Why did Björn Andrésen say Death in Venice "screwed up" his life? Old interview resurfaces as actor dies at 70

Swedish actor and musician Björn Andrésen, best known for his role as Tadzio in Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film Death in Venice, has died at the age of 70. After his death, an old interview with The Guardian has been rediscovered where Andrésen comments on the effect the movie that brought him fame also had a profound impact on his life. He was cast when he was only 15 years old and is dubbed the most beautiful boy in the world, a title that has plagued him over the decades.

The novella was adapted into the 1971 film of the same title and made Andrésen an overnight icon. But the process of shooting the film and the world's response to his acting created some permanent emotional scars.

In the interview, Andrésen said bluntly that the movie “screwed up my life quite decently.”

His remarks revealed how deeply fame, exploitation, and early objectification had impacted his personal growth and sense of self. The Most Beautiful Boy in the World (2021) documentary addressed the challenges faced by Andrésen following the release of the film, and demonstrated how the fame that previously made him known also caused disorientation and suffering.

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The pressure of sudden fame on Björn Andrésen

Björn Andrésen was a teenager when Luchino Visconti was casting him in Death in Venice. His appearance was considered by the director of the film as the epitome of beauty; however, later, Andrésen referred to the experience as dehumanizing and awkward. Visconti is said to have requested him to remove his shirt during his audition, with the body being assessed in the presence of a crowd of adults. Andrésen remembered feeling “intimidated” and “awkward.”

In the same interview, he criticized the director’s behavior. “Luchino was the sort of cultural predator who would sacrifice anything or anyone for the work,” he said.

He added that Visconti “didn’t give a f*ck” about his feelings.

The director even took the young actor to a gay club after the shooting, a place that, according to Andrésen, disoriented him.

Björn Andrésen was startled by the attention during the premiere of the movie at the Cannes Film Festival. The crowd was big, and journalists treated him as an object but not as a human being.

In the documentary, he recalled the moment vividly: “It felt like swarms of bats around me. It was a living nightmare.”

What should have been a career breakthrough instead became a moment of trauma that shaped how he saw fame for the rest of his life.

Read More: Death in Venice star Björn Andrésen dies at 70

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A life overshadowed by one role

Even as he pursued other interests, including music, Björn Andrésen found it impossible to escape the shadow of Death in Venice.

“No one seems very interested in that side of me,” he once said of his work as a pianist.

For decades, he was identified only as Tadzio, the symbol of ideal beauty rather than as a full person or artist.

Björn Andrésen’s fame also brought exploitation. During his time in Japan, he was pushed into public appearances and performances, often without proper care or rest. In Paris, he was financially supported by older men, a period he later referred to as his biggest regret. The film’s success had turned him into an image others wanted to control.

He later reflected that being idolized as a “beautiful boy” interfered with his normal emotional growth.

“A guy who’s in the middle of his own teenage hormone tempest doesn’t want to be called ‘beautiful,’” he said.

The early fame made it hard for him to form healthy relationships or understand his own identity.

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