Lis Smed

Elly Elisa Sørensen Smed (27 November 1914 – 24 November 1944) was a Danish film and stage actress. At 19, she made her debut in Den lille Butik at Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen. Among her most successful films were Thummelumsen and Biskoppen (1944). As a result of trying to reduce weight, she died of eating disorders when she was only 30, a month after she had performed to full houses at Folketeatret in William Saroyan's Livet er jo dejligt.

Early life Born on 27 November 1914 in Horsens, Elly Elisa Smed Sørensen was the daughter of the electricity works manager Jørgen Sørensen Smed and his wife Johanne Pouline née Hansen. When she was 17 she moved to Copenhagen where she received basic training in ballet and in acting under Viggo Friederichsen (1875–1940) but she was above all naturally talented as an actress. In 1937, she underwent training at the Royal Danish Theatre but thereafter performed only in a series of private theatres where she continued her success.