Actor. Educated at The Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm 1938-1941. Thereafter he was connected to the Royal Dramatic Theatre as well as the city theaters of Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö. He has been called “An intellectual Stanislavski-actor with peculiar voice and strong physical appearance”. He made his film debute in 1940 with “Med livet som insats”. In the 1940s he came to work on stage with director Ingmar Bergman and became one of “Bergman’s actors”, a collaboration including stage theatre as well ass film. On film he acted in Bergman’s “Gycklarnas afton” (The Naked Night, 1953), “Det sjunde inseglet” (The Seventh Seal, 1957) and “Viskningar och rop” (Cries and Whispers, 1972) among others, and on stage, in Albert Camus’ “Caligula” (1946), Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” (1948), Brecht/Weill’s “Tolvskillingsoperan” (1950), “Vildanden” (1972) by Ibsen and Strindberg’s “Till Damaskus” (1974). He also made noted roles on film in “Rid i natt” (1942), “Flicka och hyacinter” (1950) and Vilgot Sjöman’s “Jag är nyfiken gul” (I am curious yellow, 1967). His last role was in the TV-series “Hedebyborna” (1978), by author Sven Delblanc, which made great success on Swedish television. He received the O’Neill-scollarship in 1971. For some years he was married to world-famous coreographer Birgit Cullberg and he is father of dancer Niklas Ek, actress Malin Ek and director Mats Ek.   (bio by: Peter Robsahm)