Stig Järrel

Biography

Stig Järrel was born Stig Ohlsson in Malmberget in northern Sweden in 1910. In 1929, he was admitted as a drama student at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school in Stockholm, and worked later for actor Gösta Ekman. He made his debut in a 1936 film with actor Edvard Persson called Larsson i det andra giftet. Stig Järrels was notably productive with an average participation of 6 films per year (often appearing in large supporting roles or leading ones), making it a total of 131 film roles during his career. He was known in the business as a "workoholic" and his personal record in film making was done in 1954, when he participated in 12 films.

He is best remembered for his portrayal of the cruel Latin teacher Caligula in the Alf Sjöberg film Torment from 1944. Järrel later said that his Caligula-portrayal was the only film part during his acting career that he could say he was proud of and fairly satisfied with. Järrel, who was known as a self-imposed perfectionist among colleagues, was otherwise in his native Sweden above all recognized as a magnificent comedian and revue artist on stage. Most of his parts on film are comedy parts as well. His most popular comedy part on screen is probably his Little Märta in Hasse Ekman's 1945 film comedy Fram för lilla Märta; where Järrel does a Tony Curtis/Jack Lemmon-act and gets dragged up as a most successful "woman" in the Swedish parliament that makes a magnificent political career, lobbying for women's rights!

Järrel worked with the leading revue producers in Sweden and in one show developed the much popular character Fibban Karlsson, a choleric old man who reflected on the everyday life in monologues in his own little ways. The character became a re-appearing favourite for years to come in revues. Järrel retired in the 1980s and moved to the French Riviera. He died at Monte Carlo, Monaco, in 1998.