Saga Becker

{{Infobox person

| name = Saga Becker

| image = Saga Becker in 2015.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Saga Becker in 2015

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1988}}

| birth_place = Eringsboda, Sweden

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Swedish

| other_names =

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 2006–present

| known_for = Something Must Break (2014)

}}

Saga Becker (born 1988) is a Swedish actress.{{cite web|url=http://hant.se/saga-becker-foddes-som-man-jag-skar-mig-hade-atstorningar-och-ville-do/|title=Saga Becker föddes som man: 'Jag skar mig, hade ätstörningar och ville dö'|date=16 February 2015 |publisher=Hänt.se|accessdate=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002042717/http://hant.se/saga-becker-foddes-som-man-jag-skar-mig-hade-atstorningar-och-ville-do/|archive-date=2 October 2015|url-status=live}} Becker is known for her performance as Sebastian in Something Must Break (2014) for which she was nominated for a Rising Star Award at the Stockholm Film Festival in 2014 and won a Guldbagge Award for Best Female Lead Role in 2015.

Early life

Becker grew up in Eringsboda, Sweden, in a wooded area outside Ronneby. Today she resides in Stockholm.{{cite AV media|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/571818?programid=2071|title=Saga Becker|publisher=Sveriges Radio|accessdate=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909175928/http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/571818?programid=2071|archive-date=9 September 2015|url-status=live}} Becker is the eldest child of her parents and has two younger brothers.{{cite web|url=http://www.expressen.se/noje/becker-det-ar-forsta-gangen-jag-berattar-det/|title=Becker: Det är första gången jag berättar det|work=Expressen|date=3 July 2015 |accessdate=1 September 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811231904/http://www.expressen.se/noje/becker-det-ar-forsta-gangen-jag-berattar-det/|archive-date=11 August 2015|url-status=live}}

When discussing her experience growing up transgender, she said she knew she was different and tried to create a dream world where she saw herself as a girl falling in love with a man. In school, she was bullied and received death threats and as a result of the harassment began to drink alcohol, and both starve and cut herself.

Career

She made her film debut in director Ester Martin Bergsmark's movie Something Must Break (2014) which was based on the novel You Are the Roots That Sleep at My Feet and Keep the Earth in Place by {{Interlanguage link multi|Eli Levén|sv}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur--nojen/film/filmrecensioner/saga-becker-det-dar-sokandet-har-jag-sjalv-gatt-igenom/|title=Saga Becker: 'Det där sökandet har jag själv gått igenom'|work=Sydsvenskan|accessdate=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916011119/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur--nojen/film/filmrecensioner/saga-becker-det-dar-sokandet-har-jag-sjalv-gatt-igenom/|archive-date=16 September 2015|url-status=live}} In April 2014, Becker traveled to New York for the premiere showing at the Tribeca Film Festival.{{cite web|title='Something Must Break' Premiere - 2014 Tribeca Film Festival|url=http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Saga+Becker/Something+Must+Break+Premiere+2014+Tribeca/pDK2HXbAZy0|website=Zimbio.com|accessdate=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930222319/http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Saga+Becker/Something+Must+Break+Premiere+2014+Tribeca/pDK2HXbAZy0|archive-date=30 September 2015|url-status=live}} For her role as the character Sebastian/Ellie in the film she won a Guldbagge Award for Best Female Lead Role in 2015 and thereby became the first transgender actress both to be nominated and win a Guldbagge Award.{{cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/film-tv/de-kan-vinna-arets-guldbaggar/|title=De kan vinna årets Guldbaggar|work=Dagens Nyheter|date=8 January 2015|access-date=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125138/http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/film-tv/de-kan-vinna-arets-guldbaggar/|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.moviezine.se/nyheter/2015-ars-guldbaggenomineringar|title=2015 års Guldbaggenomineringar|work=MovieZine|accessdate=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192955/https://www.moviezine.se/nyheter/2015-ars-guldbaggenomineringar|archive-date=4 July 2015|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.svt.se/guldbaggen/saga-becker-skrev-historia-se-kanslosamma-talet-i-guldbaggen|title=Saga Beckers känslosamma tal i Guldbaggen|publisher=Sveriges Television|accessdate=29 September 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930141007/http://www.svt.se/guldbaggen/saga-becker-skrev-historia-se-kanslosamma-talet-i-guldbaggen|archive-date=30 September 2015|url-status=live}}

Becker was nominated for a Rising Star Award at the Stockholm Film Festival in 2014.{{cite press release|url=http://www.stockholmfilmfestival.se/sv/under-festivalen/rising-star-award-2014|title=Rising Star Award 2014|publisher=Stockholms filmfestival|access-date=28 August 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329052707/http://www.stockholmfilmfestival.se/sv/under-festivalen/rising-star-award-2014|archive-date=29 March 2015|url-status=dead}} In 2015 Becker became the ambassador for the organization Suicide Zero, an organization that works to prevent suicides.{{cite web |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/article20801387.ab |title=Saga Becker |work=Aftonbladet |date=18 May 2015 |accessdate=1 September 2015 |language=sv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001161606/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/article20801387.ab |archive-date=1 October 2015 |url-status=live}} Becker had talked about being suicidal before her gender reassignment operation. Becker will, working with Suicide Zero, focus on transgender and gay people at risk.

Becker has demanded that the Swedish film industry give more roles to transgender actors and actresses.{{cite web|url=http://www.expressen.se/noje/rydhagen-becker-kraver-en-forandring/|title=Rydhagen: Becker kräver en förändring|work=Expressen|date=3 July 2015 |accessdate=1 September 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904103802/http://www.expressen.se/noje/rydhagen-becker-kraver-en-forandring/|archive-date=4 September 2015|url-status=live}} In March 2015, Becker became the first person to get tested for HIV at the RFSL's new testing station Testpoint in Stockholm as it had its opening day.{{cite web|url=http://www.qx.se/samhalle/28403/saga-becker-forst-att-ta-hivtest-hos-rfsl|title=Saga Becker först att ta hiv-test hos RFSL|work=QX|accessdate=1 September 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924110526/http://www.qx.se/samhalle/28403/saga-becker-forst-att-ta-hivtest-hos-rfsl|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}} Earlier, in February 2015, she had been a guest on the TV4 talk show Malou Efter Tio presented by Malou von Sivers.{{cite web|url=http://www.tv4.se/efter-tio/klipp/guldbaggevinnaren-saga-becker-om-att-v%C3%A4lja-livet-3065073|title=Guldbaggevinnaren Saga Becker om att välja livet|publisher=TV4|access-date=1 September 2015|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054037/http://www.tv4.se/efter-tio/klipp/guldbaggevinnaren-saga-becker-om-att-v%C3%A4lja-livet-3065073|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

On 3 July, 2015, Becker hosted Sommar i P1, broadcast on Sveriges Radio, where she talked about her career and her life as a transgender actress and described her life experience as a transgender person by saying, {{quote|text=Sometimes life has edges, sharp jagged edges that can cut ... and I cut myself all the time for it is difficult to live in a world if one does not exist. To deny oneself to fit in is stressful for both the body and the psyche. Not being able to be [myself] could mean the end. I can not lie anymore. This is my truth.}}