# RIP Max von Sydow **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [March 9, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148 "2020-03-09T14:43:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/21 "2020-03-10T01:22:43Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > So embarrassed that I thought first of **Strange Brew…** No, _no_, do _not_ be embarrassed about that - it ruled too much to. _Seal_’s Death provided my first Doper avatars here, but my takeaway of him will always be the scene near the end of _Citizen X_, as a psychiatrist, as he calmly reads a description of what turns out to be the same sociopathic character traits of the eponymous killer, sitting across from him (who then breaks down). I was way too drunk for the somewhat trippy _Steppenwolf_ and will have to watch again - all I remember is something about an impish musician schooling MSV with Beethoven on flute. And lots of wierd dissolves. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/22 "2020-03-10T04:34:10Z")
Hey, I didn’t realize he was Swedish. Rest in Peace, Max, and thank you for your artistry. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/23 "2020-03-10T04:37:21Z")
Perhaps it is indicative of the profession, as well as the passage of time and fancies, that the knight in _The Seventh Seal_ is also responsible for the line, “I could crush your head, like a nut. But I won’t, because I need you,” from _Strange Brew._ The fact that he played both The Exorcist and Ming the Merciless, just … well, RIP, Mr. von Sydow. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/24 "2020-03-10T18:54:43Z")
I kind of knew this would be coming, but still disappointing. He will have had a career in movies for 9 separate decades. > [@Alessan](#): > > He was great as Esbern in Skyrim. > > (I know, it was just a video game, but he created a wonderful, fully-formed character). Fuck Esbern though. > [@BlankSlate](#): > > He was the old man who shepherded Bran through some flashbacks, for instance when Hodor’s origin was revealed. Or perhaps you’ll remember the ancient dude dispensing wisdom while stuck in the roots of a tree? It was a different actor as a tree initially, then Sydow took over to train Bran in… having an interesting story. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/25 "2020-03-10T22:26:30Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He was great as Esbern in Skyrim. > > (I know, it was just a video game, but he created a wonderful, fully-formed character). Yeah, Until he tried to make me kill Parthurnax. I just walked away from the blades quest at that point 7 years ago, and haven’t been back to SkyHaven since. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148/26 "2020-03-11T04:53:52Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Yeah, Until he tried to make me kill Parthurnax. I just walked away from the blades quest at that point 7 years ago, and haven’t been back to SkyHaven since. At least on PC, there’s a mod to tell him and Delphine to stuff their shenanigans. [Normal](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/18465)and [SE](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/365). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-max-von-sydow/849148.md?page=1)