(edit title) Famous Swedes you've met... Have you met Lassie? Options

[Garry Jones]

A famous Swedish saying is "I met Lassie". Its used when you tell people you've met someone famous.

I moved here in the 80's. In 89 I was set become a father and marry (in that order, this is Sweden), and now my grandmother realised my moving was more than just a passing fad and I would be likely to stay so she decided to come out for the first time. She was in her 80's and loved Abba. She knew Sweden had a small population. A few days before she was due I opened a letter from her and read that see wants to meet Abba!

Like I could just phone them up and ask? I knew it would be easy to find a home address but about this time Agnetha was being stalked by an ex Dutch boyfriend so I didn't wanna go down that road. Besides a teenager's infatuation with the company's new receptionist had nearly landed me in trouble ten years previously. (Another story).

So I met my nan at Arlanda and we went into Stockholm. She asked if I had been in touch with Abba, I evaded all questions and checked her in to the Hotel Diplomat in Strandvägen. Later that afternoon we strolled along to Djurgården. I was still wondering how to explain her favourite (and oldest) grandchild can't fix everything. She thought the Zoo and museum would be a good idea so we walked up to the gates of Skansen. Just then a couple of officials come out and approached a group of smartly dressed men behind us. Low and behold there are Benny and Björn, right on queue, just standing there. My nan just goes up for a chat leaving me glued to the spot. After we paid our entrance and the VIP's had been passed through there was still time for a jovial Benny to turn round and wish her a pleasent stay in Sweden.

That was 21 years ago, I have met my fair share of famous people since then, including, sportsmen Gunde Svan and Bernt Johansson, some kid called Erik that won Idol and the actress Helena Bergman. But on the sheer scale of things nothing comes close to my nan's meeting with half of Abba, she'd only been in Sweden for three hours...

Anyone else got stories of famous Swedes they've met, or even famous other people in Sweden?

[Opalnera]

Cute story, no but if I ever meet Alexander Skarsgård I will ask him to marry me immediately

I guess I will wait for the day when someone asks me if I have met Martina Hingis or Roger Federa since Sweden is so well known for its famous tennis players ...oh wait that's not right is it?

[dahlin]

A famous Swedish saying is "I met Lassie". Its used when you tell people you've met someone famous.I moved here in the 80's. In 89 I was set become a father ... (show full quote)

A famous Swedish saying is "I met Lassie". Its used when you tell people you've met someone famous.

I moved here in the 80's. In 89 I was set become a father and marry (in that order, this is Sweden), and now my grandmother realised my moving was more than just a passing fad and I would be likely to stay so she decided to come out for the first time. She was in her 80's and loved Abba. She knew Sweden had a small population. A few days before she was due I opened a letter from her and read that see wants to meet Abba!

Like I could just phone them up and ask? I knew it would be easy to find a home address but about this time Agnetha was being stalked by an ex Dutch boyfriend so I didn't wanna go down that road. Besides a teenager's infatuation with the company's new receptionist had nearly landed me in trouble ten years previously. (Another story).

So I met my nan at Arlanda and we went into Stockholm. She asked if I had been in touch with Abba, I evaded all questions and checked her in to the Hotel Diplomat in Strandvägen. Later that afternoon we strolled along to Djurgården. I was still wondering how to explain her favourite (and oldest) grandchild can't fix everything. She thought the Zoo and museum would be a good idea so we walked up to the gates of Skansen. Just then a couple of officials come out and approached a group of smartly dressed men behind us. Low and behold there are Benny and Björn, right on queue, just standing there. My nan just goes up for a chat leaving me glued to the spot. After we paid our entrance and the VIP's had been passed through there was still time for a jovial Benny to turn round and wish her a pleasent stay in Sweden.

That was 21 years ago, I have met my fair share of famous people since then, including, sportsmen Gunde Svan and Bernt Johansson, some kid called Erik that won Idol and the actress Helena Bergman. But on the sheer scale of things nothing comes close to my nan's meeting with half of Abba, she'd only been in Sweden for three hours...

Anyone else got stories of famous Swedes they've met, or even famous other people in Sweden? ... (hide full quote)

OMG I LOVE this story ! I could not possibly top this. Thanks Garry

[dahlin]

Cute story, no but if I ever meet Alexander Skarsgård I will ask him to marry me immediately I guess I will wait for the day when someone asks me if I have met Martina Hingi ... (show full quote)

Cute story, no but if I ever meet Alexander Skarsgård I will ask him to marry me immediately

I guess I will wait for the day when someone asks me if I have met Martina Hingis or Roger Federa since Sweden is so well known for its famous tennis players ...oh wait that's not right is it? ... (hide full quote)

I know you are aiming to get a rise and I won't get sucked in but have to say that even my own family ( the ones that haven't visited) still sometimes think I live in Switzerland !!

[shramdrows]

great story!

I have happened upon a few famous swedes too ... sat next to Fredrik Reinfeldt on the ski lift last winter, and this summer met magnus samuelsson at a traktor race, of all places!

But the most classic was a few years ago in Falsterbo when I was a nanny to some famous swedish person's child (not going to reveal) and I and the child were playing with plastic animals in a stony back lane. A car came along and had to wait until we leisurely got out everything out of the way. The woman driving chatted to me in english about how lovely it was that we were so dusty and dirty from having such a good play, amongst other things we talked about the weather (of course) and for some reason conversation even went on to chickens....it wasn't until after she had driven off and the mother of my ward came along to ask me what i had been chatting so long to the Queen about!!

shamefully i had had no idea who she was!

[Opalnera]

I know you are aiming to get a rise and I won't get sucked in but have to say that even my own family ( the ones that haven't visited) still sometimes think I live in Switzerland !!

LOL no I wasn't trying to bait anyone, just making the point that people from far away places like Australia think Sweden and Switzerland are the same place. I had someone call me a "swiss miss" like Martina Hingis...I was like um...that's Switzerland... Also that there are no famous Swedes apart from ABBA and possibly my one true love Alexander hehehehe

[JulieLou40]

LOL no I wasn't trying to bait anyone, just making the point that people from far away places like Australia think Sweden and Switzerland are the same place. I had someon ... (show full quote)

LOL no I wasn't trying to bait anyone, just making the point that people from far away places like Australia think Sweden and Switzerland are the same place. I had someone call me a "swiss miss" like Martina Hingis...I was like um...that's Switzerland... Also that there are no famous Swedes apart from ABBA and possibly my one true love Alexander hehehehe ... (hide full quote)

I can identify with that. A relative of mine once asked my Swedish partner whether he spoke German or French. His reply was "Neither. I speak Swedish". And this person was a flight attendant...you'd have thought she'd have a bit more knowledge than the average Joe

[Streja]

LOL!

I have been through that myself.

"Oh, so you come from Sweden...what language do you speak there then, English?"

[deaninsweden]

I once accidentaly pissed on Dolph Lundgrens shoes whilst in a club in Los Angeles.

[Streja]

I've met several famous Swedish people but I am not sure if it is important.

[Garry Jones]

No famous Swedes? hahahahaha, just don't tell a Swede that.

They are always given to thinking that any medal or perfomance by a Swede in any sport or art automaticly makes them world famous and a household name all over the world.

Case 1, Ingemar Stenmark, slalom skier late 70's, Swedes will tell you how Sweden stopped when Stenmark raced. They are surprised when I tell them that on British Television throughout that period we had "Ski Sunday". The stars were the REAL skiers, the downhill men, Franz Klammer etc. We saw mainly downhill and skijumping, skiing between the sticks just didn't really hack it with a British audience. However Swedes presume that the whole world was waiting, watching with baited breath.

Case 2, Carolina Kluft. Being sports interested during the Sydney Olympics I thought I'd keep an eye on Denise Lewis who had a chance in the Heptathlon. She won the gold, but this event was so low-key in Sweden nothing was shown on any of the Olympic broadcasts. I had to follow her progress on the net. Fast forward 4 years and Carolina Kluft is now competing from Sweden. All credit to her because she won. But the hype surrounding this was incredible. Her performance was on a par with Lewis's but now this event was lifted. Anyone watching here was made to think the whole world was flabbergasted, amazed and shocked by this young Swede winning such an important gold. In the overall picture the event retained its low status around the world and her medal passed by unnoticed, just don't mention that to a Swede.

Case 3, Dag Hammarsköld, Olof Palme, Anna Lind, Raoul Wallenberg, Hans Blixt, August Strindberg & Anders Zorn. - All hyped up over here as if they were really important leading figures within thier fields. They weren't, they were insignificant nobodies in the big picture.

The exceptions that break the above rule: Björn Borg and Abba. Few Swedes can actually understand the power of Borg and Abba. His feats and Abba's music ruled in the late 70's. These are the 5 Swedes that have actually achieved true world-wide superstar status. I can't think of any others...

[Streja]

I'd say it depends on who you talk to. A lot of people will know who a famous Swede is, but noone knows she/he is Swedish.

A lot of people know who Stieg Larsson is.

Ingmar Stenmark is famous in the countries where slalom is important. The UK is hardly a country with a slalom culture.

It's like Brits trying to tell us who Norman Wisdom was, like who?

[Opalnera]

I still have no idea who Bjorn Borg is, except that you can buy heaps of shit with his name on it! But I am the same with "so called" famous Aussies.

[Craptastical]

I'd say it depends on who you talk to. A lot of people will know who a famous Swede is, but noone knows she/he is Swedish.

That's a good point.

Here's another one that's more contemporary... Malin Åkerman. Most people in the US don't know she's Swedish but they see her in a lot of movies.

[mjennin2]

No famous Swedes? hahahahaha, just don't tell a Swede that.They are always given to thinking that any medal or perfomance by a Swede in any sport or art automaticly makes ... (show full quote)

No famous Swedes? hahahahaha, just don't tell a Swede that.

They are always given to thinking that any medal or perfomance by a Swede in any sport or art automaticly makes them world famous and a household name all over the world.

Case 1, Ingemar Stenmark, slalom skier late 70's, Swedes will tell you how Sweden stopped when Stenmark raced. They are surprised when I tell them that on British Television throughout that period we had "Ski Sunday". The stars were the REAL skiers, the downhill men, Franz Klammer etc. We saw mainly downhill and skijumping, skiing between the sticks just didn't really hack it with a British audience. However Swedes presume that the whole world was waiting, watching with baited breath.

Case 2, Carolina Kluft. Being sports interested during the Sydney Olympics I thought I'd keep an eye on Denise Lewis who had a chance in the Heptathlon. She won the gold, but this event was so low-key in Sweden nothing was shown on any of the Olympic broadcasts. I had to follow her progress on the net. Fast forward 4 years and Carolina Kluft is now competing from Sweden. All credit to her because she won. But the hype surrounding this was incredible. Her performance was on a par with Lewis's but now this event was lifted. Anyone watching here was made to think the whole world was flabbergasted, amazed and shocked by this young Swede winning such an important gold. In the overall picture the event retained its low status around the world and her medal passed by unnoticed, just don't mention that to a Swede.

Case 3, Dag Hammarsköld, Olof Palme, Anna Lind, Raoul Wallenberg, Hans Blixt, August Strindberg & Anders Zorn. - All hyped up over here as if they were really important leading figures within thier fields. They weren't, they were insignificant nobodies in the big picture.

The exceptions that break the above rule: Björn Borg and Abba. Few Swedes can actually understand the power of Borg and Abba. His feats and Abba's music ruled in the late 70's. These are the 5 Swedes that have actually achieved true world-wide superstar status. I can't think of any others... ... (hide full quote)

Case 4: IBRAHIMOVIĆ !! The best! Even though he's not, really.