Nils Almlöf

Who was Nils Almlöf?

Nils Vilhelm Almlöf, was a Swedish actor, considered as one of the most famous in the 19th century, called "The Swedish Talma".

Child of a court servant, Nils Almlöf, he interrupted his medical studies to study singing under Craelius of the Royal Swedish Opera, where he was successful as Leicester in Mary Stuart opposite Charlotta Eriksson in 1821. He was a star at the Royal Dramatic Theatre for sixty years, where he was a notable male actor in tragedy. When he visited Paris in 1829, he was called the "Swedish Talma" by Mademoiselle Mars. In 1834 he had a wage of §1800, the highest paid by the theatre. He was teacher of declamation at Dramatens elevskola 1834–1840. Almlöf and his second wife, Charlotte, as well as other actors, such as Elise Hwasser, was good friends with King Charles XV of Sweden, and was often invited to his ball games during his reign as Crown Prince regent.

He was first married to his colleague, Brita Catharina Cederberg, and then to actor Charlotta Ficker, also a successful actor at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. His son with his first wife, Knut Almlöf, was also an actor.