Wikipedia / Bo Svenson
Wikipedia / Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson (born 13 February 1941) is a Swedish-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his roles in American genre films of the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life
Svenson was born in Sweden, the son of Birger Ragnar Svensson (1917–?), an athlete and the personal driver and bodyguard for the King of Sweden, and musician/big band leader Iris Viola "Lola" Svensson (1912–1998).
Svenson immigrated to the United States when he was 17, joined the United States Marine Corps, and served until his honorable discharge six years later. After his military service, Svenson settled in Florida, where he earned his living in various jobs, including professional race car driver. His first state of residence in the United States was Georgia, where he became familiar with the rural Southern accent he later employed in some of his roles. He has since become a naturalized United States citizen.
He also holds a fourth degree (Yondan) black belt in judo. He earned his first degree (Shodan) belt at Kodokan in Japan, the home dojo of Judo, while stationed in Japan in 1961 as a Marine. He was the 1961 Far East Judo Champion in the Heavyweight Division.
Career
In the late 1960s, Svenson had a recurring role in the TV series Here Come the Brides as Lumberjack Olaf "Big Swede" Gustavsen. He appeared in the 1973 made-for-TV movie Frankenstein, in which he plays the "Creature".
One of his first big-screen movie roles was opposite Robert Redford in The Great Waldo Pepper, where Redford and Svenson play rival ex-WWI U.S. Army Air Service pilots who are now employed in the hard and dangerous but wildly adventurous lives of 1920s barnstorming pilots, touring the Midwest.
In his next pursuit, Svenson took over the role of lawman Buford Pusser from Joe Don Baker in both sequels to the hit 1973 film Walking Tall, after Pusser himself, who had originally agreed to take over the role, died in an automobile crash. He reprised the role again for the short-lived 1981 television series of the same title.
One of his most famous roles in films was as murder-witness-turned-vigilante Michael McBain in the 1976 cult classic Breaking Point. He played the Soviet agent Ivan in the Magnum, P.I. episode "Did You See the Sunrise?" (1982) and many years later had a cameo as an American colonel in Inglourious Basterds, as a tribute to his role in The Inglorious Bastards; he is the only actor to appear in both films.
Svenson got name-checked by Breaking Bad's Mike Ehrmantraut.
Work with Fred Williamson
Svenson has co-starred in a number of films with Fred Williamson. They include, The Inglorious Bastards (1978), Deadly Impact (1984), Delta Force Commando (1987), The Kill Reflex (1989), Three Days to a Kill (1991), and Steele's Law (1991)
Outside acting
Svenson maintains an active role in the entertainment industry and is the Founder and CEO of MagicQuest Entertainment, a Hollywood production company since 1975, and Founder and CEO of CanAm Film Corp., a British Columbia corporation since 1992.
Filmography
Actor
Year | Title | Role |
1973 | Jack Twyman | |
1974 | Axel Olsson | |
1975 | Buford Pusser | |
1976 | Michael McBain | |
Jack Murdock | ||
1977 | The Son of the Sheik | Hamilton Burger |
Buford Pusser | ||
Gar Seberg | ||
1978 | Lieutenant Robert Yeager | |
1979 | Dr. Bob Michaels | |
Jo Bob Priddy | ||
1980 | Major Carter | |
1982 | Detective Joe Carlson | |
1983 | Sheriff Bill Cook | |
1984 | Deadly Impact | George Ryan |
The Manhunt | Sheriff | |
1985 | Kor | |
1986 | Captain Campbell | |
Captain Oliver Parkside | ||
Monk | ||
Roy Jennings, Palace Bar Owner | ||
1987 | Maniac Killer | Count Silvano |
Movie in Action | The Director | |
Sheriff Roger | ||
Colonel Galckin | ||
White Phantom | The Colonel | |
Steven Elliott Logan / Steel | ||
Colonel Keitel | ||
1988 | Kor The Conqueror | |
Captain Robertson | ||
Ethridge | ||
1989 | Ivan Moss | |
Curse II: The Bite | The Sheriff | |
Professor Andromolek | ||
1990 | Tides of War | SS Colonel |
Colonel | ||
1991 | Critical Action | Ex-Con |
Steele's Law | Sheriff Barnes | |
1992 | Three Days to a Kill | Rick |
1994 | Savage Land | Jeb |
1995 | Private Obsession | Sam Weston |
Colonel Roy Ackett | ||
1996 | Cheyenne | Captain Starrett |
1997 | Captain Pollard | |
1998 | Yukie | Richard |
2000 | Jack Thorn | |
2001 | Outlaw | Detective Maize |
2004 | Legacy | Purse Snatcher |
Reverend Harmony | ||
Reverend Harmony | ||
2005 | Hell to Pay | Del Shannon |
2006 | Detective John Amos | |
2008 | I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell | Bo Foreman |
2009 | American Colonel | |
2010 | Simon Magnusson | |
Angry | Bill | |
Vadim | ||
2014 | Mick Skinner | |
Jersey Justice | W.W. Tolliver | |
2019 | Dr. Nelson |
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1965 | Harry Hobson | Episode: "Coral Fever" | |
1967 | Actor | Episode: "Shakedown" | |
1968 | Milovan Drumm | Episode: "The Freebooters" | |
Karl | Episode: "The Mercenaries" | ||
Big Swede | 10 episodes | ||
Pardee | Episode: "The Heroes" | ||
1969 | Josh | Episode: "The Wedding" | |
G.B. Mosbie | Episode: "Love-In at Ground Zero" | ||
Haskins | Episode: "A Pinch of Salt" | ||
Bennett | Episode: "Trail to Nevermore" | ||
Baron Lars Von Gyllenskjold | Episode: "Love My Enemy" | ||
1970 | Lonnie | Episode: "The Price of the Hanging" | |
Bubba | Episode: "Welcome to the Human Race, Levi Frazee!" | ||
1971 | Georgi | Episode: "Billy the Kid" | |
Charles 'Bubba' White | Episode: "Top of the World, Ma" | ||
1972 | The Bravos | Raeder | TV movie |
Bud Reeves | Episode: "The Commitment" | ||
Carlo | Episode: "Meal Ticket" | ||
1973 | You'll Never See Me Again | Sam | TV movie |
Pike | Episode: "The Spirit-Helper" | ||
1974 | Chet Marion | Episode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw" | |
1975 | Target Risk | Lee Driscoll | TV movie |
1977 | Gar Seberg | TV movie | |
1978 | Himself | Competitor with the CBS team | |
1979 | Tom Jensen | TV movie | |
The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight | Fabien | TV movie | |
1981 | Sheriff Buford Pusser | 7 episodes | |
1982 | Ivan | Episode: "Did You See the Sun Rise?" | |
1983 | Colonel Baker | 2 episodes | |
1984 | Jealousy | Ho Hutton | TV movie |
Sheriff Jake Cutter | Episode: "A Long Way from L.A." | ||
1985 | Unknown | Episode: "Motor Homicide" | |
1987 | Maurice Fontenac | TV movie | |
1988 | Karl Anderson | 2 episodes | |
1993 | Maitland | Episode: "Walking Tall" | |
Captain Stryker | Episode: "Countdown" | ||
George Hayes | Episode: "Hero" | ||
1994 | Colonel Jeb Quintano | Episode: "Last Stand" | |
Frank McLory | Episode: "Death Dive" | ||
Ben Kinasay | Episode: "Only the Strong Survive" | ||
1995 | Uncle Nick | Episode: "Going Home" | |
1997 | Sheriff Sam | TV movie | |
1998 | Colonel Horace Buckthorn | Episode: "The Mimsers" | |
1998 | Holloway Muldoon | 2 episodes | |
2002 | Captain Mikhail Yerastov | Episodes: "Defending His Honor" and "Enemy Below" | |
2004 | Philip Carter | TV movie | |
Proof of the Man | Ken Shuftan | TV mini-series | |
2012 | Arne Dahl: Bad Blood | Daniel Brink | TV movie |
Television
Director
Year | Title |
1996 | The Road Home |
1996–1998 | |
1998 | He's Not Heavy |
2001 | Outlaw |
2004 | Legacy |
Producer
Year | Title | Notes |
1998 | Yukie | Co-producer |
2004 | Legacy | Producer |
2006 | Co-producer |
Writer
Year | Title |
2001 | Outlaw |
2004 | Legacy |
References
External links
Interviews
Interview from , tarantino.info; accessed 20 August 2015.