Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård was born August 25, 1976 in Götgatsbacken of South Stockholm Sweden.
The son of well-known actor Stellan Skarsgård, Alexander began acting at the early age of 8 when he starred in “Ake och hans värld” (“Ake and His World”) where he played Kalle Nubb. In 1989, he decided the public life was not for him, did not care for the media attention and people looking at him on the street. He wished to be an architect. At that point, he put his acting career on pause.
Years later he attended college for political science then joined the Swedish military service as a marine at the age of 20. Fifteen months in the service left a lot of time to reflect on his life and he decided then that he would go back to acting. For this he moved to Leeds, England, then on to New York where he attended Marymount theatrical school. After six months in New York, love lured him back to Sweden but it didn’t work out.
He decided to stay in Sweden and began taking film and television roles. He landed the role of John in the award-winning “Vingar av Glas “(“Wings of Glass”) in 2000. It wasn’t long after that Alex was a Swedish star!
In 2001 he starred in the very popular American movie “Zoolander,” in the role of Meekus, the tall Swedish super model roommate of Ben Stiller.
Alex also has well-honed live theater chops, and has appeared in theatrical productions of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Bloody Wedding .”
In 2008, he starred in HBO’s miniseries “Generation Kill,” based on the book of the same name, in which he portrays an American Marine, Sgt. Brad “Iceman” Colbert. It was with this role that his American audience began to notice the actor.
Afterward he was able to (thanks to the writer’s strike) take on the role of Eric Northman, a 1,000-year-old Viking vampire from Sweden, on HBO’s “True Blood.” The character and series are based on the “Sookie Stackhouse” novels by Charlaine Harris.
Upcoming releases in 2009 and beyond include “13,” “Metropia” and “Beyond the Pole.”
Alex and his good friend, Bjorne Larson, have directed the prize-winning short “Att döda ett barn” (“To Kill A Child”), a film in which his father, actor Stellan Skarsgård narrates and his little brother Valter Skarsgård acts.
EXTRAS:
He has been voted “Sexiest Man Alive” in Sweden five times.
He is 6 foot four inches tall.
His mother My Skarsgård is a doctor.
He has five brothers and one sister (Gustaf (1980), Sam (1982), Bill (1990), Eija (1992) and Valter (1995) Ossian (2009).
He rents a home in Los Angeles.
Alex thinks he’s “not very good looking in real life” (I’m here to verify that this is a false statement! He’s very humble, but greatly misinformed.)
He is tone deaf which dashed his dreams of becoming a rock star!
Alex spent 7 months in Maputo-Mazambique Africa while shooting Generation Kill.
Favorite colors are blue and pink.
He does not like sweets other than vanilla ice cream.
His favorite things to do are “going to boat, fish and lie in front of the fireplace & drink red wine.”
Speaks Swedish, English and bits of French and German.
Has one tattoo on his leg…it’s of a bird his brother Valter drew when he was 7.
He wears a necklace with two anchors. Archors are a sign of good luck!
Has worked in a coffee shop and as a model.
Favorite football team is Hammarby (Bajen)
The new season of “True Blood” begins June 14, 2009, on HBO.
QUESTIONAIRE FILLED OUT AT 23 YEARS OLD (1999)
(Tack K… for proper translations)
- Alexander Skarsgård
- age: 23
- weight: 85 kg
- height: 194 cm
- hair color: blonde
- family: really big
- favorite color: pink
- favorite book: Angelas Ashes
- favorite movie: Duck Soup (Marx brothers)
- favorite band/artist: Thåström
- idol: Eddie Izzard
- I’m in love with: Spiderman
- my friends: those who catch me when I fall
- pet: Leonberger male Nelson (dog)
- hobbies: kicking ball and eating ice cream
- sport: football (soccer) and bowling
- best subject: sodium (like a chemical substance…he’s joking)
- favorite clothing: pink and blue overalls
- favorite food: King Bengts Moose Stew
- favorite destination: Mauritsius (and Öland of course!)
- I want to be: better
