Alexander Skarsgård facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander Skarsgård
Skarsgård in 2016
Born	Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (1976-08-25) 25 August 1976 (age 48) Stockholm, Sweden
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1984–present
Children	1
Parent(s)	Stellan Skarsgård (father)
Relatives	Gustaf Skarsgård (brother) Bill Skarsgård (brother) Valter Skarsgård (brother)

Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (born 25 August 1976) is a Swedish actor. He is the son of famous actor Stellan Skarsgård. He started acting when he was seven years old but decided to stop when he was thirteen.

After serving in the Swedish Navy, Skarsgård returned to acting. His first role in an American movie was in the comedy Zoolander (2001). He became well-known for playing the vampire Eric Northman in the TV series True Blood (2008–2014).

Skarsgård has appeared in many movies, including Melancholia (2011), Battleship (2012), and The Legend of Tarzan (2016). He won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role as a troubled husband in the drama series Big Little Lies (2017–2019).

More recently, he has starred in films like Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), The Northman (2022), and Infinity Pool (2023). He also played the powerful businessman Lukas Matsson in the TV series Succession (2021–2023), which earned him two Emmy nominations.

Early Life and Family

Skarsgård was born on August 25, 1976, in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the oldest son of actor Stellan Skarsgård and doctor My Skarsgård. He has five younger siblings: Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, and Valter. He also has two half-brothers. His brothers Gustaf, Bill, and Valter are also actors.

A friend of his father, who was a director, gave Skarsgård his first movie role at age seven. He played Kalle Nubb in Åke and His World. In 1989, when he was 13, he became famous in Sweden for his role in the TV show Hunden som log (The Dog That Smiled). He did not like being famous, so he quit acting.

When he was 19, Skarsgård joined the Swedish Navy. He served for 18 months in a special unit that protected the Stockholm archipelago from sabotage and terrorism. After his service, he moved to England and attended Leeds Metropolitan University for six months to study English. In 1997, he moved to New York City to study theater at Marymount Manhattan College. This experience helped him decide that he wanted to be an actor.

Acting Career

Early Roles and TV Stardom

Skarsgård at the PaleyFest in 2009

When he returned to Sweden, Skarsgård started getting roles in movies, TV shows, and plays. His first American movie role was as a model in the 2001 film Zoolander.

His big break in the U.S. came when he was cast as U.S. Marine Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. The series is about a group of Marines during the early part of the Iraq War. Skarsgård had to audition four times to get the part and worked with a coach to perfect his American accent.

Soon after, he was cast as Eric Northman, a 1,000-year-old Viking vampire, in the HBO series True Blood. The show, which was about humans and vampires living together, was very popular and made Skarsgård a star. He said he enjoyed playing a character who was not just good or evil. True Blood was on TV from 2008 to 2014.

In 2009, Skarsgård appeared in the music video for Lady Gaga's song "Paparazzi".

Success in Movies and Television

Skarsgård at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2012

In 2011, Skarsgård starred with Kirsten Dunst in the movie Melancholia, which was directed by Lars von Trier. His father, Stellan, was also in the movie. That same year, he appeared in Straw Dogs.

In 2012, he was in the action movie Battleship, based on the board game. He also appeared in the drama What Maisie Knew. In 2016, he played the main character in The Legend of Tarzan, starring opposite Margot Robbie as Jane. To get ready for the role, Skarsgård trained for seven months.

From 2017 to 2019, Skarsgård played Perry Wright in the drama series Big Little Lies. His character was the husband of Celeste, played by Nicole Kidman. His performance as a complex and troubled man was highly praised, and he won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role.

Skarsgård at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2019, he played the prime minister of Canada in the comedy Long Shot. In 2021, he starred in the monster movie Godzilla vs. Kong. He also joined the cast of the popular TV series Succession as the tech billionaire Lukas Matsson. This role earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

In 2022, he starred in the historical epic The Northman as a Viking prince named Amleth. The movie received very good reviews. In 2023, he starred in the thriller Infinity Pool.

Personal Life

Skarsgård is a fan of football (soccer) and supports the team Hammarby Fotboll from his hometown of Stockholm. In 2011, he received an honorary degree from Leeds Metropolitan University, where he had once studied.

He took part in a fundraising event called Walking With The Wounded, where he trekked to the South Pole to raise money for wounded soldiers. He was part of the American team, competing against a team from the United Kingdom (which included Prince Harry) and a team from Canada/Australia. All three teams reached the South Pole on December 13, 2013.

Skarsgård is in a relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny. In 2022, they had their first child together.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Alexander Skarsgård para niños