Nils Asther  Nils Asther was born January 17, 1897 in Malmo, Sweden.  He was discovered by  Garbo's mentor Mauritz Stiller (with whom he reportedly had an affair) in the early 1920s.  The darkly handsome actor was invited to Hollywood in 1926 and was successful through the early 1930s.  Unfortunately, his strong accent limited his success in sound films.  Asther was bisexual and was smitten with Garbo for a while and, like Gilbert, unsuccessfully proposed in 1929 while they were filming The Single Standard.  He was briefly  married to the actress Vivian Duncan. He died in 1981. Films with Greta Garbo:  Wild Orchids    The Single Standard   Leading Men Index