Björn Andrésen, the Swedish actor and musician best known for his role in the 1971 film Death in Venice when he was a teenager, has passed away at the age of 70.
Kristian Petri, co-director of the 2021 documentary The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, confirmed his passing to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. The reason for his death has not been made public.
I was amazed to learn that Björn Andrésen was only fifteen years old when he was chosen by the famous Italian director Luchino Visconti for the film Death in Venice. It’s incredible to think about, considering the movie is based on a classic story by Thomas Mann, originally written back in 1912!
He became famous for playing Tadzio, a strikingly beautiful boy who captures the attention of an older man in the film. At the movie’s debut, the director, Visconti, famously declared him “the most beautiful boy in the world.” While the label followed him throughout his life, he later admitted it ultimately caused him considerable distress.
In interviews over the years, Andrésen spoke about how that sudden fame affected him deeply.
He recalled a time when Visconti brought him to a gay club at age 16, where he felt intensely scrutinized by the older men present. He described the waiters looking at him as if he were an object, and explained he felt unable to respond for fear of social repercussions. He added that this was just the first of several similar experiences.
Following the film’s release, Andrésen stated that Visconti never reached out to him again. He later explained to The Guardian that being labeled “the most beautiful” actually made him feel confined, like “an exotic animal in a cage,” as he put it in 2003. In a more recent interview with The Guardian four years ago, he said he would confront Visconti if given the chance, even telling him to “f off,” and described the director as a “cultural predator who would sacrifice anything or anyone for his work.”
He readily admitted the experience profoundly impacted his life. He famously said, “Death in Venice really messed me up,” but also expressed his frustration at being defined solely by that one movie.
While many recognized him for his good looks and initial success, Andrésen was also a skilled musician. He was a pianist and songwriter, and in the 1970s, he even achieved pop star status in Japan. He also performed and toured as a member of the Swedish dance band, Sven Erics.
Andrésen faced many personal struggles. He had two children with his former wife, the poet Susanna Roman: a daughter named Robine and a son, Elvin, who tragically died from sudden infant death syndrome when he was only nine months old. It was reported that Andrésen was with his son when this happened, following a night of drinking, and the loss deeply affected him, leading to prolonged grief and increased alcohol consumption.
Even with his challenges, Andrésen kept acting, appearing in over 30 movies and TV shows throughout his career. He even had a small part in the 2019 horror film Midsommar directed by Ari Aster.
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2025-10-27 18:44