Pernilla August
A commanding Swedish actress who moved from Ingmar Bergman's muse to Star Wars matriarch, later forging a path as a director of intimate dramas.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Swedish actress and filmmaker·Birthday: February 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Pernilla August embodies the soul of Swedish cinema. Her career was forever shaped by her artistic and personal relationship with Ingmar Bergman, starring in several of his later films and television projects, a collaboration that earned her the Best Actress award at Cannes for 'The Best Intentions.' This foundation of intense, psychological drama gave her the depth to seamlessly step onto the global stage as Shmi Skywalker, the mother of Anakin, in two Star Wars prequels. Never content to be solely an interpreter, August shifted behind the camera, directing features like 'Beyond' and 'A Serious Game,' which explore complex relationships with a clear, sober gaze inherited from her Scandinavian film heritage. She is a complete film artist, moving between actor and director with authoritative grace.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Pernilla was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pernilla Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Pernilla's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for 'The Best Intentions,' directed by Bille August.
- Portrayed Shmi Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' and 'Episode II – Attack of the Clones.'
- Directed several feature films including 'Beyond' (2010) and 'A Serious Game' (2016).
- Was a principal member of Ingmar Bergman's acting company at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm.
Did You Know?
She was married to film director Bille August from 1991 to 1997.
She has two daughters, Alba and Asta, who are both actresses.
She studied at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting.
“The camera doesn't lie; it reveals the truth you bring to it.”
