Malla Höök


Amelie "Malla" Höök was a Swedish actress and courtesan. She was engaged at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm in 1828–1842, and also a well known courtesan. She is often mentioned in theater history for her friendship with Emilie Högqvist.

Life

Malla Höök's father is unknown. She was a student of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1825–26, a member of the travelling Berggren theater in 1826–28, debuted at the Royal Dramatic theater in 1828, and was active there from 1829 until 1842. She was a personal friend of her colleague Emilie Högqvist, and often mentioned as such. As a stage artist, Malla Höök was described as a dutiful worker and a gifted soubrette actress.
She was however more famed as a courtesan, and was for several years the mistress of a noble diplomat. In 1842, she ended her career at the age of 31, had herself declared of legal majority by royal petition and retired with a great fortune to a comfortable life with her own house in Stockholm and country villa outside Drottningholm, which she eventually left to the official Ludvig Hegardt, who was likely her biological son.