What happened with Björn Andrésen and Luchino Visconti? Cultural predator allegations explained as  Death in Venice star dies 

Björn Andrésen, the Swedish actor and musician, best known for his role as Tadzio in the 1971 film adaptation of Death in Venice has passed away at the age of 70 on October 25, 2025.

Andrésen gained worldwide fame at the age of 15 when he was cast by Italian director Luchino Visconti for the role. He was handpicked by Visconti for his ethereal looks during a casting call in Stockholm. He famously dubbed Andrésen as “the most beautiful boy in the world.”

Björn Andrésen shared a troubled relationship with Visconti. He has shared his negative experiences with the director. He said Visconti exploited him when he was just a teenager. He took him to a gay nightclub where he was stared at by a group of adult men which made him uncomfortable.

Continue to read more.

All we need to know about Björn Andrésen

Björn Andrésen has openly spoken about his experiences with the director Luchino Visconti in his early age. He described him as a cultural predator who was focused overwhelmingly on his appearance and youth.

Visconti died in March 1976 in Rome at the age of 69. During an interview with The Guardian, when Andrésen was asked what he would say to the director if he was alive. He told the outlet that he would have told Visconti to “f*ck off” and that Visconti, “didn’t give a f*ck” about his feelings.

He said:

“I’ve never seen so many fascists and *ssh*l*s as there are in film and theatre. Luchino was the sort of cultural predator who would sacrifice anything or anyone for the work.”

Speaking about how his casting in Death in Venice affected his life, Andrésen said that it had screwed up his life. He added that everything he will do will be associated with the film.

In another interview, the actor shared that Visconti, who dubbed him as The Most Beautiful Boy in the World during a Cannes press conference, ruined his life. The phrase turned him into a global icon, particularly in Japan. He later described that he felt like an exotic animal in a cage.

His identity as Tadzio in Death in Venice resonated powerfully with Japanese audiences and quickly turned him into a pop cultural icon.

He became the subject of the Swedish documentary, which was directed by Kristina Lindstrom and Kristian Petri. Kristina recalled that they wanted to make a real film because that's the only way Bjorn would agree to do it. She said that he was not interested in making a TV documentary which gave a sneak-peek of his private life.

Kristina said that Visconti fell in love with Björn Andrésen at first sight. He found what he was looking for in Andrésen's beauty and presence for Death in Venice but didn’t care how Andrésen himself felt about it.

Trending

Björn Andrésen's life was marked by significant hardships largely due to the exploitation he faced at the hands of Visconti. He had two children with his ex-wife Susanna Roman, but one of his children died tragically of SIDS.

He is survived by his daughter, Robine.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback