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Inger, the person It is hard to know a person, under any conditions. When this person has been dead for over 30 years, it is much more difficult. Although Inger lives on as an actress & celebrity thru her films and televison work, as a person she lives on in our memories and in how she touched others. Through their comments and through her own words, we can begin to know and appreciate Inger as a person. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, we may only still be able to design fading lines and capture a very superficial idea of who she was. Here I will try to create a personality portrait, a picture of Inger as others saw her and how she saw herself. I know that despite my efforts, the results will always be unsatisfactory. I will start with statements about her from other people, followed by Inger's own comments & opinions on a variety of topics or facts of her life. If by chance you are a visitor who has been fortunate enough to have known or met Inger and would like to share your experince, please post it in our guestbook for future inclusion on this page.

Other people statements about her

I remember the hour she spent with mentally retarded children because she had such a compassionate and generous heart. Her childhood was not a happy one and I believe it caused her many problems later in life

JoAnne Sherlock, friend

Inger didn't belong here. She should have stayed in Sweden and married a truck driver and had eight kids. She had idealism and purity, and maybe she came to a sort of desparation. The great competitiveness and phony sense of accomplishment we have here can be very destructive.

Anthony Quinn, actor, friend

...a terrible tragedy....such a loss of a wonderful person and talent...

Wilt Melnick, Inger's last agent

a lady of many secrets

William Windom, her co-star at Farmer's Daughter

Inger's Statements

On herself

I had a terrible insecurity, an extreme shyness, that I covered up with coldness. Everybody thought I was a snob. I was really just plain scared.

On the time spent with retarded youngsters

I cannot exist for myself alone. It is nothing compared to what they have given me .

On her arrival in Hollywood

Nobody met me. I simply got off the bus.

On Hollywood

At first I had no friends, no one really to care what happened to me. I was very naive about people and things. Everybody's interest in Hollywood isn't in you as a person, but how they can use you to get what they want.

On her first attempt to suicide

I was feeling lonely, very withdrawn. I'd been in love and it ended. I tried to end it, but it solves nothing. I lost perspective, but I benefited... I can laugh at myself now!

On the plane accident

The plane started burning and I thought I would be burned alive. I put on my coat, of all things, and curled up on the floor. Somehow I escaped and now I feel as if I were on borrowed time - that the worst is over and it's clear sailing. But it is reassuring to know that you can continue to function under pressure and not give in to hysteria.

On loneliness

A career can't put its arms around you. The thing I miss most is having someone to share things with. I always used to jump into friendships and give too much. You can't do that. You end up like Grand Central Station with people just coming and going. And there you are, left alone.

On her work

I take great pride in my work. I want very much to fulfill my life. When I die, I don't want to have just gone down that road and just crawled into a hole and that's it. I would like to have left something behind. I would like to have contributed something to this generation in which I live. And maybe I would do it through my work as an actress.

On her career

If I took a test, I would probably find I'm in the wrong field.

On her success

Sometimes when I'm doing a part, I think: "My heavens, I'm not really capable of doing any of this. Someday they're going to find out I just can't do it".

On her body
...I've got this sort of crooked face, and these big feet...