Trivia

Son of Alfred Maurstad and Tordis Maurstad.

Older brother of Mari Maurstad.

Performed excerpts from "Peer Gynt" at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

A testament to his position in Norwegian theatre came in the 1970s when he co-starred with Liv Ullmann in a critically-acclaimed Broadway-staging of Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" (in New York).

Graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in 1949, through the years he has not only worked as a leading Norwegian actor but is also a respected stage director, and was the head of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) from 1967 to 1978 and most notably for Norway's National Theatre (Nationaltheatret) from 1978 to 1986.

In 1974, he was knighted by King Olav V and dubbed Knight of the First Class of the Order of St. Olav.

His only American film appearance (so far) has been in the 1970 box office and critical disaster, Song of Norway (1970), which was a film musical about the life of composer Edvard Grieg. It was based on a semi-forgotten 1944 Broadway show. So complete was the film's failure that, today, American audiences are still completely unaware of Maurstad's high-standing in Norwegian classical and modern theatre. He has played the role of "Peer Gynt" several times. He has also appeared in a British miniseries, The Last Place on Earth (1985), and in the British TV series, Spyship (1983).

In March 2007, Maurstad was appointed a Commander of the Order of St. Olav.

He was former theater director at Oslo Nye Teater 1967-78 and the National Theater 1978-86.

He married his third wife, actress Beate Eriksen, on New Year's Eve 1999, when she was 39 and he was 73. In 2001, Eriksen's application for adopting a child was rejected because Maurstad was considered to be too old. According to Norwegian rules, people who intend to adopt a child should be between 25 and 45, and Maurstad was 74.