Swedish actor Death in Venice,” has died. He was 70.
Andrésen’s death was announced on Sunday by Kristian Petri and Kristina Lindström, co-directors of the 2021 documentary “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World,” which explored the trauma suffered by Andrésen during and after “Death in Venice.” He was just 16 when he landed the life-changing role opposite an older man, a composer grappling with failing health played by Dirk Bogarde who becomes obsessed with the 14-year-old Tadzio.
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Petri told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that Andrésen died on Saturday and remembered him as a “brave person” who “had an incredible charisma and presence in front of the camera.” The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
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Born in Stockholm in 1955, Andrésen had a traumatic childhood after his father died in an accident followed by his mom’s death by suicide when he was 10. He was raised by his grandmother who, looking to capitalize on his high cheekbones and cherubic looks, pushed him into modeling and acting which led to being cast by Visconti in the performance that made him an overnight star. That lucky break became a nightmare, particularly after Visconti labelled Andrésen the “most beautiful boy in the world” at a Cannes press conference.
“Life and career-wise, it fucked up a lot of things,” Andrésen told Variety in 2021 when the doc came out.
“The Most Beautiful Boy in the World” contains footage of Andrésen’s audition for Visconti, in which he’s photographed shirtless. “When they asked me to take off my shirt, I wasn’t comfortable,” Andrésen told Variety in 2021. “I wasn’t prepared for that. I remember when he posed me with one foot against the wall, I would never stand like that. When I watch it now, I see how that son of a bitch sexualized me,” he said.
Following “Death in Venice,” Andrésen went to Japan where he became a pop star. “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World” includes footage of the actor being swarmed with fans when his plane touches down in Tokyo.
He subsequently continued to act, with appearances in more than 30 movies and TV series, most recently in Ari Aster’s 2019 horror film “Midsommar” in a small role as an elderly man named Dan.
Andrésen is survived by his daughter Robine, whom he had with his ex-wife, the poet Susanna Roman.
