Born in Stockholm, Sweden. Since his international success of My Life as a Dog (1985), for which he was nominated for the Academy Awards for writing and directing, he has worked in American movies. His first notable American success was What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). His critically-acclaimed film The Cider House Rules (1999) and his later film Chocolate (2000), were well received and both which were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.