Wenche Foss
Encyclopedia
Eva Wenche Steenfeldt Stang (5 December 1917 – 28 March 2011), better known as Wenche Foss, was a leading Norwegian
actress of stage, screen and television.
and Alfhild Røren. She made her stage debut in 1935 as Ingrid in Vilhelm Dybwad
's operetta
Taterblod. She was subsequently part of the ensemble at the Carl Johan Teater from 1936 to 1939, and then became a central figure in Centralteatret
. She received acclaim in a number of leading roles. Her breakthrough role was in Carl Erik Soya
's To tråder. Later she played numerous leading roles in the ensembles of Nationaltheatret
and Oslo Nye Teater
, being a regular at Nationaltheatret since 1952.
Foss was also an accomplished vocalist (mezzo-soprano
) who received classical training with M. Hviid and K. B. Børresen. Her performances in Emmerich Kálmán
's operetta Die Bajadere
, Eduard Künneke
's Der Vetter aus Dingsda, Franz Lehár
's operettas Der Graf von Luxemburg
and The Merry Widow
, in which she played the title role. She pioneered musical parts in such musicals as Kiss Me Kate
, Cabaret
and Hello, Dolly
.
Foss also took the occasional role as a voice actress. She provided the voice of Enkefru Stengelføhn-Glad in the 1975 animated feature film Flåklypa Grand Prix
, known in English as Pinchcliffe Grand Prix. She voiced the same character in another animated feature, 1998's Solan, Ludvig og Gurin med reverompa (Gurin with the Foxtail).
On 2 December 2010, Wenche Foss announced that she was seriously ill and did not expect to live past New Year. She passed away in her sleep on 28 March 2011 at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo
, surrounded by her family.
Her death saw an outpour of public grief and tributes rarely bestowed upon civilians. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with government honour at state expense, the fifth woman in Norwegian history to be given this respect. The funeral was broadcast live on national television, April 4, 2011, and was, in keeping with Foss' own wishes, open to the public. It was also attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, as well as Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other prominent members of government.
Foss grew up with an Atheist mother and a devout Christian father, she inherited both views but has stated: "I could not fall asleep without the prayer".
Her son Fabian Stang
is the current mayor of Oslo
.
, Spain
.
She survived breast cancer
in 1971 and wrote a candid account of her experience.
She was a strong supporter of gay rights and has been an outspoken critic of the Christian Democratic Party because of its opposition to gay marriage and gay rights. She has also said that the party itself should never have existed to begin with, since "religion and politics should not be mixed".
.
Foss received a number of accolades, among them the Hedda Award
, an honorary Amanda
prize, and Toleranseprisen.
In 2007, Queen Sonja of Norway
unveiled Per Ung
's statue of Foss outside Norway's National Theater
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
actress of stage, screen and television.
Biography
Wenche Foss was born to engineer Christian August Steenfeldt-FossChristian August Steenfeldt-Foss
Christian August Steenfeldt-Foss was a Norwegian businessperson.He was born in Ski. He learned his trade in the companies B. T. S. for three years Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted for two years and J. Samuel White in Cowes for three years...
and Alfhild Røren. She made her stage debut in 1935 as Ingrid in Vilhelm Dybwad
Vilhelm Dybwad
Vilhelm Dybwad was a Norwegian barrister and writer. He wrote comedies, revues and songs. In his later years he wrote several memoir books from his life as a lawyer. Dybwad was born in Christiania as the son of bookseller Jacob Dybwad and Anne Margrethe Grøntvedt Aabel. He was married to actress...
's operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
Taterblod. She was subsequently part of the ensemble at the Carl Johan Teater from 1936 to 1939, and then became a central figure in Centralteatret
Centralteatret
Centralteatret is a theatre in Akersgata, Oslo, Norway.Centralteatret was established by the Alma Isabella Bosse Fahlstrøm and Johan Peter Broust Fahlstrøm in 1897. From 1902, Harald Otto was the theater manager and owner. His son, Reidar Otto, subsequently ran it, while his son, Harald Otto...
. She received acclaim in a number of leading roles. Her breakthrough role was in Carl Erik Soya
Carl Erik Soya
Carl Erik Soya, , also known by the single appellation Soya, was a Danish author and dramatist. His works were often satirical provocations against double-standards and dishonesty...
's To tråder. Later she played numerous leading roles in the ensembles of Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
and Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater
Oslo Nye Teater in Oslo is one of Norway's most visited theatres.The theatre opened in 1959 as a merge between Det Nye Teater and Folketeatret, and consists of four stages; Oslo Nye Hovedscenen, Oslo Nye Centralteatret, Oslo Nye Trikkestallen and Oslo Nye Caféscenen.-External links:*...
, being a regular at Nationaltheatret since 1952.
Foss was also an accomplished vocalist (mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
) who received classical training with M. Hviid and K. B. Børresen. Her performances in Emmerich Kálmán
Emmerich Kalman
Emmerich Kálmán was a Hungarian-born composer of operettas.- Biography :Kálmán was born Imre Koppstein in Siófok, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary in a Jewish family.Kálmán initially intended to become a concert pianist, but because of early-onset arthritis, he focused on composition...
's operetta Die Bajadere
Die Bajadere (operetta)
Die Bajadere is an operetta in 3 acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman. The libretto was written by J. Brammer and A. Grunwald. The work premiered in Vienna on 23 December 1921...
, Eduard Künneke
Eduard Künneke
Eduard Künneke was a German composer of operettas, operas and theatre music. He was born in Emmerich. His daughter was the actress and singer Evelyn Künneke....
's Der Vetter aus Dingsda, Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
's operettas Der Graf von Luxemburg
Der Graf von Luxemburg
Der Graf von Luxemburg is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to German libretto by Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, on 12 November 1909 and was an immediate success...
and The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
, in which she played the title role. She pioneered musical parts in such musicals as Kiss Me Kate
Kiss Me Kate
Kiss Me Kate was a British sitcom that ran from 1998 until 2000. It followed the everyday life of a woman counsellor, Kate , who must not only manage her clients' problems, but must also help her neighbours and unsuccessful business partner, Douglas, played by Chris Langham. Amanda Holden played...
, Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
and Hello, Dolly
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
.
Foss also took the occasional role as a voice actress. She provided the voice of Enkefru Stengelføhn-Glad in the 1975 animated feature film Flåklypa Grand Prix
Flåklypa Grand Prix
Flåklypa Grand Prix is a Norwegian stop motion-animated feature film directed by Ivo Caprino. It was released in 1975 and is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust...
, known in English as Pinchcliffe Grand Prix. She voiced the same character in another animated feature, 1998's Solan, Ludvig og Gurin med reverompa (Gurin with the Foxtail).
On 2 December 2010, Wenche Foss announced that she was seriously ill and did not expect to live past New Year. She passed away in her sleep on 28 March 2011 at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, surrounded by her family.
Her death saw an outpour of public grief and tributes rarely bestowed upon civilians. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with government honour at state expense, the fifth woman in Norwegian history to be given this respect. The funeral was broadcast live on national television, April 4, 2011, and was, in keeping with Foss' own wishes, open to the public. It was also attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, as well as Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other prominent members of government.
Foss grew up with an Atheist mother and a devout Christian father, she inherited both views but has stated: "I could not fall asleep without the prayer".
Her son Fabian Stang
Fabian Stang
Richard Fabian Stang is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was elected Mayor of Oslo in 2007.Stang, a lawyer, is the son of celebrated Norwegian actress Wenche Foss and entrepreneur Thomas Stang.-References:...
is the current mayor of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
Activist and Humanitarian
In 1953, Foss gave birth to a child with Down's Syndrome who later died at a young age. She is credited with raising public awareness about disabled individuals, founding, among other things the vacation resort "Solgården" ("Hacienda del Sol") in AlicanteAlicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
She survived breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 1971 and wrote a candid account of her experience.
She was a strong supporter of gay rights and has been an outspoken critic of the Christian Democratic Party because of its opposition to gay marriage and gay rights. She has also said that the party itself should never have existed to begin with, since "religion and politics should not be mixed".
Recognition
Foss was made a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1972. In 1988 she was promoted to Commander with Star in the same order. She is one of few Norwegian civilians to hold such a high rank in the King's order of chivalry. She has also been awarded the Red Cross Badge of Honour and appointed a Knight of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
.
Foss received a number of accolades, among them the Hedda Award
Hedda Award
The Hedda Award is a Norwegian theatre award, first awarded in 1998. It is named after the character "Hedda" from Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler. Among the prize categories, which have varied over the years, are best theatre production, best direction, best stage performance, and occasionally an...
, an honorary Amanda
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
prize, and Toleranseprisen.
In 2007, Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
unveiled Per Ung
Per Ung
Per Ung is a Norwegian sculptor. His first large public commission was the bronze statue of actress Johanne Dybwad, located on Johanne Dybwads plass outside the National Theatre in Oslo. His monument of figure skater Sonja Henie is located at Frogner stadion. His statue of Fridtjof Nansen is...
's statue of Foss outside Norway's National Theater
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
.
Selected filmography
- 1940: Tørres SnørtevoldTørres SnørtevoldTørres Snørtevold is a 1940 Norwegian comedy film directed by Tancred Ibsen. It starred Alfred Maurstad, Folkman Schaanning and Anton Jessen and was based on the novel Jacob by Alexander Kielland....
- 1942: En herre med bart
- 1942: Jeg drepte-!
- 1942: Den farlige lekenDen farlige lekenDen farlige leken is a 1942 Norwegian comedy film directed by Tancred Ibsen, starring Lauritz Falk, Nanna Stenersen and Per Aabel. The film is based on Alex Brinchmann's successful stage comedy "Karusell" . The sociable Jean Blom feels held back by his boring wife . He gives her an injection to...
- 1945: Rikard NordraakRikard NordraakRikard Nordraak was a Norwegian composer. He is best known as the composer of the Norwegian national anthem.-Biography:...
- 1946: Et spøkelse forelsker seg
- 1948: Trollfossen
- 1951: Kranes konditori
- 1952: Det kunne vært degDet kunne vært degDet kunne vært deg is a 1952 Norwegian comedy film directed by Kåre Bergstrøm and Henki Kolstad, starring Inger Marie Andersen, Henki Kolstad and Wenche Foss. Recently wed Maisen and Pompen make a new acquaintance in Cornelius, a life-long bachelor....
- 1953: Ung frue forsvunnet
- 1959: Støv på hjernenStøv på hjernen (1959 film)Støv på hjernen is a 1959 Norwegian comedy film directed by Øyvind Vennerød and starring Inger Marie Andersen and Odd Borg. It was based on a novel by Eva Ramm, and shot on location in Lambertseter....
- 1959: Herren og hans tjenere
- 1962: TonnyTonnyTonny is a 1962 Norwegian drama film directed by Nils R. Müller and Per Gjersøe. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Per Christensen - Tonny* Wenche Foss - Tonnys mor* Liv Ullmann - Kari...
- 1963: Om Tilla
- 1974: Bør Børson Jr.Bør Børson Jr.Bør Børson Jr. is a 1974 Norwegian musical film directed by Jan Erik Düring, starring Rolv Wesenlund, Britt Langlie and Sølvi Wang. The film is based on a novel by Johan Falkberget....
- 1975: Flåklypa Grand PrixFlåklypa Grand PrixFlåklypa Grand Prix is a Norwegian stop motion-animated feature film directed by Ivo Caprino. It was released in 1975 and is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust...
(voice of Enkefru Stengenfhøn-Glad)