
Died at 97
male
Max von Sydow (born Carl Adolf von Sydow; April 10, 1929 – March 8, 2020) was a Swedish actor. He also held French citizenship since 2002. He starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more. He performed in films filmed in many languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, English, Italian, German, Danish, French and Spanish. Some of his most memorable film roles include knight Antonius Block in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (the first of his eleven films with Bergman and the film that includes the iconic shot of his career in the scene where he plays chess with Death), Jesus in George Stevens's The Greatest Story Ever Told, Father Merrin in Friedkin's The Exorcist, Joubert the assassin in Three Days of the Condor, and Ming the Merciless in the 1980 version of Flash Gordon. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award - Best Leading Actor for Pelle the Conqueror (1988) and Best Supporting Actor for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011).

Max von Sydow

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
for Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part One (1984)
Suggested by user_196836

The story takes place in the far future of humanity, in the Galactic Padishah Empire. By Imperial decree, Duke Leto of House Atreides is given stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, the Spice Melange. The Spice is a drug that extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes foldspace travel possible. Although Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, House Harkonnen (who were in charge of harvesting the Spice on Arrakis before and had to withdraw), he takes his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, young son and heir Paul, and most of his trusted advisers to Arrakis. Leto takes control of the Spice mining operation, which is made perilous by the presence of gigantic sandworms. A surprise attack by the Harkonnens and Imperial Sardaukar then overwhelms House Atreides, and Paul and Jessica flee in the desert in search of the Fremen, the natives of Arrakis. While on the run, Paul has visions of a possible destiny for himself, and a bloody one at that, which might change the galaxy forever...