Stuti Gokhale
Netflix’s ‘Clark‘ is an intriguing crime drama TV series that chronicles the life of Clark Olofsson, Sweden’s notorious “celebrity” criminal who rose from being a small-time car thief to the country’s most wanted gangster. While depicting his journey, the series also throws light on his flamboyant relationships with multiple women over the years, especially with Madou and Maria. But are these characters based on real women? Let’s find out more about them as well as Clark’s elaborate love life, shall we? SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who Were Clark Olofsson’s Girlfriends?
Clark Olofsson had a rather illustrious love life, full of romantic adventures with various women before he finally married Marijke Demuynck in 1976, a Belgian girl whom he met on a train in Germany while escaping the police. Earlier, in July 1966, he was wanted by the law as an accomplice to Gunnar Norgren in a bicycle shop burglary. The latter had gunned down one of the two policemen who responded to the burglary and was arrested in August 1996.
Clark evaded the cops and was arrested two weeks later while having a secret meeting with his 20-year-old girlfriend, whose identity is undisclosed. As per reports, the police tapped his telephone calls and deduced that he was going to meet the girl on August 25, 1966, at a special mountain heel in Grimmaredsskogen, Västra Frölunda. Disguised as orienteers, policemen Bertil Brosved and Ulf Högenberg nabbed Clark as he and his girlfriend separated, but he ended up shooting Ulf in the shoulder with his pistol.
Later in 1969, Clark was living with another girl whom he met in Frankfurt. When he traveled to West Germany with her using a fake passport, he was arrested and transported back to Kumla Prison. Today, Clark has three sons with Marijke, from whom he separated in 1999, after being married for around 25 years. Apart from this, Clark also has two daughters with two different women from before his marriage, as well as a son with Angelique, to whom he was engaged in 2008.
Are Madou and Maria Real People?
Yes, Madou and Maria in ‘Clark’ are based on Clark Olafsson’s real girlfriends Madiorie Britmer and Maria Wallin. In the show, he is depicted to be in a relationship with Madou, a wealthy heiress he meets on the beach. Not just does he charm his way into her heart, but also into her mother’s. He pretends to be a Harvard student on vacation and spends the night at their sprawling mansion, where he gets intimate with both the ladies. Even after his arrest, Clark continues being in a relationship with Madou and even gets engaged to her in prison. However, he ditches her and absconds to Spain on the pretext of taking a day’s leave to marry her, leaving her jilted at the altar. Later, she gives birth to one of Clark’s daughters.
In reality, Madou is seemingly based on Madiorie Britmer, an upper-class girl whom Clark got engaged to in Kumla Prison on July 7, 1967. She was also photographed with him outside the Svea Court of Appeal at that time, and they portrayed a happy picture of a couple who were hoping to marry soon and buy a three-room apartment. But due to unknown reasons, Clark and Madiorie’s engagement ended and he fled to Frankfurt in 1969. However, it appears the two most likely did not have any children together.
‘Clark’ further documents the infamous robber’s tumultuous yet long relationship with a woman named Maria, whom he meets during a left-wing play being performed in prison. She ends up being a highly influential person in his life, who implores him to reform and even helps him escape twice from prison. Clark keeps lying to Maria about being a changed man and uses her constantly for his devious schemes for several years. Afterward, he abandons her while fleeing from the police post robbing a bank in Copenhagen.
Maria’s character is based on Clark Olofsson’s relationship with a woman named Maria Wallin in the early 1970s, with whom he was living in a hotel in Europe. This was most likely after escaping from the Lingatan prison, Bohuslän, around 1972. The couple was reportedly together for 3 years. Not much is known as to how Clark and Maria’s relationship ended, but she has seemingly preferred to remain away from the public eye since then.
In addition, he is seen having a brief affair with a woman named Ingela in the show, resulting in them having a daughter together. Ingela is loosely based on the mother of one of Clark Olofsson’s daughters in reality. Hence, we can reinstate that the show fictionalizes and exaggerates some aspects of his personal life, but draws heavily from his real-life partners.
Read More: Is Clark Based on a True Story?
