Zelma Hedin
| Zelma Hedin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Zelma Carolina Esolinda Bergnéhr 31 May 1827 |
| Died | 11 February 1874 (age 46) |
| Other names | Zelma Bergnéhr, Zelma Kinmansson, Zelma Bergmansson |
| Spouse(s) | Gustaf Kinmansson, Gustaf Hedin |
Zelma Carolina Esolinda Hedin, née Bergnéhr, also called Zelma Kinmansson and Zelma Bergmansson, (, 31 May 1827 – Stockholm, 11 February 1874), was a Swedish stage actress, regarded as one of the greatest stars on the stage of the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Stockholm during the 1840s and 1860s in the mid 19th century.
Zelma Hedin was born in Stockholm to Captain Lorentz August Bergnéhr and Charlotta Wilhelmina Christina Philp. Her sister, Leocadi Bergnéhr-Fossmo, became an opera star at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, and her cousin Laura Bergnéhr (d. 1852), was an actress at Mindre teatern 1847-52. Zelma Hedin became a student at Dramatens elevskola in 1840, debuted in 1842 and was contracted as premier actress in 1845.
She was described as beautiful, gracious and tasteful in her costume, and made her greatest triumphs in so called French salon-comedys, a popular genre where she was seen as the successor of Emilie Högquist, and became the female lead on the Royal Dramatic Theatre in the 1850s. She also took over the part of coquette from Charlotta Almlöf: the critics had always criticized Almlöf for being superficial, but for Hedin : "Flirtasioness seemed to me to be a profession". She was considered perfect in false, proud, cunning and plotting parts and called : "Truly Parisian".
As a person, she has also ben taken as an example of the infected rivalry within her profession on the royal theatre. In 1856–57, she was "without rivals", and it was said that she played the part of a "Grande Intrigante" both on and outside of the stage and exerted an influence "which was not without opposition" from her colleagues. In 1856, Elise Hwasser was given a salary of 6.000, and Hedin was given the same after threatening to resign. As a comparission, the lead opera singer Louise Michaeli had 8.000, and the male dramatic star actor Nils Almlöf ad 3.000.
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