Wenche Foss

Eva Wenche Steenfeldt Stang (5 December 1917 – 28 March 2011), better known as Wenche Foss , was a leading Norwegian actress of stage, screen and television.

Personal life Wenche Foss was born to engineer Christian August Steenfeldt-Foss (1878–1960) and Alfhild Røren.

Her first marriage was to engineer and film producer Alf Scott-Hansen (1903–1961), a son of port director Alf Scott-Hansen, but the marriage was dissolved. In 1953 she married landowner and industrialist Thomas Stang (1897–1982), Her son Fabian Stang was mayor of Oslo from 2007 to 2015.

Career Foss made her stage debut in 1935 as Ingrid in Vilhelm Dybwad's operetta Taterblod. She was subsequently part of the ensemble at the Carl Johan Teater from 1936 to 1939, and then became a central figure in Centralteatret. She received acclaim in a number of leading roles. Her breakthrough role was in Carl Erik Soya's To tråder.

Death and recognition Foss was decorated as a Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 1972. In 1988 she was promoted to Commander with Star in the same order. She was one of few Norwegian civilians to hold such a high rank in the King's order of chivalry. She has also been awarded the Red Cross Badge of Honour and appointed a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Foss received a number of accolades, among them the Hedda Award, an honorary Amanda prize, and Toleranseprisen. She died in her sleep on 28 March 2011 at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, surrounded by her family.

Her death saw an outpour of public grief and tributes rarely bestowed upon civilians. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with government honour at state expense, the fifth woman in Norwegian history to be given this respect. The funeral was broadcast live on national television, 4 April 2011, and was, in keeping with Foss' own wishes, open to the public. It was also attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, as well as Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and other prominent members of government.

Foss is depicted on the tail fin of a Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800, with the registration SE-RXD.

Selected filmography 1940: Tørres Snørtevold 1942: En herre med bart 1942: Jeg drepte! 1942: The Dangerous Game 1945: Rikard Nordraak 1946: Et spøkelse forelsker seg 1948: Trollfossen 1951: Kranes konditori 1952: Det kunne vært deg 1953: Ung frue forsvunnet 1959: Støv på hjernen 1959: Herren og hans tjenere 1962: Tonny 1963: Om Tilla 1974: Bør Børson Jr. 1975: Flåklypa Grand Prix (voice of Enkefru Stengenfhøn-Glad) 1980: Life and Death 1982: Victoria L 2006: En udødelig mann (Kristine Cathrine Ploug)