Hans Gösta Gustaf Ekman (28 July 1939 – 1 April 2017) was a Swedish actor, comedian, and director.

Career

Ekman was born in Stockholm, Sweden and was the son of the director Hasse Ekman and Agneta (née Wrangel). Ekman represents the third generation in a family of prominent Swedish actors. First in the line was his paternal grandfather, also named Gösta Ekman, followed by his father Hasse Ekman, a successful film director and actor. Ekman's theatrical family also includes his brothers Stefan Ekman and Mikael Ekman, a stage director, and his niece, Sanna Ekman, an actress. He has been married since 1989 to artist and film director Marie-Louise Ekman, previously Marie-Louise De Geer Bergenstråhle, née Fuchs. Ekman sometimes appears in credits as Gösta Ekman, Jr. to avoid being confused with his famous grandfather.

He was an assistant director to Per-Axel Branner, Hasse Ekman, Stig Olin, Bengt Ekerot and Ingmar Bergman from 1956 to 1961. Ekman started his acting career in the theaters, such as the Alléteatern from 1956 to 1957, Munkbroteatern in 1959 and the Stockholm City Theatre in 1960. He has also appeared in several Swedish films, including the Jönssonligan series. He is most famous for his comedic works, especially his collaboration with the comic duo Hasse & Tage on stage and in films—where he often played the leading parts. His body of work, though, includes a number of genres, including a series of dramatic police films, in which he played the famous fictional Swedish policeman Martin Beck.

While Ekman officially retired from stage and film work in 2003, he returned in 2005 to play leading parts in his wife's two films, Asta Nilssons sällskap and Pingvinresan. In 2007, he directed the play Gäckanden for the Swedish Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.

Personal life

He was married 1963–1974 to Karl Gerhard's adopted daughter Fatima Svendsen (born 1944) with whom he had the son Måns Ekman (born 1964). Subsequently, he was 1979-1987 married to Pia Harahap (born 1955), with whom he had two adopted children. In 1989 he married Marie-Louise Ekman (born 1944).  They were married until Gösta Ekman's death.

He died on 1 April 2017, at the age of 77.

Awards and nominations

Ekman won the Swedish film award Guldbagge Award in 1993 for his role as policeman Martin Beck in the Guldbagge-winning film The Man on the Balcony, based on the 1967 novel by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Ekman also won the special Hedersguldbaggen (Honorable Guldbagge) award in 2008 for his service to the Swedish film and theater industry.

Notable quote

I was a celebrity even as a sperm.

— Gösta Ekman on being his father's son, as well as being named after his grandfather, both being famed actors.

Selected filmography

• 2003 – Illusive Tracks (Skenbart - en film om tåg)
• 2000 – En fot i graven (TV-series)
• 2000 – Soldater i månsken (mini series)
• 2000 – Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sig
• 1995 – En på miljonen
• 1994 – Stockholm Marathon (Beck-film)
• 1994 – Polismördaren (Beck-film)
• 1993 – Mannen på balkongen (Beck-film)
• 1993 – Polis polis potatismos! (Beck-film)
• 1993 – Brandbilen som försvann (Beck-film)
• 1993 – Roseanna (Beck-film)
• 1992 – Vennerman och Winge (TV-series)
• 1991 – Duo Jag (TV-series)
• 1990 – Den hemliga vännen
• 1989 – Jönssonligan på Mallorca
• 1988 – Vargens tid
• 1986 – Jönssonligan dyker upp igen
• 1986 – Morrhår och ärtor (also director)
• 1985 – Dödspolare
• 1984 – Jönssonligan får guldfeber
• 1984 – Magister Flykt (narrator)
• 1984 – Slagskämpen (sv) (The Inside Man)
• 1983 – P&B
• 1983 – Kalabaliken i Bender
• 1982 – Den enfaldige mördaren (The Simple-Minded Murder) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1982 – Jönssonligan och Dynamit-Harry
• 1982 – Gräsänklingar (One Week Bachelors)
• 1981 – Varning för Jönssonligan
• 1981 – SOPOR (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1980 – Mannen som blev miljonär
• 1979 – En kärleks sommar
• 1979 – Farbrorn som inte ville va' stor (narrator)
• 1978 – Picassos äventyr (The Adventures of Picasso) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1978 – En vandring i solen
• 1976 – Face to Face
• 1976 – En dåres försvarstal (TV-series)
• 1975 – Släpp fångarne loss, det är vår! (Release the Prisoners to Spring) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1975 – Ägget är löst! (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1974 – Dunderklumpen! (voice)
• 1973 – Kvartetten som sprängdes (The Quartet That Broke Up) (TV-series)
• 1972 – Mannen som slutade röka (The Man Who Quit Smoking) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1972 – Experimentlek
• 1971 – Äppelkriget (The Apple War) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1971 – Niklas och figuren
• 1969 – Duett för kannibaler
• 1969 – Som natt och dag
• 1969 – Spader, Madame!
• 1968 – I huvet på en gammal gubbe (Out of an Old Man's Head) (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1968 – Jag älskar, du älskar
• 1966 – Yngsjömordet
• 1965 – Att angöra en brygga (Docking the Boat) (Hasse & Tagefilm)
• 1965 – Niklasons (TV series)
• 1965 – Festivitetssalongen
• 1965 – Nattcafé
• 1964 – Äktenskapsbrottaren
• 1964 – Svenska bilder (Hasse & Tage film)
• 1962 – Chans
• 1962 – Nils Holgerssons underbara resa
• 1956 – Swing it, fröken