Asta Nielsen

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

Asta Sofie Amalie Nielsen (11 September 1881 – 24 May 1972) was a Danish silent film actress who was one of the most popular leading ladies of the 1910s and one of the first international movie stars.^[1] Seventy of Nielsen's 74 films were made in Germany where she was known simply as Die Asta (The Asta).

Known for her large dark eyes, mask-like face and boyish figure, Nielsen most often portrayed strong-willed passionate women trapped by tragic circumstances. Due to the erotic nature of her performances, Nielsen's films were censored in the United States, and her work remained relatively obscure to American audiences. She is credited with transforming movie acting from overt theatricality to a more subtle naturalistic style.^[1]

Nielsen founded her own film studio in Berlin during the 1920s, but returned to Denmark in 1937 after the rise of Nazism in Germany. A private figure in her later years, Nielsen became a collage artist and an author.