In April last year, Ingvar Hirdwall fell asleep, aged 88. The popular actor played the neighbor Valdemar in “Beck” and just like Peter Haber, who plays the main role Martin Beck, he has been with the first film that premiered in 1997.
On Friday, “Beck – Dead end” premieres. It will be the 50th film about police commissioner Martin Beck – and the last one in which we see Ingvar Hirdwall take on the role of the neighbor. He died a couple of months after the film was shot.
– It is a huge loss. Both for me privately, because we had a private relationship as well, and for the films. It’s a big hole that no one can fill, says Peter Haber to TT.
Tells Martin Beck that he is moving
In Ingvar Hirdwall’s last scene as the neighbor in Beck, we see him on the famous balcony with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Before asking Martin Beck on the other side of the balcony if he should come over on a sprinkler, he starts talking about memories of when the two first met. Followed by him telling him he’s moving, much to Martin Beck’s disappointment.
– I have to think about my health, you know. You’re not 27 anymore, he says.
The film ends with a black image with the text “in memory of Ingvar Hirdwall 1934 – 2023”.
“He has covered 50 films with warmth and humor. He has had an enormous importance for the success of the Beck films and he is in all likelihood the whole of Sweden’s favorite neighbor!” says Jon Mankell, executive producer for Beck.
He also tells the idea that the character would move.
“The idea was that the audience’s imagination would decide where Valdemar went. Maybe he moved into a home, maybe he moved to the Amazon..”.
Two new Beck films will be shot in 2024
Earlier this week it was confirmed that the 50th Beck film will not be the last. In 2024, two new films are scheduled to be shot, and in the future more than that may come.
“We are now planning two films with filming starting this spring. So movies 51 and 52. We’re taking one season at a time, but as long as we can maintain a high quality and our viewers want to see Beck, it’s my hope that we’ll do more, Jon Mankell confirmed.
“Beck – Deadlock” can be streamed on TV4 Play from February 9.