Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman (August 29, 1915 – August 29, 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays. With a career spanning five decades, she is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. According to the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, upon her arrival in the U. S. Bergman quickly became "the ideal of American womanhood" and a contender for Hollywood's greatest leading actress.

David O. Selznick once called her "the most completely conscientious actress" he had ever worked with. In 1999, the American Film Institute recognised Bergman as the fourth greatest female screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema. She won numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, four Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Award and a Volpi Cup. She is one of only four actresses to have received at least three acting Academy Awards (only Katharine Hepburn has four). Born in Stockholm to a Swedish father and a German mother, Bergman began her acting career in Swedish and German films.

Her introduction to the U. S. audience came in the English-language remake of Intermezzo (1939). Known for her naturally luminous beauty, she starred in Casablanca (1942) as Ilsa Lund, her most famous role, opposite Humphrey Bogart.