Bengt Ekerot

Ekerot was born in Stockholm. ==Career==

He had several roles in Swedish films, but in Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957) he portrayed Death as a white-faced man in a black cloak. The decision to perform the role in this way was a joint decision between the actor and director. Bergman wrote in his autobiography Images: My Life in Film that the two men "agreed that Death should wear a clown mask, a white clown’s mask. A fusion of a clown mask and a skull." He also appeared in Bergman's 1958 film, The Magician (also released as Ansiktet (lit. Swedish: "The Face") as Johan Spegel, an ailing vaudevillian. ==Death==

A man with a self-destructive personality, health issues from smoking and excessive drinking affected Ekerot's later career resulting in him losing potential roles. He died from lung cancer in 1971. ==Partial filmography==

• They Staked Their Lives (1940) - Freedom Fighter • Hanna in Society (1940) - Fred Hummerberg • The Talk of the Town (1941) - Sven Törring • Snapphanar (1941) - Lille-Jonas • Lågor i dunklet (1942) - Åke Kronström, Student (uncredited) • We House Slaves (1942) - Linus Tallhagen • Nothing Is Forgotten (1942) - Student at art school (uncredited) • Night in Port (1943) - John • När ungdomen vaknar (1943) - Lennart • Sonja (1943) - Bengt • Gentleman with a Briefcase (1943) - Stig • Tre söner gick till flyget (1945) - Erik • The Rose of Tistelön (1945) - Anton, hennes bror • Fram för lilla Märta eller På livets ödesvägar (1945) - Radio Speaker (voice, uncredited) • Crime and Punishment (1945) - Studenten • 13 stolar (1945) - Clerk (uncredited) • ''Brita in the Merchant's House'' (1946) - 'Paniken' • Interlude (1946) - Tjuven • Dynamite (1947) - Allan Axelson • Marianne (1953) - Companion (uncredited) • Hamlet (1955, TV Movie) - Hamlet, prins av Danmark • Stage Entrance (1956) - Johan Eriksson • The Seventh Seal (1957) - Death • The Jazz Boy (1958) - Erik Jonsson • The Magician (1958) - Johan Spegel • On a Bench in a Park (1960) - Sam Persson • Myten (1966) - Policeman / Social Worker / Guard / Doctor • Here Is Your Life (1966) - Byberg • ''Life's Just Great'' (1967) - The Neighbour • Ola & Julia (1967) - Max • Who Saw Him Die? (1968) - Eriksson • Korridoren (1968) - Birger Olsson (final film role) ==References==