Game of Thrones and The Exorcist actor Max von Sydow dies aged 90

(Image credit: HBO)

Max von Sydow – best known for his roles in The Seventh Seal, Game of Thrones, and The Exorcist – has died at the age of 90. He passed away at his home in France. 

His agent, Jean Diamond, said in a statement: "It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow, March 8, 2020."

Born in Sweden, Sydow first came to international attention thanks to his 11 collaborations with director Ingmar Bergman, including The Seventh Seal (1957), in which the actor portrayed a knight who plays chess with Death. 

Sydow went on to have an eclectic career, swaying between both European arthouse movies and Hollywood blockbusters. Notable roles included playing Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon (1980), James Bond villain Blofeld in Never Say Never Again (1983), and Lamar Burgess in Minority Report (2002).

More recently, he played the mysterious Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and the mystical Three-Eyed Raven in the HBO show Game of Thrones (2016). 

Throughout his lifetime, he received two Oscar nominations for her performances in Pelle the Conqueror (1987) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). His last role was alongside Léa Seydoux in the Belgium-French drama Kursk (2018).

Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.