Jens Bolling

Jens Bolling (23 June 1915 – 13 December 1992) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He was among the founders of Studioteatret, and a well-known interpreter of Norwegian fairy-tales.

Early and personal life Bolling was born in Levanger, as the son of saw mill manager Sigvard Bolling and Borghild Elnan. He grew up at the farm Brekke in the valley Maridalen north of Oslo. His mother died early, and his grandmother took her place. She was an eminent narrator of legends and fairytales. Also story telling among the farm workers and mill workers had influence on Bolling's later acting career. He had his first performance experience when he was seven years old, in a former hen house, playing Ludvig Holberg's Jeppe.

He was married three times; first to actress Liv Strømsted from 1945 to 1952. He was then married to actress Ingrid Bothner, and later to actress Marit Bolling.

Career Bolling was employed at the National Theatre in Oslo from 1936 to 1945. Bolling was forced to play the lead role in Halvorsen's propaganda play Før stormen, after two other actors had fled to Sweden in order to avoid playing the role. and from then the actors at Nationaltheatret initiated a silent sabotage, resulting in all sorts of difficulties for the management.

Bolling played for Studioteatret from 1945 to 1949, and served as theatre director at Rogaland Teater from 1949 to 1951. Among his roles at Rogaland Teater was the lead role in Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, and "Helmer" in A Doll's House.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1938 Det drønner gjennom dalen Streikebryter 1942 Det æ'kke te å tru Olaf Borg 1951 Dei svarte hestane Henrik Nordbø 1952 Emergency Landing Knut 1957 Nine Lives Alfred, kjelketrekker 1962 Kort är sommaren The Blacksmith 1982 Krypskyttere Arthur Skjolden 1985 Havlandet Den Blinde