he was granted a position with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. In his first role there, he portrayed Nick in Ingmar Bergman's production of Edward Albee's play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. In 1993, he made his debut as a director at the Royal Dramatic Theatre with Harold Pinter's The Homecoming. He later directed plays at the Stockholm City Theatre, including August Strindberg's Miss Julie and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

Berggren lives in Stockholm, Sweden, in Djurgården. Berggren had 3 children, a son and twin daughters, with cookbook author and restaurant reviewer Monika Ahlberg. He and Monika are now divorced. When questioned why he waited to have children, he stated that he "matured late", but that his family had come to mean more to him than he could have ever imagined. He said that he has never put his children to sleep at night without telling them that he loves them. He also has a great love for art, citing Vincent van Gogh as one of his favorite artists. He stated that he has spent more time in the company of painters than actors.

Berggren's political views were influenced by those of his parents, stating that he is like a bricklayer building upon the foundation that has been laid down by his father. Berggren does not wish to be a part of any film which glorifies violence. In an interview with the publication Expressen, Berggren noted that class struggle had been one of the strongest driving forces in his work, stating, "It is with me and it is within Persbrandt and it was in Strindberg. We're working boys."

• Year — Film — Role • 1961 — Pärlemor — Jan Wæbel • 1963 — Barnvagnen — Björn • Raven's End — Anders • A Sunday in September — Stig • 1965 — Love 65 — Actor • 1966 — Heja Roland! — Roland Jung • 1967 — Elvira Madigan — Lt. Sixten Sparre • 1968 — Svarta palmkronor — Colett • 1970 — The Adventurers — Sergei Nikovitch • 1971 — Joe Hill — Joe Hill • 1975 — Giliap — Giliap • 1979 — Christopher's House — Kristoffer • 1983 — A Hill on the Dark Side of the Moon — Maxim Kovalevskij • 1992 — Sunday's Children — Erik Bergman • 1998 — The Glassblower's Children — The Emperor • 2003 — Kontorstid — Bill • 2013 — Godheten — Self

Thommy Berggren is recorded as having received Eugene O'Neill Award and Swedish Academy's Theatre Award. Recorded at birth as Tommy William Berggren.