At the age of 17, Bergman was allowed only one chance to become an actress by entering an acting competition with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Bergman recalls her feelings during that :
“As I walked off the stage, I was in mourning, I was at a funeral. My own. It was the death of my creative self. My heart had truly broken… they didn’t think I was even worth listening to, or watching.”
However, her impression was wrong, as she later met one of the judges who described how the others viewed her performance:
“We loved your security and your impertinence. We loved you and told each other that there was no reason to waste time as there were dozens of other entrants still to come. We didn’t need to waste any time with you. We knew you were a natural and great. Your future as an actress was settled.”
As a result she received a scholarship to the state-sponsored Royal Dramatic Theatre School, where Greta Garbo had years earlier also earned a similar scholarship!
(Source: whatsjohnbeensmoking)
Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman on the set of Notorious (1946)
