Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson
Born (1941-02-13) 13 February 1941
Gothenburg, Sweden
Occupation(s)Actor, film director, film producer, published author, screenwriter
Years active1965–present
Spouse
Lise Svenson
​
(m. 1966)​
Children3[1]
Websitebosvenson.com

Bo Svenson (born Bo Ragnar Svensson; 13 February 1941) is a Swedish-American actor, film director, film producer, published author and award winning 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 emigrated to the United States when he was 17, joined the United States Marine Corps, and served until his honorable discharge six years later.[2] After his military service, Svenson settled in Florida, where he earned his living in various jobs, including professional race car driver.[3][4] 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.[4] He has since become a naturalized United States citizen.[5]

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.[6] He was the 1961 Far East Judo Champion in the Heavyweight Division.[4]

Career

In the late 1960s, Svenson had a recurring role in the hit 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 name.[7]

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.[7]

Svenson got name-checked by Breaking Bad's Mike Ehrmantraut.[8]

Work with Fred Williamson

Svenson has co-starred in a number of films with Fred Williamson. They include, The Inglorious Bastards (1978),[9] Deadly Impact (1984),[10] Delta Force Commando (1987),[11] The Kill Reflex (1989),[12] Three Days to a Kill (1991),[13] and Steele's Law (1991)[14]

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.[15]

Interviews

Filmography

Actor

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 Maurie Jack Twyman
1974 The Great Waldo Pepper Axel Olsson
1975 Walking Tall, Part 2 Buford Pusser
1976 Breaking Point Michael McBain
Special Delivery Jack Murdock
1977 The Son of the Sheik Unknown
Snowbeast Gar Seberg
Walking Tall: Final Chapter Buford Pusser
1978 The Inglorious Bastards Lieutenant Robert Yeager
1979 Portrait of a Hitman Dr. Bob Michaels
North Dallas Forty Jo Bob Priddy
1980 Sverige åt svenskarna The Lad
Virus Major Carter
1982 Night Warning Detective Joe Carlson
1983 Thunder Warrior Sheriff Bill Cook
1984 Deadly Impact George Ryan
The Manhunt Sheriff
1985 Wizards of the Lost Kingdom Kor
1986 The Delta Force Captain Campbell
Choke Canyon Captain Oliver Parkside
Armour of God Monk
Heartbreak Ridge Roy Jennings, Palace Bar Owner
1987 Maniac Killer Count Silvano
Movie in Action The Director
Thunder Warrior II Sheriff Roger
Double Target Colonel Galckin
White Phantom The Colonel
Brothers in Blood Steven Elliott Logan / Steel
1988 Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure Kor The Conqueror
Delta Force Commando Colonel Keitel
Deep Space Captain Robertson
Primal Rage Ethridge
1989 Soda Cracker Ivan Moss
Curse II: The Bite The Sheriff
Beyond the Door III Professor Andromolek
1990 Tides of War SS Colonel
Laser Mission 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
Steel Frontier Colonel Roy Ackett
1996 Cheyenne Captain Starrett
1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control Captain Pollard
1998 Yukie Richard
2000 Crackerjack 3 Jack Thorn
2001 Outlaw Detective Maize
2004 Legacy Purse Snatcher
Kill Bill: Volume 2 Reverend Harmony
2005 Hell to Pay Del Shannon
2006 Raising Jeffrey Dahmer Detective John Amos
2008 I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell Bo, Foreman
2009 Inglourious Basterds American Colonel
2010 Jersey Justice W.W. Tolliver
The 7 Adventures of Sinbad Simon Magnusson
Angry Bill
Icarus Vadim
2014 The Dependables Mick Skinner
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1965 Flipper Harry Hobson Episode: "Coral Fever"
1967 N.Y.P.D. Actor Episode: "Shakedown"
1968 Premier Milovan Drumm Episode: "The Freebooters"
Mission Impossible Karl Episode: "The Mercenaries"
Here Comes the Brides 'Big Swede' 10 episodes
1969 Lancer Josh Episode: "The Wedding"
The Name of the Game G.B. Mosbie Episode: "Love-In at Ground Zero"
Daniel Boone Haskins Episode: "A Pinch of Salt"
The High Chaparral Bennett Episode: "Trail to Nevemore"
Ironside Baron Lars Von Gyllenskjold Episode: "Love My Enemy"
1970 The Virginian Lonnie Episode: "The Price of the Hanging"
Mod Squad Bubba Episode: "Welcome to the Human Race, Levi Frazee!"
1971 The Chicago Teddy Bears Georgi Episode: "Billy the Kid"
McCloud Charles 'Bubba' White Episode: "Top of the World, Ma"
1972 The Bravos Raeder TV movie
The Rookies Bud Reeves Episode: "The Commitment"
Banyon Carlo Episode: "Meal Ticket"
1973 ABC's Wide World of Entertainment Monster 2 part episode: "Frankenstein"
You'll Never See Me Again Sam TV movie
Kung Fu Pike Episode: "The Spirit-Helper"
1974 The Snoop Sisters Chet Marion Episode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw"
1975 Target Risk Lee Driscoll TV movie
1977 Snowbeast Gar Seberg TV movie
1979 Gold of the Amazon Women Tom Jensen TV movie
The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight Fabien TV movie
1981 Walking Tall Sheriff Buford Pusser 7 episodes
1982 Magnum, P.I. Ivan Episode: "Did You See the Sun Rise?"
1983 The Fall Guy Colonel Baker 2 episodes
1984 Jealousy Ho Hutton TV movie
Hunter Sheriff Jake Cutter Episode: "A Long Way from L.A."
1985 Crazy like a Fox Unknown Episode: "Motor Homicide"
1987 The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission Maurice Fontenac TV movie
1988 Murder, She Wrote Karl Anderson 2 episodes
1993 Neon Rider Maitland Episode: "Walking Tall"
Street Justice Captain Stryker Episode: "Countdown"
The Commish George Hayes Episode: "Hero"
1994 Lonesome Dove: The Series Colonel Jeb Quintano Episode: "Last Stand"
Cobra Frank McLory Episode: "Death Dive"
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Ben Kinasay Episode: "Only the Strong Survive"
1995 Pointman Uncle Nick Episode: "Going Home"
1997 Heartless Sheriff Sam TV movie
1998 Dead Man's Gun Colonel Horace Buckthorn Episode: "The Mimsers"
1998 Due South Holloway Muldoon 2-part episode: "Call of the Wild"
2002 JAG Captain Mikhail Yerastov 2 episodes
2004 I'll Be Seeing You Philip Carter TV movie
Proof of the Man Ken Shuftan TV mini-series
2012 Arne Dahl: Bad Blood Daniel Brink TV movie

Director

Year Title Notes
1996 The Road Home
1996–1998 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
1998 He's Not Heavy
2001 Outlaw
2004 Legacy
2010 Moomins and the Comet Chase Voices

Producer

Year Title Notes
1998 Yukie Co-producer
2004 Legacy Producer
2006 Raising Jeffrey Dahmer Co-producer

Writer

Year Title Notes
2001 Outlaw
2004 Legacy

References

  1. ↑ Bo Svenson bio, imdb.com; accessed 12 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Bo Svenson, Actor: Biography Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ , tcm.com;
  4. 1 2 3 Bo Svenson profile, bosvenson.com; 26 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Bo Svenson resume, imdb.com; accessed 20 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "JUDOKA AND WALKING TALL ACTOR BO SVENSON". judotalk.com. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  7. 1 2 Bo Svenson at IMDb
  8. ↑ "No More Half Measures, Walter" | Half Measures | Breaking Bad, retrieved 23 March 2022
  9. ↑ TimeOut, Friday 10 February 2023 - The 50 best World War II movies, 40. The Inglorious Bastards (1978) Written by Phil de Semlyen, Tom Huddleston
  10. ↑ ' '80s Action Movies on the Cheap, Daniel R. Budnik, 2017 - ISBN (print) 978-07864-9741-6 - Page 63 Deadly Impact
  11. ↑ TV Guide - Delta Force Commando
  12. ↑ BFI - The Kill Reflex (1989) Film details
  13. ↑ BFI - Three Days to a Kill (1991), Film Details
  14. ↑ BFI - Steele's Law (1991), Film details
  15. ↑ "Biography". Bosvenson. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.