Lasse Hallstrom Biography

Fast Facts

• Garnered multiple award nominations for 2000's "Chocolat․"
• Directed many of pop group ABBA's music videos and promotional films
• Started his career in entertainment as a director of music videos for the group ABBA
• Directed his first short film at the age of 10, and continued pursuing a film career in his hometown of Sweden
• Quote: "I'm drawn to any material that keeps attention to character, any story that's driven by character․ In a love story, to be there and try to observe two people falling love, it demands authenticity and reality․"
• Quote: "(On his working style on film sets) "I thrive in the kind of chaos-working with kids, the chaos, ad-libbing, keeping actors on their toes, having them not know what exactly to say or do until the very last minute․ That's something I appreciate․""
• Quote: "(On avoiding sentimentality in his films) "I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performance․ Just being present emotionally in the scene, truly present… should be enough to convey what should be conveyed․""
• First garnered success for his 1985 film "My Life as a Dog․"
• Most notable works include "The Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat", both of which garnered Oscar nominations for Best Picture
• Directed critically acclaim films such as "My Life as a Dog," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat․"
• Gained international recognition with 1985's "My Life as a Dog" and moved to Hollywood to pursue new ventures
• His maternal grandfather served as the Minister of Finance for Carl Gustaf Ekman and later leader of the Liberal Party of Sweden
• Moved to New York in 1995 with wife and actress, Lena Olin