Background
Arnardo was born in Sarpsborg, the son of lumberjack Einar Andersen and his wife Elna.
Arnardo was born in Sarpsborg, the son of lumberjack Einar Andersen and his wife Elna.
He escaped with the circus at an early age, took the stage name "Arnardo", and developed proficiency in several different acts. In 1949, he opened his own circus, under the name of Cirkus Arnardo. He was interested in the entertainment industry from an early age, and escaped with Cirkus Empress as a teenager.
Here he worked as a contortionist, illusionist and acrobat.
In 1927, he took the stage name "Arnardo", under which he was invariably known since. He also performed as an equilibrist, trapeze artist, hypnotist and ventriloquist.
In 1939 he became director of Cirkus Berny, before he was finally able to open his own circus in 1949 – under the name Cirkus Arnardo. Through a keen sense for public relations, Arnardo built the brand of his circus to become the best-known in Norway.
He died in his caravan during a show in Tøyen, Oslo, in 1995.