Frans Gösta Viktor Ekman (28 December 1890 – 12 January 1938) was a Swedish actor, director and singer.

His boyish good looks attracted both sexes, helping to create a massive cult following and elevating him to the status of a living legend.

He was known as a self-taught master of disguise with theatre make-up and costumes, Gösta Ekman was equally convincing as a farmer's son, an 18th-century middle-aged aristocrat, or an 80-year-old lunatic.

Ekman also acted in two films that would gain international recognition: F. W. Murnau's silent film classic Faust, where he played the title character, and in the original 1936 version of Intermezzo, where he played a world-famous violinist opposite Ingrid Bergman in her breakout role.

But they had in fact already acted opposite each other in the Swedish 1935 movie Swedenhielms where they share a couple of wonderful scenes alone together as their characters have a heart-to-heart conversation on life and love; among the most memorable moments in the film.

Sadly, this began a long-term drug addiction for the actor that slowly deteriorated his health and eventually caused his death 12 years later at the age of 47.