Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless

"I was in The Seventh Seal once. Bergman, do you hear me? Bergman!" That's what Max von Sydow may be thinking as he poses for this photo in the guise of the villainous Ming the Merciless in the 1980 film Flash Gordon. On the other hand, perhaps he is thinking of the fat paycheck coming his way. Either way, here he is, the old pro in a bald cap and fake eyebrows. Max von Sydow was born in 1929, so he turned 51 the year Flash Gordon was released.