‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Actor Dies of Lymphoma: Son Confirms Death of Jacob Ericksson

Jacob Ericksson, a beloved international actor, recently died. He was 58.

Ericksson died on Oct. 17, per TT News Agency. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actor’s son, Hugo, confirmed the cause of death was lymphoma in an interview with Expressen. Medical professionals diagnosed the actor with the condition in early 2025, with his condition worsening “”very quickly” in the final week of his life.

Hugo, his sister and Ericksson’s sister were with him at the time of his passing.

“He has always been a very safe place for me,” Hugo said of his late dad. “A father figure, but for me he was also a best friend. We had a lot of fun together, he always made me laugh.”

Ericksson’s most widely known work came in the 2009 adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (a.k.a Män som hatar kvinnor). He played Christer Malm, one of the co-owners of Millenium, the publication also co-owned by protagonist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist). The Swedish thespian reprised the role in its sequels The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Luftslottet som sprängdes). He did not reprise the role in the 2011 David Fincher adaptation.

He was also an accomplished stage actor, all the way up to his passing. He was slated to star in the recent touring version of Dödsdansen before he fell ill.

“Jacob Ericksson was a warm and caring person with great integrity – a quality that permeated his artistry,” Riksteatern’s theatre director Dritëro Kasapi said, per TT. “He was never satisfied, never took shortcuts in his creations and always delivered complex, deep and engaging role interpretations. His work at the Riksteatern and on stages around the country has left a strong impression.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know him during our collaborations. Our last collaboration was interrupted by his illness, but our last conversation was about taking new steps when he got well again. That didn’t happen. His presence, both as an actor and a person, will be deeply missed.”