Jon Skolmen

Jon Skolmen (1 November 1940 – 28 March 2019) was a Norwegian actor and comedian who appeared in several Norwegian and Swedish films. He gained special recognition for his role as Ole Bramserud in Sällskapsresan opposite Lasse Åberg.

Career Between 1963 and 1981, Skolmen was employed by the Norwegian state broadcasting company, NRK, where he most notably co-wrote and appeared in the show The Nor-Way to Broadcasting alongside Trond Kirkvaag. The show won the Golden Rose of Montreux and the Chaplin Award at the Montreux Television Festival in 1976.

He also appeared on British children's television. In 1971, he presented Play School for the BBC, though for only one week. He was also a regular presenter on the programme's Norwegian version, Lekestue. In 1981, he appeared in a one-off special co-produced by the BBC and NRK called Jon, Brian, Kirsti and Jon in which he appeared with his compatriot Kirsti Sparboe, and the British performers Brian Cant (with whom Skolmen co-wrote the script) and Jonathan Cohen.

Skolmen found a large audience in neighbouring Sweden. He co-starred in the six Sällskapsresan films as the character Ole Bramserud, the Norwegian sidekick of main character Stig-Helmer Olsson who was played by Swedish actor Lasse Åberg. In the 1980s, he also co-starred in the Swedish sketch comedy show , which was broadcast on SVT.

In 2007, Skolmen again collaborated with his former partner Trond Kirkvaag, when he starred in the sitcom Luftens helter, which was created shortly before Kirkvaag's death the same year.

Skolmen received the Komiprisen honorary prize for lifetime achievement in 2009.

He died on 28 March 2019 at the age of 78. as Ole Bramserud 1981: Sølvmunn as Father 1984: ...But the Olsen Gang Wasn't Dead as Vaktmesteren på Munchmuseet 1985: Sällskapsresan 2 – Snowroller as Ole 1986: Plastposen as Reinert 1988: Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by as Butcher 1988: S.O.S. – En segelsällskapsresa as Ole 1991: Den ofrivillige golfaren (archive footage) 1993: Hodet over vannet as Policeman 1999: Hälsoresan – En smal film av stor vikt as Ole Bramserud 2007: 5 løgner as Ole Gunnar 2009: Göta kanal 3 – Kanalkungens hemlighet as Norrman 2011: Umeå4ever as Far 2011: The Stig-Helmer Story as Ole Bramserud