Bo Svenson

Last updated

Bo Svenson
Bo Headshot 2023.jpg
Svenson in 2023
Born (1941-02-13) 13 February 1941 (age 83)
Gothenburg, Sweden
Occupation(s)Actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active1965–present
Spouse
Lise Svenson
(m. 1966)
Children3 [1]
Website bosvenson.com

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.

Contents

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 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]

Filmography

Actor

Film
YearTitleRole
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
1977The Son of the SheikHamilton Burger
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 Virus Major Carter
1982 Night Warning Detective Joe Carlson
1983 Thunder Sheriff Bill Cook
1984Deadly ImpactGeorge Ryan
The ManhuntSheriff
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
1987Maniac KillerCount Silvano
Movie in ActionThe Director
Thunder II Sheriff Roger
Double Target Colonel Galckin
White PhantomThe Colonel
Brothers in Blood Steven Elliott Logan / Steel
Delta Force Commando Colonel Keitel
1988 Andy Colby's Incredible Adventure Kor The Conqueror
Deep Space Captain Robertson
Primal Rage Ethridge
1989 Soda Cracker Ivan Moss
Curse II: The BiteThe Sheriff
Beyond the Door III Professor Andromolek
1990Tides of WarSS Colonel
Laser Mission Colonel
1991Critical ActionEx-Con
Steele's LawSheriff Barnes
1992Three Days to a KillRick
1994Savage LandJeb
1995Private ObsessionSam Weston
Steel Frontier Colonel Roy Ackett
1996CheyenneCaptain Starrett
1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control Captain Pollard
1998YukieRichard
2000 Crackerjack 3 Jack Thorn
2001OutlawDetective Maize
2004LegacyPurse Snatcher
Kill Bill: Volume 2 Reverend Harmony
2005Hell to PayDel Shannon
2006 Raising Jeffrey Dahmer Detective John Amos
2008I Am Somebody: No Chance in HellBo Foreman
2009 Inglourious Basterds American Colonel
2010 The 7 Adventures of Sinbad Simon Magnusson
AngryBill
Icarus Vadim
2014 The Dependables Mick Skinner
Jersey JusticeW.W. Tolliver
2019 Finding Grace Dr. Nelson
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1965 Flipper Harry HobsonEpisode: "Coral Fever"
1967 N.Y.P.D. ActorEpisode: "Shakedown"
1968 Premiere Milovan DrummEpisode: "The Freebooters"
Mission Impossible KarlEpisode: "The Mercenaries"
Here Comes the Brides Big Swede10 episodes
The Outcasts PardeeEpisode: "The Heroes"
1969 Lancer JoshEpisode: "The Wedding"
The Name of the Game G.B. MosbieEpisode: "Love-In at Ground Zero"
Daniel Boone HaskinsEpisode: "A Pinch of Salt"
The High Chaparral BennettEpisode: "Trail to Nevermore"
Ironside Baron Lars Von GyllenskjoldEpisode: "Love My Enemy"
1970 The Virginian LonnieEpisode: "The Price of the Hanging"
The Mod Squad BubbaEpisode: "Welcome to the Human Race, Levi Frazee!"
1971 The Chicago Teddy Bears GeorgiEpisode: "Billy the Kid"
McCloud Charles 'Bubba' WhiteEpisode: "Top of the World, Ma"
1972The BravosRaederTV movie
The Rookies Bud ReevesEpisode: "The Commitment"
Banyon CarloEpisode: "Meal Ticket"
1973You'll Never See Me AgainSamTV movie
Kung Fu PikeEpisode: "The Spirit-Helper"
1974 The Snoop Sisters Chet MarionEpisode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw"
1975Target RiskLee DriscollTV movie
1977 Snowbeast Gar SebergTV movie
1979 Gold of the Amazon Women Tom JensenTV movie
The Spirit of Adventure: Night FlightFabienTV movie
1981 Walking Tall Sheriff Buford Pusser7 episodes
1982 Magnum, P.I. IvanEpisode: "Did You See the Sun Rise?"
1983 The Fall Guy Colonel Baker2 episodes
1984JealousyHo HuttonTV movie
Hunter Sheriff Jake CutterEpisode: "A Long Way from L.A."
1985 Crazy like a Fox UnknownEpisode: "Motor Homicide"
1987 The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission Maurice FontenacTV movie
1988 Murder, She Wrote Karl Anderson2 episodes
1993 Neon Rider MaitlandEpisode: "Walking Tall"
Street Justice Captain StrykerEpisode: "Countdown"
The Commish George HayesEpisode: "Hero"
1994 Lonesome Dove: The Series Colonel Jeb QuintanoEpisode: "Last Stand"
Cobra Frank McLoryEpisode: "Death Dive"
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Ben KinasayEpisode: "Only the Strong Survive"
1995 Pointman Uncle NickEpisode: "Going Home"
1997 Heartless Sheriff SamTV movie
1998 Dead Man's Gun Colonel Horace BuckthornEpisode: "The Mimsers"
1998 Due South Holloway Muldoon2 episodes
2002 JAG Captain Mikhail Yerastov2 episodes
2004 I'll Be Seeing You Philip CarterTV movie
Proof of the ManKen ShuftanTV mini-series
2012Arne Dahl: Bad BloodDaniel BrinkTV movie

Director

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

Producer

YearTitleNotes
1998YukieCo-producer
2004LegacyProducer
2006 Raising Jeffrey Dahmer Co-producer

Writer

YearTitle
2001Outlaw
2004Legacy

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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.
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