Swedish Actor Bjorn Andresen Dies at 70 After Cancer Battle

Björn Andrésen, the Swedish actor famously dubbed "the most beautiful boy in the world" by director Luchino Visconti, died at age 70. Cast at 15 as Tadzio in Visconti's 1971 film "Death in Venice," Andrésen became an icon of ethereal beauty, a role that propelled him to worldwide fame but also led to lifelong struggles with exploitation, depression, and loss of personal agency. After the film, he experienced intense public and media sexualization and was paraded through elite circles, which deeply affected him emotionally. He later moved to Japan, where he became a cultural icon and pursued music, occasionally returning to acting with roles reflecting on his past. Andrésen's personal life was marked by tragedy, including the suicide of his mother when he was ten and the death of his infant son. His story was captured in the 2021 documentary "The Most Beautiful Boy in the World," which highlighted both the costs and resilience in his life shaped by early fame.