Pernilla August started acting as a child, performing in plays at Vår teater and at school. In 1979 she was accepted at the Statens scenskola to study acting professionally. Director Ingmar Bergman took note of her early and cast her as a nanny in his Fanny and Alexander.

In 1982 she got married to author Klas Östergren and started work at the Folkteatern in Gävle, appearing in August Strindberg's A Dreamplay and Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. She returned a few years later to the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm for roles in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House (as Nora).

Until then she hadn't had any bigger experience of television or movies but Ingmar Bergman specifically asked for her to play his mother in the biographical Goda viljan, Den By then her marriage was over and she started a relationship with director Bille August whom she married in 1991 - and had her name changed for the second time. He offered her a role in his The House of the Spirits, but due to her pregnancy the role went to Winona Ryder instead.

She has admirably managed an international career despite having three daughters. She is best known for her appearances in films like Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace or I Am Dina.



Three daughters: Agnes, Asta and Alba. She was awarded the 1987 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre) for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Hamlet. Shmi Skywalker was her first English-speaking role, and at first she was reluctant to take it, fearing audiences would not be able to understand her English very well. George Lucas assured her that it would be fine, and joked that Shmi came from a Swedish-speaking part of the galaxy. This turned out to be strangely appropriate, as her on-screen son Hayden Christensen and grandson Mark Hamill both have Swedish ancestry as well. Mother of Agnes Östergren with Klas Östergren.