Captivating Facts About Asta Nielsen, The Silent Muse
Asta Nielsen Facts
If Greta Garbo was "Divine," Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen was supremely human. Famous around the world in the early 20th century as "Die Asta," Nielsen’s minute, natural expressions captured hearts and minds, all without her saying a word.
But after the cameras stopped rolling, her life was anything but quiet.
1. She Had A Rags To Riches Story
No one had a classic Cinderella story quite like Asta Nielsen. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, her father Jens was a blacksmith, but he struggled to find and keep work, partly due to his multiple illnesses.
Her mother Ida, meanwhile, was a humble washerwoman. It most certainly wasn’t a glamorous Hollywood start—and it was also terrifying.
2. Her Mother Beat Her
Although Nielsen was incredibly close with her mother Ida throughout her formative years, the family hid an unsavory secret. Ida had an enormous temper and would often take out her anger on Nielsen and her sister Johanne, usually by whipping the girls. Despite this, Nielsen was close to her family. However, that only made the next events more heartbreaking.
3. She Went Through Every Child’s Worst Nightmare
Nielsen’s father had been sickly for most of her life, and tragedy soon came for the family.
After years of Jens trying to hold down a job, regain his health, and pull the family back from the brink of poverty, he passed when Nielsen was just 14 years old.
The experience was Nielsen’s first foray into the dark side of life, but it was far from her last.
4. She Struck Out On Her Own
With the mistreatment coming from her mother and the tragedy of her father’s passing, Nielsen learned early on that she could only rely on herself in this life.
Accordingly, just four years after saying goodbye to her father, she struck out on her own to join the Royal Danish Theater’s acting school. It wasn’t long before she learned even harsher lessons.
Stumfilm.dk: Film star Asta Nielsen, Det Danske Filminstitut