While researching a different article tonight, I discovered that Arnie Stenseth passed away on Feb. 7, 2020 following a short illness. He was 82. You may recall Mr. Stenseth played Sven Jorgensen, the lead Norwegian businessman, in the Twin Peaks Pilot Episode. This Love Letter pays tribute to his brief but memorable scene from David Lynch and Mark Frost’s groundbreaking show.
FAREWELL SVEN
According to his obituary, Mr. Stenseth was living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the time of his passing. A first generation Norwegian, he had been an actor for nearly 20 years before auditioning for Twin Peaks in 1988.
“He played a Norwegian, and director David Lynch picked him for the part because he was a Norwegian and passed the test of answering Lynch’s first question in Norwegian. Lynch said: ‘You’ve got the part’. Those were Arnie’s favorite words in his life – ”’You’ve got the part’. “
ARGUS LEADER – APRIL 8, 1990
On February 27, 2021, I discovered a feature about Arnie in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s newspaper, the Argus Leader. The article by Ann Grauvogl discusses his appearance in the pilot episode and offers a few interesting tidbits of new information about shooting his scenes. The article ran on April 8, 1990, the same day the Pilot episode debuted on the ABC Television network.
Stenseth was living in Seattle, Washington when he was cast as Sven. He moved to Sioux Falls shortly after completing his scenes to be closer to his daughters.
“Lynch hired Stenseth as a day player. The actor expected to spend two days on the set but stayed for an extra because Lynch took so long to position a body on the beach. He tried the opening shot five different times,” wrote Grauvogl.
Arnie shot his scene on March 17, 1989 at Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, Washington. This was the latter part of of the 28-day principle photography shoot in the Pacific Northwest.
To get the part, his agent sent him to the Twin Peaks audition. He met first with a Seattle casting agent, who was most likely Susan Dixon who handled Seattle casting versus Johanna Ray who handled all other casting for the show.
“He first met with a Seattle casting agency that sent a videotape of Stenseth to the Los Angeles casting agents. Next, he met with the L.A. crew that chose who would talk to Lynch and his partner, Mark Frost.”
‘As each call-back came, I felt more excited about this thing’
In his final call-back for the production, Stenseth told Lynch and Frost that he had attended high school in Norway. ‘The accent was very simple, I just had to think of my uncles,’ [Stenseth] said.”
The article included two images I don’t recall seeing. Both were probably captured by on-set photographer Kimberly Wright. There is a different angle to the shot outside Kiana Lodge when Ben Horne attempts to stop the Norwegians from leaving.
The other shows Arnie is his costume along with a few other cast members that were members of the local Sons of Norway lodge in Seattle
DAGBLADET.NO INTERVIEW
Twin Peaks Archive posted a translated interview from Dagbladet.no published on September 3, 2008. You can read the full interview HERE.
There were several interesting tidbits including this passage:
“The rest of the Norwegians were recruited from the Norwegian-American smalltown Paulsbo [sic] in Washington, according to Stenseth, who remembers the shooting of ‘Twin Peaks’ with great fondness.
‘Still, I am unsure if the scene really manages to convey what Lynch wanted. He wanted to portray the Norwegians almost like the Japanese, with identical briefcases and great willingness to march in step. This is ironically meant because it is the exact opposite of what Norwegians are like’, Stenseth says.
‘Just the idea of Norwegians coming to Washington in the US to buy lumber is a joke in itself’, he adds.
ATHENA RESEARCH CORPORATION
Arnie retired from acting in 1996 and continued work in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with his wife Dr. Rosemary Erickson. Together, they ran Athena Research Corporation. As part of their criminological investigations Mr. Stenseth “went into 26 prisons across the country and surveyed over 600 robbers to determine why they do what they do, which resulted in a book in 1996.”
His wife recalled Arnie’s passion for his work in his obituary:
“He continued his work with crime prevention until the end of his life. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, on the day he died, a lawyer was on the phone with [Dr. Erickson] and asked about a violent crime civil case, from seven years prior. While he was on the stretcher, he reiterated to her what the case was, and then passed away just a few hours later ”lucid and still working on preventing crime to the end.”
“His final words before he passed were: “I know I am not going to make it, but I am not afraid.” He is survived by his wife Rosemary; his older sister Vi; his daughters Calli and Mari; his grandchildren: Shannon Brick, Seth Brick, Brooks Jordan, Madeline Jordan; his niece Paula Varblow, nephew Mark Dnistran, and Rosemary’s nieces and nephews” Her brother Russell’s children: Karen Iversen and Tessa Sugahara; and her brother Dean’s children: Sandra Erickson, Doug Erickson, and Jeff Erickson and his informally adopted granddaughter Jae Csongradi.”
“MY AIR SACS”
We first see Sven sitting in the front left table closest to Leland Palmer in the Great Northern Hotel dining room.
Ben repeats what Sven told him after his morning run (“My air sacs never felt so good.”). This dialogue appears in the original “Northwest Passage” script:
INT. HOTEL DlNING ROOM – MORNING
Benjamin Home stands at the head of a table, addressing the fifteen Norwegian businessmen. Beside him, an INTERPRETOR translates each sentence into Norwegian. Leland Palmer sits at Horne’s right hand.
HORNE
(in the middle of his spiel)
… and great opportunities for growth and expansion with a minimal capital outlay … a clean and wholesome environment much like your own … with a quality of life to rival the best our country can offer … of course when I first spoke to Sven he was naturally concerned about the air here … if you’ll permit me to repeat what you told me after your run this morning, Sven … (pounds his chest enthusiastically) “My air sacs never felt so good!”
After the translation, the group all nod good-naturedly and SVEN turns red.
ENTER AUDREY HORNE
Interestingly, Audrey Horne’s scene interrupting the Norwegians does not appear in the script. One thing to note is the way Sven is sitting just before turning to address the “young, pretty girl.”
In the next shot, Sven is leaning toward the camera as he delivers his lines.
The script describes the Norwegians learn of Laura Palmer’s murder from a television in the lobby.
INT. GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL LOBBY – DAY
On a small TV monitor at the front desk, continuing the report on the news about Laura. Watching are the DESK CLERK and the group of Norwegians we saw earlier in the day, who are in the process of checking out of the hotel. Two BELLMEN are loading their baggage on a trolley.
LOCAL REPORTER’S VOICE
(voice over, on the TV)
… cheerleader, Homecoming Queen, most popular girl in school, friend to many in the community. Seventeen years old. Laura Palmer, found dead this morning, the victim of violent crime …
I wonder if that “Local Reporter’s Voice” would have been reporter Cyril Pons played by Mark Frost whom we later see in Episode 2001.
NORWEGIANS ARE LEAVING
The action in the broadcast episode takes place just outside the Great Northern Hotel main entrance. In the script, Ben Horne’s interactions are in the lobby. Some of the dialog remains the same in the episode.
During above, we see Benjamin Horne, the Translator, and Sven Jorgenson, the group’s leader, are standing beside a nearby column, speaking in hushed, urgent tones.
HORNE
– Mr. Jorgenson, I urge you to reconsider, I want to appeal to your best nature –
The Translator tries to translate simultaneously and then struggles to keep up with them both.
SVEN
(over the translator)
Best nature? We have best nature at home; no violent crime, crime rate nothing –
HORNE
It is a great injustice to judge our community by this horrible exception to the rule, I have a daughter myself, she’s the same age, she goes to the same high school
SVEN
Everyone here have gun! Not good!
HORNE
Sir, you are throwing away the investment opportunity of a lifetime –
SVEN
Better that then to throw lifetime away –
HORNE
(to the Translator)
You keep out of this!
Thank you Arnie for sharing your talents with the world. You will be missed.
