Background
Zelma Hedin was born in Stockholm to Captain Lorentz August Bergnéhr and Charlotta Wilhelmina Christina Philp.
Zelma Hedin was born in Stockholm to Captain Lorentz August Bergnéhr and Charlotta Wilhelmina Christina Philp.
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 1856-1857, 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.
She also performed as a singer in concerts, as in Åbo in Finland in 1857.
Hedin broke her leg in 1865, and retired after the 1867-1868 season. She performed as a guest artist in the 1871-1872 season. In 1873, she arranged a soaré at the theatre Södra Teatern in Stockholm, where she performed in public for the last time.
Zelma Hedin was married in 1845 to the actor Gustaf Kinmansson.
They divorced after mutual agreement in 1853, and after one year, during which she called herself Mrs Bergmansson, the both remarried. Him with the actress Helfrid Torsslow, child of Sara Torsslow, and she with the accountant Gustaf Hedin, brother of the actor Anders Hedin.