Anna Björnsdóttir (born 4 July 1954), also known as Anna Bjorn, is an Icelandic graphic designer, yoga instructor, documentary filmmaker, model, actress and beauty pageant title holder. In 1974, she represented Iceland in Miss Universe in Manila and was voted Miss Congenial by her fellow contestants.[1][2]
Anna Björnsdóttir | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 July 1954 |
| Nationality | Icelandic |
| Other names | Anna Bjorn |
| Occupations |
|
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss Universe Iceland 1974 |
| Major competition(s) | Miss Universe Iceland 1974 (Winner) Miss Universe 1974 (Unplaced) |
Career
editIn the 1970s and 1980s, Anna had a successful modeling career, being represented by the Ford Modeling Agency in New York and Nina Blanchard in Los Angeles.[3] She was featured in a great number of television commercials both in Europe and the United States and held exclusive contracts with Noxema and Vidal Sassoon. During that time she studied acting in Los Angeles and appeared in several films and television shows in the United States, such as More American Graffiti and The Sword and the Sorcerer and Get Crazy.[4][5]
In 1982, Anna co-produced, filmed and edited the documentary From Iceland to Brazil, about Icelandic immigrants to Brazil in the 1870s, and in 1987, she produced and directed the documentary Love & War, about the "war brides" of Iceland.
She became a certified yoga instructor in 1994, having practiced yoga since the late 1970s. She opened her own yoga studio, Yogastöð Vesturbæjar/Yoga West, in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1994[6] and sold the company in 2007.
In 2003, Anna graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts with a BA degree in graphic design. Since then she has worked as a freelance graphic designer, focusing on logo and book design.
Personal life
editAnna was married to musician Jakob Frímann Magnússon.[1][7]
She divides her time between Europe and the United States.[citation needed] Her partner since 1994 is advertising CEO Halldór Guðmundsson.[citation needed]
In 2011, The Boston Globe claimed that she gave the FBI information that led to gangster and fugitive Whitey Bulger's capture.[1][8] A reward of US$2 million had been offered for information leading to his capture.
References
edit- ^ a b c "Former Beauty Queen To Receive $2 Million For Turning Whitey In". HuffPost. 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Hún var vinsælust þeirra allra". Vísir (in Icelandic). 22 July 1974. Retrieved 20 April 2022 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ Katrín Pálsdóttir (27 February 1986). "Ford-fyrirsætur". Vikan (in Icelandic). p. 5. Retrieved 4 May 2022 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ "Íslensk kvikmyndastjarna". Vikan (in Icelandic). 24 December 1981. p. 25. Retrieved 4 May 2022 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ Ómar Valdimarsson (7 November 1983). "Málið er ekki að meika það". Helgarpósturinn (in Icelandic). pp. 12–13. Retrieved 4 May 2022 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ "Jógastöð Vesturbæjar í nýtt húsnæði". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 13 September 2002. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Jakob Frímann Magnússon". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Kristjana Björg Guðbrandsdóttir (10 October 2015). "Nágranninn hættulegasti glæpamaður Bandaríkjanna". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 20 April 2022.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | More American Graffiti | Eva |
| 1982 | The Sword and the Sorcerer | Elizabeth |
| 1982 | Með allt á hreinu (On Top: US title) | Hekla |
| 1982 | From Iceland to Brazil | producer |
| 1983 | Get Crazy | Countess Chantaminaa |
| 1987 | Love and War | director/producer |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Diff'rent Strokes | Kristin | Guest star |
| 1982 | The Devlin Connection | Erica | Guest star |
| 1983/1984 | Fantasy Island | Connie/Monique | Guest star |
| 1985 | Remington Steele | Reporter | Guest star |
| 1986 | Dream West (TV) | Angelique | Guest star |
| 1986 | Riptide | Guest star | |
| 1991 | Shannon's Deal | Ingrid | Guest star |
External links
edit- Anna Bjorn at IMDb