His career began with a bit part at Skansenteatern in Hjalmar Bergman 's play 'Markurells i Wadköping' in 1955. The following year he debut ed in the movie Swing it, fröken! (1956) playing against Alice Babs . He got speech lessons from actress Sif Ruud and worked behind the camera in his father's and Ingmar Bergman 's movies. He applied for acting studies at the Royal Dramatic Theatre but failed, but went on to act at Stockholms Stadsteater instead. He also met his first wife, Fatima Ekman whom he married in secret. During the 1960s and 1970s he made a lot of work together with 'Hasseåtage', Hans Alfredson and Tage Danielsson as well as many plays for Sveriges Television. For TV he created the chaplinesque figure 'Papphammar'. During the 1980s his fame grew even bigger with the successes in the movies about 'Jönssonligan', starting with Varning för Jönssonligan (1981). He has also shown his talent both in dramas and criminal fiction, such as the movies about criminal inspector Martin Beck, for example in _Polis polis potatismos (1993)_.

Member of Amnesty International.Social Democrat.Brother: Actor Stefan EkmanNiece: Actress Sanna EkmanSon of actor/director Hasse Ekman .Son Måns Ekman with Fatima Ekman , Billie Ekman and Robin Ekman with Pia Ekman .Signed the appeal Swedish Film Workers for Peace and Freedom in an Independent Palestine [2001]Announced his retirement (December 2003)A statue of him was inaugurated at Altona Park in central Malmö, Sweden on June 5th 2004.Being a master of slapstick, he claims to have scars to prove 40 years of acting, practically on every single body part.