Björn Andrésen's complete filmography and career highlights explored as Midsommar star dies at 70

Björn Andrésen, the Swedish actor and musician best known for his role as Tadzio in Death in Venice (1971), passed away on October 25, 2025, at the age of 70. The world knew him, and his life and career were defined by his acting skills as the angelic young boy in the movie by Luchino Visconti. Even though such a role received his attention at a young age, Andrésen later told of how the fame at such a tender age had taken a toll on him.

Björn Andrésen was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and started acting when he was a teenager. He had his debut in a local movie, A Swedish Love Story (1970), which received critical attention. But it was Death in Venice that transformed his life in a day. Visconti referred to him as the handsomest boy in the world, which was a saying that remained in his recollection all his life, a curse as well as a blessing. Andrésen later thought about the effect of that label in interviews and in a 2021 documentary of his life.

Andrésen has had a prolific career in film, television, and music over the years. He did the work in Swedish, Finnish, and foreign productions. He never again attempted to gain fame on such a scale, but continued more than half a century to be active in the arts.

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Björn Andrésen's early career and breakthrough

Björn Andrésen made his film debut in 1970 with A Swedish Love Story, a poignant portrayal of young love that brought him recognition in the film industry. A year later, he was selected by an Italian director, Luchino Visconti, to play Tadzio in Death in Venice.

The movie was a huge success, and the picture of Andrésen was spread across the globe. But, in retrospect, he claimed that the attention and the manner in which he was treated when the movie was being promoted were a shock.

Björn Andrésen also played in Swedish movies like the Bluff Stop (1977) and the Simple-Minded Murderer (1982), which followed Death in Venice. He engaged himself in local work, generally in minor parts. This was the time when he paid more attention to finding out more about acting, and he attempted to lose the fame that marked his childhood. He also pursued his interest in music, and he was a renowned pianist and composer in Sweden.

Björn Andrésen remained a part of Swedish TV shows such as Maskrosbarn (1989) and Agnes Cecilia - en sallsam historia (1991) in the 1980s and 1990s. These minor roles kept him involved in the craft and gave him a chance to redefine his career in his own way.

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Later work and legacy

After a long absence from the screen, Björn Andrésen came back to acting in the 2000s. He was featured in Pelicanman (2004), a Finnish family movie, and Lasermannen (2005), a Swedish mini-series. His subsequent work revealed that he could assume mature, character-driven roles that were opposite to his image in his early years.

He received a firm resurgence into the international spotlight with his appearance in 2019 in the horror film Midsommar, as Dan. The film also ushered him into a new generation of fans and made people remember his long and diverse career.

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Around the same time in 2021, the documentary The Most Beautiful Boy in the World was released, exploring Björn Andrésen’s life story and the aftermath of Death in Venice. The film was widely praised for its honest and thoughtful portrayal of fame, identity, and the lasting impact of early stardom on Andrésen’s life.

During his later years, Andrésen has been featured in Swedish television series such as Agatha Christie's Hjerson (2021), in which he portrays Oscar. He remained active in the creative world and often reflected on his experiences as a young actor navigating international cinema. Through the tragedy of his family and substance problems, he still managed to write and tell his story.

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