Edward af Sillén (born 1982 in Blumenau,[1] Santa Catarina, Brazil) is a Swedish screenwriter and director for stage, film and TV. He has translated and directed many highly successful theatre shows including Twelfth Night[2] by William Shakespeare, The Drowsy Chaperone,[3] Bull and Cock by Mike Bartlett,[2] Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein,[2] Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell and Art by Yasmina Reza.[4]
Edward af Sillén | |
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![]() Af Sillén in the tv-show MUREN, March 2021 | |
Born | (1982-09-25) 25 September 1982 (age 40) Blumenau, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil |
Nationality | Swedish |
Occupation | Screenwriter, director |
Years active | 2004−present |
Af Sillén has worked on the Eurovision Song Contest as a director, commentator and screenwriter, including 2016 where he co-wrote and directed the globally acclaimed interval act "Love, Love, Peace, Peace" with Fredrik Kempe, while also directing and writing for Sweden’s most popular television show Melodifestivalen. Following on from writing his first film Medicinen, his second writing En underbar jävla jul became the biggest Swedish film of 2015.[5] In 2019 he directed En del av mitt hjärta (A Piece of My Heart), a major jukebox musical film based the music of Tomas Ledin, lead by Malin Åkerman[6] which was nominated for the Audience Award at The Guldbagge Awards.[7]
Edward started his career as an actor. Performing both at the Lorensbergsteatern and Stockholm National Theatre. Aged 18, he did stand-up comedy. Hungry to work in the creative side of entertainment and theatre, he knew he could get his foot in the door as an actor.[8]
2014 saw Af Sillén write his first feature film Medicinen. Based on the 2009 book of the same name, written by Hans Koppel (pseudonym Petter Lidbeck). The book was reworked into a screenplay by Af Sillén and his writing partner Daniel Réhn. An all-star cast including Ewa Fröling and Maria Lundqvist, was led by Helena Bergström.
Af Sillén’s second film was the Swedish comedy En underbar jävla jul, wrote again with Daniel Réhn. Starring Swedish acting legends Robert Gustafsson, Maria Lundqvist and Helena Bergström. Seen by 77,736 people during its premiere weekend, it broke records with the biggest opening for a Swedish film in 2015.[9] It went on to become the most popular Swedish film of 2015.[5] And has grossed over $8 million at the box office.[10] The film won Film of the Year at the QX Gaygala 2016.[11]
In December 2019, Af Sillén directed and released his third, and biggest, feature film. En del av mitt hjärta (A Piece of My Heart) is a jukebox musical based upon the music of one of Sweden's biggest selling artists Tomas Ledin. Lead by Malin Akerman playing Isabella, a lead business woman in the financial district of Stockholm, who returns home to celebrate her father's birthday.[6]
Af Sillén will return to cinema direction in his upcoming film Ett sista race, which he also wrote the script for. Working once again with Malin Akerman and David Hellenius. The Swedish car action comedy is based the Norwegian hit movie Børning.[12]
Af Sillén’s theatrical work includes Swedish translations of Steel Magnolias, Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, Rock of Ages[13] and The Ladykillers. He directed Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the play V.D. and the musical Hair at Stockholm’s National Theatre. His direction of Priscilla the Musical was followed by his translation and direction of the Tony Award winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone in 2015. That same year Af Sillén directed. as well as translated the plays Rumors and the Laurence Olivier Award winner Cock.
Af Sillén has written and directed national tours for major Swedish artists such as Tomas Ledin,[14] Ola Salo[15] and Peter Jöback.[16] He teamed up with Alcazar to create their first full production concert. Disco Defenders was a greatest hits residency which début in the Rondo at Lisberg, Gothenburg Summer 2015. The production moved to Hamburger Börs, Stockholm in Winter 2015. After another sell out run, the group took the show on a national tour then returned to Hamburger Börs in 2016.
2004 brought Af Sillén's screen writing breakthrough with the script for host Maria Lundqvist at the Guldbagge Awards, the Swedish equivalent of the Academy Awards. He returned in 2007 not only as Sissela Kyle’s scriptwriter, but as director of the show live on SVT.
Af Sillén was recruited by Melodifestivalen supervisor Christer Björkman to write and direct the 2009 contest.[17] His mix of humour, music and sparkle saw him return in 2010, 2012 and 2013.[17] After a two year contest break, he came back in 2016 to much acclaim. His parody sketch song Här står jag by Charlotte Perrelli performed that year topped the Swedish iTunes chart.[18] To boost declining viewer figures, Af Sillén was hired as a consultant for the 2019 contest.[17]
After a lifelong love of the contest, Af Sillén became the Swedish commentator in 2009 for SVT.[19] The following year he wrote his first Eurovision Song Contest for Oslo 2010.[19] His commentary continued until 2012 when Loreen won the competition for Sweden. The following year Af Sillén wrote and directed the 58th Eurovision in Malmö 2013.[19] In 2015 he was asked by the BBC to co-write the script of the Eurovision's Greatest Hits hosted by Graham Norton and Petra Mede for a celebration of Eurovision’s 60th year.[20]
2016 brought again the role of writer and director for Eurovision in Stockholm 2016 which featured the musical number "Love Love Peace Peace" performed by hosts Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw. The Independent named it the "ultimate interval act, somehow even upstaging Justin Timberlake himself".[21] Buzzfeed said the presenters were the "best thing about this year's contest".[22]
In 2021 Af Sillén took on a brand new role as a Judge on the 11th and 12th series of TV4's Talang, the Swedish version of the Got Talent franchise.[23]
Edward af Sillén is openly gay. Born in Brazil he was adopted by a Swedish father and an American mother.[24]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2014 | Medicinen | Screenwriter |
2015 | En underbar jävla jul | Screenwriter |
2019 | En del av mitt hjärta | Director |
2023 | Ett sista race | Director and Screenwriter |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2005 - 2018 | QX Gaygala | Writer | |
2006 - 2010 | R.E.A. | Writer | Hamburger Börs |
2006 | Det är jul igen by Maria Möller | Director and Writer | Intiman |
2008 | Blommor av Stål (Steel Magnolias) | Translator | Vasateatern |
2011 | Tomas Ledin Showtime | Director and Writer | Rondo (Gothenburg), Cirkus (Stockholm) and National Tour |
2011 | Trettondagsafton (Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
2011 | Hair | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
2012 | I Love Musicals by Peter Jöback | Director and Writer | National Tour |
2013 | Arnould (Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein) | Translator | Stockholms Stadsteater |
2013 | Rock of Ages | Translator | China Teatern |
2013 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the Musical | Director | Göta Lejon |
2014 | V.D. | Director | Stockholms Stadsteater |
2014 | Alcazar Disco Defenders | Director and Writer | Rondo (Gothenburg), Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) and National Tour |
2015 | Förklädet (The Drowsy Chaperone) | Director and Translator | Göta Lejon |
2015 | Skvaller (Rumors) | Director and Translator | Uppsala Stadsteater |
2015 | Cockfight (Cock) | Director and Translator | Stockholms Stadsteater |
2015 | Ladykillers | Translator | Oscarsteatern |
2016 | Rakt Ner i Fickan (Cash on Delivery by Michael Cooney) | Director and Translator | Krusenstiernska Teatern |
2017 | Bull | Director and Translator | Kulturhuset Stadsteatern |
2017 | Shirley Valentine | Director and Translator | Maximteatern |
2018 | Så som i himmelen | Co-Writer | Oscarsteatern |
2019 | Ola Salo's - It takes a fool to remain sane | Director | Rondo (Gothenburg) |
2019 | Häxorna i Eastwick (The Witches of Eastwick) | Director and Translator | Cirkus (Stockholm) |
2019 | Art by Yasmina Reza | Director and Translator | Hotel Rival (Stockholm) |
2019 | Trassel (Out of Order) by Ray Cooney | Director and Translator | Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) |
2020 | Pernilla Wahlgren har Hybris | Director and Writer | Hotel Rival (Stockholm) and National Tour |
2020 | Tomten och Bocken (starring Måns Zelmerlöw and Per Andersson) | Director | Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) |
2021 | Pappor på prov (It Runs in the Family) by Ray Cooney | Director and Translator | Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) |
2022 | Brynolf & Ljung Stalker | Director | Hotel Rival (Stockholm) and National Tour |
2022 | Tootsie (musical) | Director | Oscarsteatern |
2023 | Peter Pan Goes Wrong | Director | Cirkus |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Guldbaggegalan | Screenwriter | Hosted by Maria Lundqvist |
2007 | Guldbaggegalan | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Sissela Kyle |
2009 | Roast på Berns | Writer | For Kanal 5 |
2009 | Melodifestivalen 2009 | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Petra Mede |
2010 | Melodifestivalen 2010 | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Måns Zelmerlöw, Christine Meltzer and Dolph Lundgren |
2010 | Eurovision Song Contest 2010 (Oslo) | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Erik Solbakken, Haddy N'jie and Nadia Hasnaoui |
2012 | Melodifestivalen 2012 | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Gina Dirawi, Sarah Dawn Finer and Helena Bergström |
2013 | Melodifestivalen 2013 | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Gina Dirawi and Danny Saucedo |
2013 | Eurovision Song Contest 2013 (Malmö) | Director and Screenwriter | For SVT Hosted by Petra Mede |
2015 | Eurovision's Greatest Hits | Co-scriptwriter | For the BBC directing hosts Graham Norton and Petra Mede) |
2016 | Melodifestivalen 2016 | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Gina Dirawi (all shows), Petra Mede (semi-final 1), Henrik Schyffert (semi-final 3), Sarah Dawn Finer (semi-final 4), Ola Salo, Peter Jöback (second chance) and William Spetz (final) |
2016 | Eurovision Song Contest 2016 (Stockholm) | Director and Screenwriter | Hosted by Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw) |
2017 | Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu | Swedish Jury Spokesperson | |
2018 | Eurovision: You Decide | Screenwriter | Hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Måns Zelmerlöw |
2019 | Eurovision: You Decide | Screenwriter | Hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Måns Zelmerlöw |
2019 | Melodifestivalen 2019 | Consultant and Adviser | Hosted by Sarah Dawn Finer, Kodjo Akolor, Marika Carlsson and Eric Saade |
2020 | Muren | Entertainment Expert | |
2021 - Present | Masked Singer Sverige | Director | |
2021 - 2022 | Talang | Judge | For TV4 with Sarah Dawn Finer, Bianca Ingrosso and David Batra |
2022 | Årets quiz | Host |
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Eurovision Song Contest 2009 (Moscow) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Shirley Clamp) |
2010 | Eurovision Song Contest 2010 (Oslo) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Christine Meltzer) |
2010 | Junior Eurovision Song Contest | SVT Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Malin Olsson) |
2011 | Eurovision Song Contest 2011 (Düsseldorf) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Hélène Benno) |
2011 - 2014 | Junior Eurovision Song Contest | SVT Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Ylva Hällen) |
2012 | Eurovision Song Contest 2012 (Baku) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Gina Dirawi) |
2014 | Eurovision Song Contest 2014 (Copenhagen) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Malin Olsson) |
2015 | Eurovision Song Contest 2015 (Vienna) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Sanna Nielsen) |
2017 | Eurovision Song Contest 2017 (Kiev) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Måns Zelmerlöw) |
2018 | Eurovision Song Contest 2018 (Lisbon) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Sanna Nielsen) |
2021 | Eurovision Song Contest 2021 (Rotterdam) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Christer Björkman) |
2022 | Eurovision Song Contest 2022 (Turin) | Swedish commentator | For SVT (with Linnea Henriksson) |
Year | Award | Result |
---|---|---|
2020 | Guldbaggens publikpris (Audience Award) for En del av mitt hjärta | Nominated |
Year | Award | Result |
---|---|---|
2014 | TV of the Year for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 | Won |
2016 | Film of the Year for En underbar jävla jul, Stage of the Year for Alcazar Disco Defenders | Won |
2021 | TV Star of the Year | Nominated |
2021 | Stage of the Year for Hybris starring Pernilla Wahlgren | Nominated |