Asta Nielsen

Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen (11 September 1881 – 24 May 1972) was a Danish silent movie actress. She was very popular in the 1910s. She was one of the first international movie stars. Nielsen was in 74 movies. 70 were in Germany where she was known simply as Die Asta (The Asta). She had large dark eyes, a face like a mask and a figure like a boy. Nielsen most often played strong and passionate women trapped by tragic lives. Her performances were erotic so Nielsen's movies were heavily censored in the United States. Therefore, she was not very famous there. Nielsen started her own movie studio in Berlin in the 1920s. She went back to Denmark in 1937 after Nazism became a problem. Later in life, Nielsen became a collage artist and an author.

Asta Nielsen
Asta Nielsen in 1911
Born	Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen (1881-09-11)11 September 1881 Vesterbro, Denmark
Died	24 May 1972(1972-05-24) (aged 90) Frederiksberg, Denmark
Burial place	Vestre Cemetery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Alma mater	Royal Danish Theatre
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1902–1936
Spouses	Urban Gad ​ ​ (m. 1912; div. 1918)​ Ferdinand Wingårdh ​ ​ (m. 1919; div. 1923)​ Anders Christian Theede ​ ​ (m. 1970)​
Partner	Gregori Chmara (1923–1936)
Children	1

Movies

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1910	The Abyss	Magda Vang
1911	Gipsy Blood	Jonna	Lost film
	The Moth	Olga / Mademoiselle Yvonne	Lost film
	Den sorte drøm	Stella
	Im großen Augenblick	Annie
	Balletdanserinden	Camille Flavier
	Der fremde Vogel	Miss May
	The Traitress	Yvonne	Fragments preserved
1912	Die Macht des Goldes	Creszenz Fitzinger	Lost film
	Zu Tode gehetzt	Paula Müller	Lost film
	Poor Jenny	Jenny
	The Dance of Death	Bella	Fragments preserved
	Die Kinder des Generals	Thekla	Lost film
	Wenn die Maske fällt	Sanna	Fragments preserved
	Das Mädchen ohne Vaterland	Zidra	Fragments preserved
	Jugend und Tollheit	Jesta Müller	Lost film
1913	Komödianten	Kamma Dieser	Lost film
	Die Sünden der Väter	Hanna Meyer
	Der Tod in Sevilla	Juanita	Lost film
	Die Suffragette	Nelly Panburne	Fragments preserved
	S1 (1913)	Gertrud von Hessendorf
	The Film Primadonna	Ruth Breton	Fragments preserved
1914	Little Angel	Jesta Schneider
	Das Kind ruft	Elena	Lost film
	Zapata's Gang
	Das Feuer	Wanda Petri	Lost film
1915	Die Tochter der Landstraße	Zirzi	Lost film
	The False Asta Nielsen	Bolette / Asta Nielsen	Lost film
1916	Die ewige Nacht	Martha	Lost film
	Engeleins Hochzeit	Jesta Schneider	Lost film
	Frontstairs and Backstairs	Sabine Schulze
	Dora Brandes	Dora Brandes
	The ABC of Love	Lis
	Cinderella	Lotte	Lost film
	Das Versuchskaninchen	Jesta
1917	The White Roses	Thilda Wardier
	Das Waisenhauskind	Esther	Lost film
1918	Im Lebenswirbel	Margit
	Rose of the Wilderness	Wanda	Lost film
	The Eskimo Baby	Ivigtut
	The Queen of the Stock Exchange	Helene Netzler
1919	So Ends My Song	Dora
	Intoxication	Henriette	Fragments preserved
	Towards the Light	Countess Ysabel
	According to Law	Sonja Waler
1920	The Merry-Go-Round	Elena
	Helmsman Holk	Isabella Bouflon	Fragments preserved
	Kurfürstendamm	Lissy / Marie	Lost film
1921	Hamlet: The Drama of Vengeance	Hamlet
	Roswolsky's Mistress	Mary Verhag
	Wandering Souls	Nastassja Baraschkowa
1922	Miss Julie	Miss Julie	Lost film
	Brigantenrache	Anica, a Bandit's Bride	Lost film
	Vanina	Vanina
	Navarro the Dancer	Carmencita Navarro	Lost film
1923	Earth Spirit	Lulu
	Downfall	Kaja Falk	Fragments preserved
	I.N.R.I.	Maria Magdalene	Fragments preserved
1924	The House by the Sea	Teresa
	The Woman in Flames	Josefine	Lost film
	Athletes	Princess Wanda Hoheneck	Lost film
	Die Schmetterlingsschlacht	Rosi Hergentheim	Fragments preserved
1925	Hedda Gabler	Hedda Gabler	Lost film
	Living Buddhas	Tibetan girl	Fragments preserved
	Joyless Street	Marie Lechner
1926	The Fallen	Anna Grosser	Lost film
1927	The Vice of Humanity	Tamara
	Tragedy of the Street	Auguste
	Agitated Women	Clarina	Lost film
	Small Town Sinners	Selma Karchow	Fragments preserved
	That Dangerous Age	Elsie Lindtner
1932	Impossible Love	Vera Holgk