Tuva Novotny

Tuva Novotny
Novotny in 2008
Born
Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Hedström

(1979-12-21) 21 December 1979 (age 45)
Stockholm, Sweden
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
Children3

Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Novotny (née Hedström; born 21 December 1979), also known as Tuva Novotny-Hedström, is a Swedish actress and director.

Early life and education

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Tuva Matilda Moa Karolina Hedström was born on 21 December 1979 in Stockholm,[1] the daughter of actress and sculptor Barbro Hedström [sv], and Czech film director and academic David Novotny.[2] She grew up near Arvika in Värmland County, Sweden, where she trained in classical ballet and participated in local youth bands.[1]

After moving to Stockholm, she took part in various activities at Vår teater, a children's theatre, and attended St Erik's High School, where she studied theatre.[1]

She moved to Czech Republic to study at a drama school there, but this was interrupted.[1]

Career

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Acting

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At the age of 16, Novotny had a leading role in the TV series Skilda världar, which ran from 1996 to 2000.[1] She took on more complex roles in films such as Tic Tac (1997) and The Invisible (2002), and played a psychotic woman in the 2001 short film Anja [sv].[1]

In 2003, she was praised for her role as Kim in the play Limbo at Stockholm City Theatre.[3][4]

She appeared in the American film Eat Pray Love in 2010, and in the years following played Puck Ekstedt in several film adaptations of Maria Lang's crime novels.[1]

Novotny played one of the leading roles, Cass Sheppard, in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Annihilation.

Filmmaking

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Novotny directed several episodes of the first season of Norwegian TV series Dag in 2010,[citation needed] after being invited to do so by friends.[citation needed] Her feature film directorial film debut was the Norwegian drama Blind Spot (Norwegian: Blindsone), which she also wrote. Blind Spot had its world premiere in August 2018 in Haugesund, Norway, and was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and San Sebastian.[5]

She wrote the screenplay for and directed the feature films Britt-Marie Was Here (2019) and Diorama (2022).[1] Diorama is a Swedish/Norwegian/Danish co-production, and stars Claes Bang, David Dencik, and Sverrir Guðnason.[6][7]

Recognition and awards

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Novotny's films have been screened at various film festivals, including San Sebastián, the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht; Copenhagen's CPH PIX in Copenhagen; and Cannes Film Festival.[8]

Novotny was nominated for the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2003 and 2006, and for the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2006.[1]

In 2018, Novotny won the New Talent Grand Prix award at CPH PIX for her directorial debut Blind Spot. Lead actress Pia Tjelta won the Silver Shell for Best Actress at San Sebastian for her performance in the film.[5]

Personal life

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In 2003, Novotny moved to Copenhagen, Denmark,[9][10] where she still lives as of 2023.[11]

Novotny has two daughters with her former partner of over 10 years, Norwegian adventurer[12] Nicolai Bjerrum Lersbryggen,[11] one of them was born in 2007.[13][14][15] In 2012, she was in a relationship with Swedish actor Ola Rapace.[16] In 2022, she had a son with Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård.[17][18]

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1997 Tic Tac
2000 Sleepwalker
Naken
Jalla! Jalla!
2001 Anja [sv] Short film
2002 The Invisible
2003 Midsommer
Slim Susie
Kommer du med mig då [sv]
2004 Stratosphere Girl
Day and Night
2005 Bang Bang Orangutang Linda [19]
2006 Små mirakel och stora [sv]
2008 The Candidate
2009 Original
Possession
Bröllopsfotografen
2010 Dear Alice
Eat Pray Love
Truth About Men
2011 ID A
2012 Fuck Up
2015 A War
2017 Borg vs McEnroe
2018 Annihilation
Intrigo: Death of an Author
2019 Exit Plan
2021 The Middle Man
Zero Contact
2023 Avgrunden [sv]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1996–1999 Skilda världar
2000 Herr von Hancken [sv]
2003 Norrmalmstorg [sv] Television film
2005 Young Andersen
2006 Snapphanar Miniseries
2008 Der Kommissar und das Meer
2010 Dag
2016 Nobel
2021 Bonus Family
2022 The Kingdom
2024 All and Eva [sv]

Theater

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Year Title Role Theater Notes Ref.
2000 Rocky Stockholm City Theatre Backstage [20]
2003 Limbo Kim Stockholm City Theatre Klara stage [3]

Music

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  • 2003 – "Newfound Lover", from the soundtrack album Smala Sussie[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Qvist, P. O. (2013). "Tuva Novotny". Swedish Film Database (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2024. P O Qvist (2004), redigerad 2013-11-28
  2. ^ Lumholdt, Jan (2019). "Tuva Novotny". Nordic Women in Film (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 May 2024. Tuva Novotny [...] och är dotter till Barbro Hedström, som efter en intressant men kort skådespelarkarriär under 60-talet varit verksam inom skulptur och bildkonst, och David Novotny, tjeckiskfödd regissör och lärare på journalisthögskolan [Tuva Novotny [...] is the daughter of Barbro Hedström, who after an interesting but short acting career in the 60s was active in sculpture and visual arts, and David Novotny, Czech-born director and teacher at the journalism college]
  3. ^ a b Waaranperä, Ingegärd (2 March 2003). "Värmande om driften att överleva". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. ^ Granath, Sara (18 March 2003). "Fullträff av Garpe". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b Novotny, Tuva (7 October 2018). "Spotting Tuva Novotny at Copenhagen's CPH PIX Festival". Golden Globes (Interview). Interviewed by Christensen, Tina Jøhnk. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  6. ^ Diorama at IMDb
  7. ^ "Diorama (2022)". Swedish Film Database. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ Caruso, Skyler (21 March 2023). "Who Is Alexander Skarsgård's Girlfriend? All About Tuva Novotny". People. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  9. ^ Nathan, Emily (April 2019). "Something to lean on". Scandinavian Traveler. p. 42.
  10. ^ "Tuva Novotny - ett original". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Tuva Novotny om filmen Avgrunden – och livet som trebarnsmamma" [Tuva Novotny on the film The Abyss – and life as a mother of three]. Femina (in Swedish). 29 August 2023.
  12. ^ Bjørnstad, Malini Gaare (24 September 2016). "Tuva Novotny - Jeg driter i om jeg er kvinne eller mann". Kvinner og Klær (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025. Jeg har jo også levd med en nordmann i 10 år [I have also lived with a Norwegian man for 10 years]
  13. ^ Håkansson, Gabriella; Soltani, Venus (13 September 2023). "Tuva Notovnys döttrar träder fram – så ser Ella Bjerrum Lersbryggen ut" [Tuva Notovny's daughter steps forward – this is how Ella Bjerrum Lersbryggen looks]. Hant.se (in Swedish).
  14. ^ "Tuva Novotny är höggravid" [Tuva Novotny is heavily pregnant]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 10 March 2007.
  15. ^ "Tuva Novotny dyker upp med döttrarna på premiär" [Tuva Novotny shows up with her daughters at the premiere]. Expressen (in Swedish). 17 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Ola Rapace på dejt med Tuva Novotny" [Ola Rapace on a date with Tuva Novotny]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 19 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Skarsgård: Vi har en son som är åtta månader" [Skarsgård: We have a son who is eight months old]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 24 March 2023. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  18. ^ Vasquez, Ingrid (21 March 2023). "Alexander Skarsgård Confirms He Welcomed First Baby with Girlfriend Tuva Novotny". People. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  19. ^ Holland, Jonathan (5 October 2005). "Bang Bang Orangutang". Variety. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  20. ^ Andersson, Danjel (4 December 2000). "Teater: "Rocky" på Backstage. Replikerna är precis lika mördande som i pappersversionen". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Smala Sussie (Filmmusik) (2003, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
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