--- name: "Nils Poppe" canonical: "https://film.one/person/nils-poppe" fi1m_id: "nils-poppe" imdb_id: "nm0691555" tmdb_id: 6658 wikidata_id: "Q1067321" roles: ["Actor"] born: "31 May 1908" died: "28 June 2000" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-17T23:30:21.797730+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Nils Poppe ## Identity Nils Poppe - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/nils-poppe - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** nils-poppe - **IMDb ID:** nm0691555 - **TMDB ID:** 6658 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1067321 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Poppe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1067321, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0691555/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/6658 Actor. Born 31 May 1908 in Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden. Died 28 June 2000. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 31 May 1908, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden - **Died:** 28 June 2000 - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Poppe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1067321, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0691555/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/6658 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*The Seventh Seal*](https://film.one/film/the-seventh-seal.md) (88) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Nils Poppe > Nils Poppe makes innocence engaging without making it foolish. In *The Seventh Seal*, the practised physical comedian brings a warmth that keeps Bergman’s questions about faith attached to people we care about. In *The Seventh Seal* (1957), Nils Poppe plays Jof, a visionary juggler whose company we welcome amid the knight’s distress. Poppe gives him enough individuality to be worth watching without having to decide what he represents. We were moved by the companionship around Jof and Bibi Andersson’s Mia, because their warmth makes ordinary physical life matter beside the talk of faith. This is where we rate Poppe highly: he makes a figure in a morality play feel like someone we might want to know. His earlier comic characters were considerably less accommodating. The law-quoting student of *Sten Stensson kommer till stan* (1945) and the pedantic soldier introduced in *Soldat Bom* (1948) made rules a recurring source of comedy. Both became repeat roles, with four films for Sten Stensson Steen and seven for Fabian Bom. Poppe’s specialities were dance, acrobatics and physical timing; Annalisa Ericson was a dance and comedy partner. The casting makes sense once we stop expecting a film about faith to be solemn throughout. Bergman leaves space for broad, sometimes coarse humour, and it belongs to the same frightened world as the knight’s distress. Gunnar Björnstrand’s Jöns is important to that company too; each of these figures has more to offer than a position on belief. The dialogue occasionally labours its questions, and the actors cannot make every solemn exchange necessary. We value Poppe’s gentleness here because the film needs people whose company remains a pleasure when the discussion becomes hard work. Bergman cast him again as the Vicar in *The Devil’s Eye* (1960), their second and final film together. Poppe’s later career returned to the stage: he performed at and managed the open-air Fredriksdalsteatern in Helsingborg from 1966 until 1993. Those supporting parts occupy only a small stretch of his working life. Start with *The Seventh Seal*, and give its comedian as much attention as its knight. ## Biography Nils Poppe was a Swedish actor, comedian, director, screenwriter and theatre manager. Born Nils Einar Jönsson on 31 May 1908 in Malmö, he died on 28 June 2000 in Helsingborg. He appeared in more than fifty films for cinema and television, and was widely popular in Sweden for his comedic performances. Internationally he is best known for playing the jester Jof in Ingmar Bergman's *The Seventh Seal* (1957). He also appeared in another Bergman film, *The Devil's Eye* (1960), as the Vicar. Poppe began his career in theatre and dance before making his film debut in the 1940s; he frequently wrote and directed as well as acted, and continued stage work into his eighties. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *The Seventh Seal* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Jof — [page](https://film.one/film/the-seventh-seal.md) ## Complete filmography (60) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Nils Poppe: Rolig till varje pris* (2023), as (archive footage) - *Stjärnbilder* (1995), as (archive footage) - *Bröderna Östermans huskors* (1994), as Nils Österman · Writer - *Minns ni?* (1993), as (archive footage) - *Spanska flugan* (1993), as Anton Tideman - *The Flower from Hawaii* (1992), as Jimmy Boy · Producer - *Två man om en änka* (1991), as Emil "Mille" Pettersson - *My Sister and I* (1990), as Fabian Filosel · Writer - *AB Dun & Bolster* (1989), as Putte Bolster · Writer - *Take Me! I'm Yours!* (1988), as Calle Pettersson - *Fars lille påg* (1986), as Amandus Propp · Writer - *Lilla helgonet* (1985), as Célestin / Floridor · Writer - *Sten Stensson Stéen går igen* (1982), as Sten Stensson Stéen · Producer - *Mimmi från Möllevången* (1981), as Pelle Finkel · Writer - *Min syster och jag* (1980), as Fabian Filosel · Writer - *Fantastiska pappa* (1978), as Perrichon · Writer - *Oskulden från Mölle* (1977), as Putte Bolster, Duuns kompanjon · Writer - *Sten Stensson kommer tillbaka* (1963), as Sten Stensson · Writer - *Stad vid färdeväg* (1961), as Narrator - *The Devil's Eye* (1960), as The Vicar - *Lejon på stan* (1959), as Charlie - *Just a Waiter* (1959), as Fabian Bom · Screenplay - *Flottans överman* (1958), as Fabian Bom · Writer - *The Seventh Seal* (1957), as Jof — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-seventh-seal.md) - *Skorpan* (1956), Writer - *Ljuset från Lund* (1955), as Sten Stensson Steen - *Stampen* (1955), as Patrik Palmquist - *Dumbom* (1953), as Fabian Bom · Director, Writer - *Dance, My Doll* (1953), as Sebastian Pettersson · Writer - *Flyg-Bom* (1952), as Fabian Bom - *Snurren direkt* (1952), Actor - *Adolf i toppform* (1952), Actor - *Kronans glada gossar* (1952), Actor - *Livat på luckan* (1951), Actor - *Tull-Bom* (1951), as Fabian Bom · Writer - *Father Bom* (1949), as Fabian Bom · Writer - *The Lord from the Lane* (1949), as Tiburtius 'Tibbe' Pettersson · Writer - *Hur tokigt som helst* (1949), as Jack of all trades - *Private Bom* (1948), as Fabian Bom · Writer - *Tappa inte sugen* (1947), as Pelle Olsson · Screenplay - *Stackars lilla Sven* (1947), Writer - *The Balloon* (1946), as Sten Stensson Steen / Orvar Knatte / Yusuf / The King / Beppo · Director, Writer - *Money: A Tragicomic Saga* (1946), as Harry Orvar Larsson · Director, Writer - *Females At Play* (1945), as Sgt. Kalle Svensson · Writer - *Sten Stensson kommer till stan* (1945), as Sten Stensson Stéen · Writer - *Det går som en dans...* (1943), as Viktor Mattson - *Det spökar - det spökar...* (1943), as Vicke Vire - *Som fallen från skyarna* (1943), as Dr. Baltazar - *Aktören* (1943), as Philip Vinberg - *Tre skojiga skojare* (1942), as Fabian Lundegren - *Tre glada tokar* (1942), as Brutus Rhuter - *Beredskapspojkar* (1940), as Nisse Nyberg - *Karusellen går* (1940), as Nisse Lind - *...som en tjuv om natten* (1940), as Manager Svalling - *Kronans käcka gossar* (1940), as 52 Nisse Ek - *Melodin från Gamla Stan* (1939), as Nisse Karlsson · musician - *Spöke till salu* (1939), Actor - *Adolf i eld och lågor* (1939), as Knutte - *Send Home Number 7* (1937), as Undergraduate Blom - *Adolf Armstarke* (1937), as Skogens Konung ## Gallery - ![Nils Poppe](https://film.one/media/person/106062/gallery-fa1484d0d6ef.jpg) Nils Poppe — original work: uncredited; cropped by Elinnea, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Nils_Poppe_1942.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Actors Annalisa Ericson and Nils Poppe in the first Swedish production in 1942 of Jerome Kern's and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Show Boat" at the Oscarsteatern](https://film.one/media/person/106062/gallery-78797a837d1a.jpg) Actors Annalisa Ericson and Nils Poppe in the first Swedish production in 1942 of Jerome Kern's and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Show Boat" at the Oscarsteatern — Unknown, not credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Annalisa_Ericson_och_Nils_Poppe_1942.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Jonas Högström´s portrait av Swedish actor and theatre manager Nils Poppe, Fredriksdalsparken, Helsingborg, Sweden (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/106062/gallery-9bd42b87c593.jpg) Jonas Högström´s portrait av Swedish actor and theatre manager Nils Poppe, Fredriksdalsparken, Helsingborg, Sweden (2010) — Boberger. Photo: Bengt Oberger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Jonas_Hogstrom_Nils_Poppe_1.JPG/1280px-Jonas_Hogstrom_Nils_Poppe_1.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Detail of Jonas Hogström´s portrait of Nils Poppe, Fredriksdalsparken, Helsingborg (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/106062/gallery-390e89bfe252.jpg) Detail of Jonas Hogström´s portrait of Nils Poppe, Fredriksdalsparken, Helsingborg (2010) — Boberger.Photo: Bengt Oberger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Jonas_Hogstrom_Nils_Poppe_2.JPG/1280px-Jonas_Hogstrom_Nils_Poppe_2.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) ## Awards ### Other awards — 11 won - Malmö City Culture Award 1990: Malmö City Culture Award (won) - Swedish Academy's Theatre Award 1989: Swedish Academy's Theatre Award (won) - Årets Skåning 1988: Årets Skåning (won) - Illis quorum 1988: Illis quorum (won) - H. M. The King's Medal 1987: H. M. The King's Medal (won) - Lisebergsapplåden 1987: Lisebergsapplåden (won) - Litteris et Artibus 1987: Litteris et Artibus (won) - Karl Gerhards Hederspris 1982: Karl Gerhards Hederspris (won) - Edvardpriset 1979: Edvardpriset (won) - Helsingborgsmedaljen 1975: Helsingborgsmedaljen (won) - Årets Skåning 1974: Årets Skåning (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/nils-poppe