Sven Hugo Borg Sven Hugo Borg Sven Hugo Borg (July 26, 1896 - February 19, 1981) was a Swedish-American character actor. Sven Hugo Borg was born in Vinslöv, Skåne län, Sweden. Early in his career, Borg was a secretary with the Swedish Consulate in Los Angeles. While working at the consulate he met the actress Greta Garbo who had recently arrived in Hollywood. Garbo asked Borg to be her interpreter for an upcoming movie to which he readily agreed. He served as Garbo’s interpreter from 1925 to 1929. After interpreting for Greta, Borg decided to pursue acting as a career. He had done
Greta Garbo star in the United States in 1930 and 1931. Garbo followed with two of her most famous roles. In 1931, she played the World War I German spy in the lavish production of "Mata Hari", opposite Ramón Novarro. When the film was released, it "caused panic with police reserves required to keep the waiting mob in order." The following year, she played a Russian ballerina in "Grand Hotel" (1932), opposite an ensemble cast, including John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Wallace Beery among others. The film won that year's Academy Award for Best Picture. Both films had been MGM's highest-earning films