Bo Svenson - Biography

While principally known as an actor, Mr. Svenson is also an award-winning writer-producer-director. He was born in Sweden to Iris Viola (Lola) Hertzberg, an actress, singer, and big band leader; and Birger Ragnar Svensson, an accomplished athlete, personal driver and bodyguard for the King of Sweden, and deeply philosophical man who fought on the side of the vastly outnumbered Finns in the Finnish-Russian Winter War (1939-40).

Following a childhood of creative and athletic achievements, Mr. Svenson emigrated without his family to the United States and joined the U.S Marines when he was 17. Honorably discharged after six years of service, he was in pursuit of a Ph.D. in metaphysics when he was 'discovered' by Hollywood.

Mr. Svenson has starred in over sixty motion pictures, most of which he has never seen, and several hundred hours of U.S. network television—ditto.

He has directed numerous motion pictures, mostly in the action-adventure genre, many under pseudonyms as he was brought in by producers to rescue troubled productions. His television directing credits include Kung Fu: The Legend Continues for Warner Bros. He has also directed numerous television commercials.

Legacy, a short film for the Internet with Dennis Hopper that Mr. Svenson wrote, produced, directed, and co-starred in, was seen by over 200 million viewers in 2004.

He was a principal on the creative teams of films such as Walking Tall, Part II and Final Chapter, Walking Tall, films in which he starred and which Variety ranks among the top fifty highest-earning, independently-produced films of all time.

While recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he especially values the recognition for his work in Solitude Point, Bastardi Senza Gloria for which he received the Italian Institute of Art Award of Merit, the American Culture Foundation Man Of The Year Award, Italy’s Legione Garibaldina Ruole D'Onore, the NAACP Image Award, the Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy Golden Scroll Award, and the Hollywood Women's Press Club Golden Apple Award.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mr. Svenson serves on the Academy’s nominating committee for the Best Foreign Language Film. He is also a member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television as well as the Directors Guild of Canada. He is listed in numerous editions of Who’s Who In The World, as well as Who's Who In America.