Johan Allan Edwall (25 August 1924 – 7 February 1997) was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer and singer, best-known outside Sweden for the small roles he played in some of Ingmar Bergman's films, such as Fanny and Alexander (1982). He found his largest audience in the Scandinavian countries for playing lovable characters in several of the film and TV adaptations of the children's stories by Astrid Lindgren. He attended Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Training Academy from 1949 to 1952. During his long career he appeared in over 400 works. At the 10th Guldbagge Awards in 1974, he won the award for Best Actor for his role as Emil's short-tempered father Anton Svensson in Emil and the Piglet.
His 1984 film Åke and His World was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.
In his self-written songs, he frequently attacked the injustices of society. The music is similar to folk music often using violin and accordion. He won a Swedish Grammy posthumously in 2006.
Edwall also owned a theatre, Teater Brunnsgatan Fyra in Stockholm, which he bought in 1986 and operated until his death in 1997 of prostate cancer (it is now managed by Kristina Lugn’s daughter Martina Montelius). He was the father of photographer Mattias Edwall and stage director, actor and musician Måns Edwall (1960–2016). Acting colleague Erland Josephson wrote about him in Expressen after his death: "He was odd. But, damn it, he managed to be odd in a universal way!"
Partial filmography
Resan till dej (1953) - Composer (uncredited) Our Father and the Gypsy (1954) - Natan Dans på rosor (1954) - Olsson, journalist (uncredited) Wild Birds (1955) - Fiorentino Girls Without Rooms (1956) - Ulla's Husband (uncredited) No Tomorrow (1957) - Poet Körkarlen (1958) - Tramp Raggare! (1959) - Narrator (voice) The Virgin Spring (1960) - Beggar The Die Is Cast (1960) - Dag Serén Heart's Desire (1960) - Servant The Wedding Day (1960) - Vicar The Devil's Eye (1960) - The ear demon On a Bench in a Park (1960) - Man at Restaurant Lovely Is the Summer Night (1961) - Luffaren Briggen Tre Liljor (1961) - Simon Toking Kort är sommaren (1962) - Doctor Winter Light (1963) - Algot Frövik All These Women (1964) - Jillker 4x4 (1965) - Banvakten (segment "Uppehåll i myrlandet") My Home Is Copacabana (1965) - Narrator (voice) Festivitetssalongen (1965) - Lund - Doctor Hemsöborna (1966) – Carlsson Träfracken (1966) - Falk Här har du ditt liv (1966) - August Mördaren - en helt vanlig person (1967) - Wilhelmsson Människor möts och ljuv musik uppstår i hjärtat (1967) - Narrator (voice) Eriksson (1969) - Eriksson - Verkstadsarbetare Bokhandlaren som slutade bada (1969) - Jacob We Are All Demons (1969) - Tor, den syke matrosen Ministern (1970) - Lindbaum The Emigrants (1971) - Danjel Emil i Lönneberga (1971) - Anton, Emil's father The New Land (1972) - Danjel Nya hyss av Emil i Lönneberga (1972) - Anton, Emil's father Emil och griseknoen (1973) - Anton, Emil's father Elvis! Elvis! (1976) - Elvis' Grandfather Games of Love and Loneliness (1977) - Markel Måndagarna med Fanny (1977) - Driver The Brothers Lionheart (1977) - Mattias To Be a Millionaire (1980) - Kansliråd Allan Persson Sverige åt svenskarna (1980) - Doctor Karl Otto Madicken på Junibacken (1980) - Mr. Nilsson SOPOR (1981) - Thorbjörn Fälldin Tuppen (1981) - Thorsson, receptionist Rasmus på luffen (1981) - Oskar Fanny and Alexander (1982) - Oscar Ekdahl - Ekdahlska huset Limpan (1983) - Sture Charles 'Limpan' Lindberg P & B (1983) - Josef 'Stavros' Bendel Åke and His World (1984) - Principal Godeman Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (1984) - Skalle-Per The Sacrifice (1986) - Otto Mälarpirater (1987) - Frans i Flinta Resan till Melonia (1989) - Prospero (voice)
Discography 1979: Grovdoppa 1981: Färdknäpp 1982: Gnällspik 1982: Ramsor om dom och oss 1984: Vetahuteri 1991: Edwalls blandning 2002: Den lilla bäcken - Allans bästa (posthumous) 2005: Aftonro (posthumous) 2005: Alla Allans visor (posthumous) 2005: Allans allra bästa (posthumous)
Bibliography Protokoll (1954, novel) Ljuva läge (1967, novel) Engeln (1974, novel) Limpan (1977, novel) Mellan liv och död (1993, plays)
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