Liv Ullmann (born December 16, 1938) is an Oscar-nominated Norwegian actress, author and film director. She played lead roles in nine films by Ingmar Bergman, with whom she had a daughter, Norwegian author Linn Ullmann. The consummate psychological actress, she was the object of critical acclaim the likes of which haven't been seen since the 70s (awards include three Best Actress prizes from the prestigious National Society of Film Critics, two from the National Board of Review, a threesome from the New York Film Critics Circle, and one Golden Globe as well as a LAFCA honor). Liv Ullman was born in Tokyo (where her engineer father was working at the time), and grew up in Trondheim, Norway.
Her work with Bergman, especially in the powerful Scenes from a Marriage, turned her into a 1970s feminist and cultural icon, as well as one of the most respected actresses of her time. She was nominated twice for an Academy Award (for The Emigrants and Face to Face), and published two successful biographies (Changing and Choices).
She has been living in New York City for many years with her second husband, U.S. citizen Donald Saunders, whom she married in 1985.
She is multi-lingual, speaking Norwegian, Swedish, English and other European languages. She is also a committed UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and has travelled widely for the organisation.
Lately, Ullmann has been making a name for herself as a film director (most notably with the acclaimed, Bergman-scripted drama Faithless) and could also be seen reprising her role from Scenes From a Marriage in 2003's Saraband (Bergman's final film).