Mr. Skin Mr. Skin

Where are you?

In my office in a typical Swedish cottage from the early century. I live on a small farm on the countryside but close to Stockholm. My neighbors have horses on my land. I see reindeer out my window.

You are editor of the magazine Flygrevyn. What is that?

The name means "review of flight." It is the biggest aviation magazine in Scandinavia. My husband was a pilot.

Is that what you're best known for in Sweden?

Today they know me as the chief editor in aviation. But still everyone in Sweden knows about my past. In the '70s, the media was so much smaller and I had a lot of exposure on TV and fold-out girl magazines—there were three of them and I was on the cover of every one! I was very famous here.

How about in the rest of the world?

I had fans, but during the last few years when my old movies started to come out on the DVD I now get a lot of letters and emails from London, Germany, and United States. They ask for my autograph and send pictures they print from the internet and ask me to sign them. The funny thing is they are not my own age anymore but twenty years old!

Why do you think this new generation responds to your movies?

It's hard to say, but one reason was the era. I really think the '70s was a special time. Things were open, new ideas. Life was not as serious, it was more innocent. It was some kind of daydream.

But there was a lot of political turmoil too.

Yes! Where I grew up was a working-class city. My mother cleaned trains and my father was a little bit alcoholic. But I wasn't involved in the political climate. My own school was more elite; I studied Latin. And all my rich schoolmates were politically involved and smoked hash and talked. But I went for earning money. All people who grow up without money want to grow out of it.

Is that why you started modeling?

I wanted to go for the good things in life. When I was about fifteen, I found I didn't have to pay to go to clubs. They said, "Come in, come in." So then I posed for the girl magazines and then was in movies. They liked my look.

How would you describe your look?

I had that Lolita look. I had some kind of perfect body. I also was very reserved, so maybe that combination. Maybe I said something through my screen presence.

You will be a guest at the Horror Hound Weekend in Indianapolis November 16th to 18th, promoting the DVD release of Anita: Diary of a Nymphomaniac (Picture: 1 - 2) at the Synapse Films booth. This is your first ever convention appearance here—why now?

I do it for fun. Synapse Films is flying me in for a week. I don't get paid to travel to promote my films, but I don't need it. It is for my own pleasure, and I hope others people's pleasure. People are so nice. I am a little bit shy, but I find Americans are open and friendly.

Your co-star in Anita is Stellan Skarsgård. What was your reaction when he became a big actor in American movies like Good Will Hunting and Ronin?

I was surprised. He wasn't a good actor at that time. The role in Anita suited him, and he made other examples of that type of movie. Then he became a very good actor, and now he doesn't want to associate with those sexy movies. Shame on him! I think it's a little bit stupid. I will never be that serious.

So you have no regrets about your past?

It's perfectly all right. I haven't done anything that I can't say this is me. I could distance myself but that is not my kind of attitude.

You are naked a lot in your roles and you appear completely comfortable. Did you feel that way?

I knew I was picked for selling the movie because of my body—I wasn't stupid about that. I tried to make it as good acting as I was able. I had a very comfortable attitude towards my body, but privately I wore bras! I always tried to cover myself in my private life.

You didn't feel exploited?

I feel I had control of myself and people respected me. It depends on yourself and the way you are. Many of the actresses tell how they were exploited—it is an easy thing to say. I think some of them thought it was fun and good money when they did it but afterwards they don't want to admit it or their parents don't approve. I have never done anything to hurt the image of woman. I feel my roles are . . . decent.

Anita contains a lot of nudity and sex, but it also treats nymphomania as a legitimate condition.

The director wanted to make a serious movie, but probably he couldn't get the money if it wasn't sexy. I made other movies with him too.

Why did your film career wind down around 1980?

If I hadn't got married I probably would have made more movies. My husband was a little bit jealous. But also, in the middle of the '70s they wanted you to make real sex in the movies. I didn't want to do that. Nude, yes, but no porno.

Whose idea was it for you to wear that long black coat in the revenge sequence in Thriller?

The director. Now I've seen that image of mine in so many movies, not just Kill Bill.

How does that make you feel?

It's a compliment. I was very excited making Thriller because I thought for once in my life at that time I had a real part. I trained in karate for two months and practiced with real shotguns. I put a lot of me in that role; I tried to pick the feelings out of myself. My life hasn't been easy at the beginning. I lost two brothers. But people were very upset with this movie in Sweden—they wrote terrible words. The women were unkind to me. Today people think a strong woman is good—but back then people were shocked. It was forbidden.

You have been active in promoting environmental causes and wild-animal welfare in Sweden.

I wrote some articles and I try on my small land to take care of the animals. The world and the animals deserve to live on. We humans have done a lot of bad things. We are looking for a good life, but it costs nature too much.

How did you come to make movies in Japan?

I was at Cannes in 1971 with Exponerad (a.k.a. Exposed) (Picture: 1 - 2) and I met two Japanese businessmen and they asked me if I wanted to come to Japan to make a movie. I didn't realize it was for the big studio Toei.

Sex & Fury (Picture: 1 - 2) is on DVD now.

To be honest, I haven't seen it. They sent me the DVD, but I haven't watched it. One evening when I have nothing else to do I will look at it.

Did you like Japan?

It's beautiful. Plus, the people in Japan are as small and as shy as me! They asked me to stay and sign a contract with the studio. But then the Anita movie came up and I thought it was better to go back to Sweden.

Since you have done journalism, do you plan to write an autobiography?

I have thought about it—but first I am doing a photo book. My husband took thousands of pictures from my age of twenty-three to thirty-two. He died in 2004 and I have all these unpublished photos. The Super 8 Klubb in Sweden is working with me. They are a group that saves old Swedish movies, including mine.

Your husband liked taking your picture, which is no surprise.

He was a professional photographer. We met when he photographed me for a book titled This is Christina Lindberg—through the eyes of Bo Sehlberg. Once we got married he didn't allow anyone else to take my picture!

What kind of pictures did he shoot of you?

It's mostly nude photos.

We're buying!

Thank you!