11 Powerhouse Swedish Actresses Americans Adore

Admit it, you know the stereotype of the Swedish beauty: buxom, blonde, blue-eyed and clad in a fur-trimmed bikini. Perhaps there are many Scandinavian ladies who willingly embody this beer commercial image, but the reality is that a very different kind of import from the wintry European country has fascinated American cinephiles for generations. It's a tradition that goes back to Greta Garbo's silent movie days.

This year, Alicia Vikander has been making waves with her striking looks and impressive performances in movies like Testament of Youth and Ex Machina. Next, we'll see her play a genius East German mechanic in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Meanwhile, Rebecca Ferguson, the half-Swedish, half-British star of the mini-series The White Queen, is getting a lot of next-big-thing buzz from her turn in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.

What do these actresses have in common with Bond Girls, Oscar nominees, a Trophy Wife and the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? It's not all about their awesome cheekbones. We expect it must be something about surviving those harsh winters that enables them to swing from ice queens, and ingénues, to really intense heroines.

By the way, while we're focusing on the Swedish ladies in this list, we can't ignore that the country produces some mighty fine men, too. Hats off to Stellan and Alexander Skarsgård, Joel Kinnaman, Martin Wallström (Mr. Robot's creepy tech villain), and old-school hottie Dolph Lundgren. Now, back to your female counterparts.