Icelandic actress and director Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir dies

Actress and director Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir has died at the age of 85, mbl.is reports. She died at Landspítali hospital on August 31.

Sigríður was born in Reykjavík on April 12, 1941. Her parents were musician Þorvaldur Steingrímsson and hairdresser Ingibjörg Halldórsdóttir.

She began studying acting at a young age and graduated from the National Theatre’s acting school in 1958. That year, she made her stage debut at the National Theatre as Bianca in the musical “Kiss Me, Kate”. She was also elected Miss Iceland in 1958, which enabled her to travel to the west coast of the United States, where she continued her acting studies in Hollywood and worked for a time.

Sigríður later moved to Texas, where she worked for the Dallas Theater Center, described in the article as one of the best-known professional theatres in the United States at the time.

After returning to Iceland, she became a permanent actress at the National Theatre. Her roles included Snæfríður Íslandssól in Halldór Laxness’s “The Iceland Bell”, Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago”. She also directed for theatre and television and directed productions at the Icelandic Opera.

Her work was not limited to professional theatres. She was one of the main forces behind the establishment of the Mosfellssveit Theatre Company in 1976. She also appeared prominently in the television New Year’s comedy show, performing seven times between 1967 and 1982, and directing it in 1979.

In 1985, Sigríður was elected an alternate member of parliament for the Women’s List party and held a seat in Alþingi, Iceland’s parliament, for a period. She introduced a bill calling for an elevator for disabled people to be installed at the National Theatre. The bill was passed.

Sigríður was active in actors’ professional and interest groups and became chair of the Association of Icelandic Actors in 1988.

Her autobiography, “In a Gilded Frame”, was published in 2005. In 2006, she was named the town artist of Seltjarnarnes for her contribution to the arts and cultural life.

Sigríður Þorvaldsdóttir had a lasting impact on Icelandic theatre over several decades. Her film roles included “Veiðiferðin” and “Stella í orlofi”.

She married trumpeter and choir director Lárus Sveinsson in 1967. They had three daughters, Ingibjörg, Þórunn and Dísella. She had nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.