Alexander Skarsgård
Encyclopedia
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (ˈskɑːʂɡoːɖ; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. He is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman
on the HBO series True Blood
, Meekus in Zoolander
and Brad Colbert
in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill
.
and his first wife, My, a physician. He has six younger siblings: Gustaf
, Sam, Bill
, Eija and Valter Skarsgård, and a half-brother, Ossian.His brothers Gustaf, Bill, and Valter are also actors.
A film director friend of his father gave Skarsgård his first film role when he was seven years old. He played Kalle Nubb in Åke och hans värld (Åke and His World). In 1989, the lead role in the Swedish television production Hunden som log (The Dog That Smiled) made him famous in Sweden at the age of thirteen. Uncomfortable with being recognized, he quit acting for the next seven years.
At age 19, he applied to do his national service
. He served in the Swedish military
for 18 months, in a unit that dealt with anti-sabotage and anti-terrorism in the Stockholm archipelago
. After completing his service in 1996 he left Sweden and attended Leeds Metropolitan University
in England for six months. He enrolled to study English but admits he did not study much and "had a blast" instead.
After seven years away from acting, he started to consider it again. In 1997 he enrolled in a theater course at Marymount Manhattan College
and moved to New York City. He returned to Stockholm after six months, but the time he spent studying theater showed him that he wanted to act.
In 2003 his work in Hundtricket-the Movie (The Dog Trick) earned him a Guldbagge nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was named the Sexiest Man in Sweden five times.
He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 but continued to work in Sweden. His break came when he was cast as Sergeant Brad "Iceman" Colbert
in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries Generation Kill
. An adaptation of journalist Evan Wright
's book of the same name, Generation Kill follows the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
of the United States Marine Corps
during the early part of the Iraq War. The part of Brad Colbert was the closest to a "lead" in Generation Kill, and director Susanna White
and executive producer David Simon
at first disagreed about casting Skarsgård. White wanted to cast him but Simon was not convinced he could pull off the American accent. After four auditions in three cities, Skarsgård learned the part was his just 36 hours before he had to board a plane for Namibia
where the project was filming. The cast and crew filmed for seven months in the desert, shooting six days a week. Skarsgård worked with a dialect coach to master the American accent.
Just before leaving to shoot Generation Kill, Skarsgård heard about True Blood, a new series HBO was developing based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris
. At first he was unsure about playing a vampire
, but when he learned that Alan Ball
, creator of the HBO series Six Feet Under and Academy Award winning screenwriter
of American Beauty
, was behind the project, he sent in an audition tape. The audition was for the role of Bill Compton, which eventually went to Stephen Moyer
. Skarsgård was later cast as Eric Northman
, a 1000-year-old, Viking
vampire sheriff, local bar owner and potential love interest of heroine Sookie Stackhouse
. True Blood is in its fourth season
.
In 2009, Skarsgård appeared in the music video for pop singer Lady Gaga
's "Paparazzi"
. He was the voice of Stefan in the 2009 animated film Metropia
, directed by Tarik Saleh
. In 2010, Skarsgård portrayed Terje, a gay Norwegian trekking to the North Pole, in the British mockumentary Beyond the Pole
.
Suit maker Hickey Freeman
chose Skarsgård to model a new look it debuted in 2010. Annie Leibowitz photographed the ad campaign which appeared in The Wall Street Journal Magazine, GQ and Details
. He covered the September 2010 issue of Rolling Stone
with his True Blood co-stars, Anna Paquin
and Stephen Moyer.
Skarsgård appeared in two 2011 films. Melancholia, an apocalyptic movie directed by Lars von Trier
and starring Kirsten Dunst
, Charlotte Gainsbourg
and Kiefer Sutherland
, premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
. Skarsgård appeared in Straw Dogs
, a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, as Charlie Venner. The remake's director, Rod Lurie
, transferred the small town setting from Cornwall
to Mississippi
, and described Venner as "an ex-football star gone to seed". The film co-starred James Marsden
and Kate Bosworth
and was released September 16, 2011.
Skarsgård will appear alongside Taylor Kitsch
and Rihanna
in Peter Berg
's Battleship
, an adaptation of the Hasbro
game. It will be released in May 2012. He will also star in Scott McGehee
and David Siegel
’s adaptation of the Henry James
novel What Maisie Knew
alongside Julianne Moore
and Steve Coogan
.
and supports Hammarby IF
, a club based in his birth city. In October 2010, he participated in "Bajen Aid" by donating several items he had autographed and auctioning them off to raise money for the Hammarby football club.
In July 2011, Skarsgård received an honorary degree
from Leeds Metropolitan University
where he was formerly a student. Around the same time, he split from his girlfriend of two years, co-star, Kate Bosworth
.
Eric Northman
Eric Northman is a fictional character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eleven books written by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first introduced in the first novel, Dead Until Dark and appears in all...
on the HBO series True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
, Meekus in Zoolander
Zoolander
Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
and Brad Colbert
Brad Colbert
Brad Colbert is a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant whose platoon's role in and perception of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was featured in a series of articles in Rolling Stone by Evan Wright. Wright was an embedded reporter who rode in the backseat of Colbert's vehicle during this time...
in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
.
Early life
Skarsgård was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the son of Swedish actor Stellan SkarsgårdStellan Skarsgård
Stellan John Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, known internationally for his film roles in Angels & Demons, Breaking the Waves, The Hunt for Red October, Ronin, Good Will Hunting, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...
and his first wife, My, a physician. He has six younger siblings: Gustaf
Gustaf Skarsgård
Gustaf Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, son of My Skarsgård and Stellan Skarsgård and brother of Eija, Valter, Sam, Bill and Alexander Skarsgård...
, Sam, Bill
Bill Skarsgård
Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård is a Swedish actor and son of Stellan and My Skarsgård. His brother Alexander Skarsgård is currently starring in the hit show True Blood.- Filmography:*Simon och ekarna*Kronjuvelerna...
, Eija and Valter Skarsgård, and a half-brother, Ossian.His brothers Gustaf, Bill, and Valter are also actors.
A film director friend of his father gave Skarsgård his first film role when he was seven years old. He played Kalle Nubb in Åke och hans värld (Åke and His World). In 1989, the lead role in the Swedish television production Hunden som log (The Dog That Smiled) made him famous in Sweden at the age of thirteen. Uncomfortable with being recognized, he quit acting for the next seven years.
At age 19, he applied to do his national service
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. He served in the Swedish military
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
for 18 months, in a unit that dealt with anti-sabotage and anti-terrorism in the Stockholm archipelago
Stockholm archipelago
The Stockholm archipelago is the largest archipelago of Sweden, and one of the largest archipelagos of the Baltic Sea.-Geography:The archipelago extends from Stockholm roughly 60 kilometers to the east...
. After completing his service in 1996 he left Sweden and attended Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
in England for six months. He enrolled to study English but admits he did not study much and "had a blast" instead.
After seven years away from acting, he started to consider it again. In 1997 he enrolled in a theater course at Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, coeducational, independent, private, liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York with a focus in performing arts. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual...
and moved to New York City. He returned to Stockholm after six months, but the time he spent studying theater showed him that he wanted to act.
Career
Upon his return to Sweden, Skarsgård began picking up acting jobs, working in film, television and theatrical productions. While on vacation in the United States, he auditioned for and landed the role of Meekus in the 2001 film Zoolander.In 2003 his work in Hundtricket-the Movie (The Dog Trick) earned him a Guldbagge nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was named the Sexiest Man in Sweden five times.
He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 but continued to work in Sweden. His break came when he was cast as Sergeant Brad "Iceman" Colbert
Brad Colbert
Brad Colbert is a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant whose platoon's role in and perception of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was featured in a series of articles in Rolling Stone by Evan Wright. Wright was an embedded reporter who rode in the backseat of Colbert's vehicle during this time...
in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
. An adaptation of journalist Evan Wright
Evan Wright
Evan Wright is an American writer, journalist, author and television writer and producer. He has reported extensively on subcultures for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. His latest work is American Desperado, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine...
's book of the same name, Generation Kill follows the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....
of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the early part of the Iraq War. The part of Brad Colbert was the closest to a "lead" in Generation Kill, and director Susanna White
Susanna White
Susanna White is a British television director. She was one of two directors on the BBC adaptation of Bleak House. She won a BAFTA award for best drama serial for her work on the series. She also directed the BBC mini-series Jane Eyre and was nominated for an Emmy award for her work on the series...
and executive producer David Simon
David Simon
David Simon is an American author, journalist, and a writer/producer of television series. He worked for the Baltimore Sun City Desk for twelve years. He wrote Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and co-wrote The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood with Ed Burns...
at first disagreed about casting Skarsgård. White wanted to cast him but Simon was not convinced he could pull off the American accent. After four auditions in three cities, Skarsgård learned the part was his just 36 hours before he had to board a plane for Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
where the project was filming. The cast and crew filmed for seven months in the desert, shooting six days a week. Skarsgård worked with a dialect coach to master the American accent.
Just before leaving to shoot Generation Kill, Skarsgård heard about True Blood, a new series HBO was developing based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children...
. At first he was unsure about playing a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, but when he learned that Alan Ball
Alan Ball (screenwriter)
Alan E. Ball is an American writer, director, actor and producer for film, theatre and television.-Early life:Ball was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Frank and Mary Ball, an aircraft inspector and a homemaker...
, creator of the HBO series Six Feet Under and Academy Award winning screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
of American Beauty
American Beauty (film)
American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
, was behind the project, he sent in an audition tape. The audition was for the role of Bill Compton, which eventually went to Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer
Stephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...
. Skarsgård was later cast as Eric Northman
Eric Northman
Eric Northman is a fictional character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eleven books written by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first introduced in the first novel, Dead Until Dark and appears in all...
, a 1000-year-old, Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
vampire sheriff, local bar owner and potential love interest of heroine Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
. True Blood is in its fourth season
True Blood (season 4)
- Episodes :- Production :Filming for season four commenced in Los Angeles, California, on December 1, 2010.As a special promotional broadcast, the season's second episode "You Smell Like Dinner" was made available on HBO Go a week earlier than usual...
.
In 2009, Skarsgård appeared in the music video for pop singer Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Paparazzi"
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song)
"Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love...
. He was the voice of Stefan in the 2009 animated film Metropia
Metropia (film)
Metropia is a 2009 Swedish adult animated science-fiction film directed by Tarik Saleh. The screenplay was written by Fredrik Edin, Stieg Larsson, and Tarik Saleh after a story by Tarik Saleh, Fredrik Edin and Martin Hultman. The film uses a technique where actual photographs have been altered and...
, directed by Tarik Saleh
Tarik Saleh
Tarik Saleh is Swedish television producer, animator, publisher, journalist and film director of Egyptian descent, who in early 90s was one of Sweden's most prominent graffiti artists...
. In 2010, Skarsgård portrayed Terje, a gay Norwegian trekking to the North Pole, in the British mockumentary Beyond the Pole
Beyond the Pole
Beyond the Pole is a 2010 British mockumentary adapted from the cult BBC radio series of the same name. It received its UK cinema release in 2010. Directed and produced by David L...
.
Suit maker Hickey Freeman
Hickey Freeman
Hickey Freeman is a manufacturer of suits for men and boys, based in Rochester, New York, and founded in 1899. The Hartmarx Corporation bought the company in 1964. In August 2009, India's leading textile and apparel company, SKNL, bought Hartmarx in bankruptcy procedings.The Hickey-Freeman Co...
chose Skarsgård to model a new look it debuted in 2010. Annie Leibowitz photographed the ad campaign which appeared in The Wall Street Journal Magazine, GQ and Details
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
. He covered the September 2010 issue of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
with his True Blood co-stars, Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
Anna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
and Stephen Moyer.
Skarsgård appeared in two 2011 films. Melancholia, an apocalyptic movie directed by Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
and starring Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...
, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released two albums as an adult to commercial and critical success...
and Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
, premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
. Skarsgård appeared in Straw Dogs
Straw Dogs (2011 film)
Straw Dogs is a 2011 American thriller film directed, produced, and written by Rod Lurie. It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film of the same name, itself based on the Gordon Williams novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm.-Plot:...
, a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, as Charlie Venner. The remake's director, Rod Lurie
Rod Lurie
Rod Lurie is an Israeli-American director, screenwriter and former film critic.-Early life and career:The son of internationally syndicated cartoonist Ranan Lurie, he was born in Israel but moved to the United States at a young age, growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Honolulu,...
, transferred the small town setting from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and described Venner as "an ex-football star gone to seed". The film co-starred James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
and Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
and was released September 16, 2011.
Skarsgård will appear alongside Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch
-Early life and modeling career:Kitsch was born in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has two older brothers and two younger half sisters. Originally set to become a professional hockey player, he played for the Langley Hornets in the Canadian BCHL before a bad knee injury ended his career...
and Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
in Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
's Battleship
Battleship (film)
Battleship is an upcoming 2012 science fiction naval war film based on the game of the same name. The film is being directed by Peter Berg and will be released by Universal Pictures...
, an adaptation of the Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
game. It will be released in May 2012. He will also star in Scott McGehee
Scott McGehee
Scott McGehee is an American film director and screenwriter. He is a Columbia University graduate, born in California, but currently residing in New York City.He is half of a long-standing writing-directing partnership with filmmaker David Siegel....
and David Siegel
David Siegel
David Siegel is an American motion picture screenwriter and director, and part of a long-standing writing-directing team with filmmaker Scott McGehee.-Filmography:*Suture *The Deep End *Bee Season *Uncertainty...
’s adaptation of the Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
novel What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew
What Maisie Knew is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in the Chap-Book and in the New Review in 1897 and then as a book later in the same year. The story of the sensitive daughter of divorced and irresponsible parents, What Maisie Knew has great contemporary relevance as an...
alongside Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
and Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
.
Personal life
Skarsgård is a fan of Swedish footballFootball in Sweden
In Sweden, the most popular sport is association football, with over 240,000 licensed players—of which 56,000 are women—plus another 240,000 youth players. There are around 3,200 active clubs fielding over 8,500 teams, which are playing on the 7,900 pitches available in the country...
and supports Hammarby IF
Hammarby IF
Hammarby Fotboll is a Swedish football club based in Johanneshov - just south of Södermalm, the southernmost district of Stockholm city centre...
, a club based in his birth city. In October 2010, he participated in "Bajen Aid" by donating several items he had autographed and auctioning them off to raise money for the Hammarby football club.
In July 2011, Skarsgård received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
where he was formerly a student. Around the same time, he split from his girlfriend of two years, co-star, Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Åke and His World | Kalle Nubb | |
| 1989 | The Dog That Smiled | Jojjo | |
| 1999 | Happy End | Bamse Viktorsson | |
| 2000 | The Dog Trick | Micke | Remade as Hundtricket - The movie in 2002 |
| 2000 | The Diver | Ingmar | |
| 2000 | White Water Fury | Anders | |
| 2000 | Wings of Glass | Johan | |
| 2001 | Kites Over Helsinki | Robin Åström | |
| 2001 | Zoolander Zoolander Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the... |
Meekus | |
| 2004 | Heartbeat | The pilot | |
| 2005 | Double Shift | Nisse | |
| 2005 | The Last Drop The Last Drop The Last Drop is a 2005 war adventure film from writer/director Colin Teague. Teague teamed up with screenwriter Gary Young, with whom he had previously collaborated on the British crime drama films Shooters and Spivs... |
Lt. Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... Jergen Voller |
|
| 2005 | Om Sara | Kalle Öberg | |
| 2006 | Never Be Mine | Christopher | |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings Kill Your Darlings Kill Your Darlings is a 2006 film directed by Björne Larson and written by Björne Larson and Johan Sandström. In an interview with Svenska Dagbladet, Larson said that the film is based on a real event in his life when he met a seemingly nice man at an internet cafe in Los Angeles who ended up... |
Geert | |
| 2006 | Score | Micke | |
| 2006 | Exit | Fabian von Klerking | |
| 2007 | Järnets änglar | Stefan | |
| 2009 | Metropia Metropia (film) Metropia is a 2009 Swedish adult animated science-fiction film directed by Tarik Saleh. The screenplay was written by Fredrik Edin, Stieg Larsson, and Tarik Saleh after a story by Tarik Saleh, Fredrik Edin and Martin Hultman. The film uses a technique where actual photographs have been altered and... |
Stefan | Voice |
| 2009 | Beyond the Pole Beyond the Pole Beyond the Pole is a 2010 British mockumentary adapted from the cult BBC radio series of the same name. It received its UK cinema release in 2010. Directed and produced by David L... |
Terje | |
| 2010 | Trust Me Trust Me (2010 film) Trust Me is a 2010 Swedish comedy-drama film written and directed by Johan Kling, starring an ensemble cast including Alexander Skarsgård, Gustaf Skarsgård and Susanne Thorson... |
Alex | Also known as Puss in Sweden |
| 2010 | 13 13 (film) 13 is an English-language remake of the 2005 French film 13 Tzameti. The film is directed and written by Géla Babluani, who directed and wrote the original film. A trailer was released in August 2010.-Plot:... |
Jack | |
| 2011 | Straw Dogs Straw Dogs (2011 film) Straw Dogs is a 2011 American thriller film directed, produced, and written by Rod Lurie. It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film of the same name, itself based on the Gordon Williams novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm.-Plot:... |
Charlie Venner | |
| 2011 | Melancholia | Michael | |
| 2012 | Battleship Battleship (film) Battleship is an upcoming 2012 science fiction naval war film based on the game of the same name. The film is being directed by Peter Berg and will be released by Universal Pictures... |
Stone Hopper | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Idag röd | Fred | |
| 1999 | Vita lögner Vita lögner Vita lögner is a Swedish soap opera that aired on TV3, . The plot focused on the social life of the hospital staff and families in the fictional town of Strömsvik.... |
Marcus Englund | 10 episodes |
| 2000 | D-dag | Lise's stepson | Released as a movie in 2001 |
| 2000 | Judith | Ante Lindström | |
| 2005 | Revelations Revelations (TV miniseries) Revelations is a six episode television miniseries that began airing on April 13, 2005 on NBC. Taking place in the modern day, the show explores the End of Days as well as prophecies relating to them.-Synopsis:... |
Gunnar Eklind | |
| 2006 | Cuppen | Micke | |
| 2007 | Golden Brown Eyes | Boogey Knights singer | |
| 2008 | Generation Kill Generation Kill (TV series) Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,... |
Sgt. Brad 'Iceman' Colbert Brad Colbert Brad Colbert is a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant whose platoon's role in and perception of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was featured in a series of articles in Rolling Stone by Evan Wright. Wright was an embedded reporter who rode in the backseat of Colbert's vehicle during this time... |
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| 2008–present | True Blood True Blood True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana... |
Eric Northman Eric Northman Eric Northman is a fictional character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eleven books written by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first introduced in the first novel, Dead Until Dark and appears in all... |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | To Kill a Child | Co-directing with Björne Larson |
| Year | Role | Video |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Boyfriend | Paparazzi Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song) "Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love... by Lady Gaga Lady GaGa Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to... |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Odense International Film Festival Odense International Film Festival Odense International Film Festival is a short film festival in Denmark that takes place every year in August. Odense International Film Festival made its debut in 1975, and is Denmark's oldest film festival... |
Att Döda Ett Barn | Grand Prix | |
| 2003 | Odense International Film Festival | Att Döda Ett Barn | Press Award | |
| 2003 | Guldbagge Awards | Hundtricket - The Movie | Best Supporting Actor | |
| 2009 | Scream Award | True Blood True Blood True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana... |
Best Villain | |
| 2009 | Satellite Awards Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama... |
True Blood | Best Television Ensemble | |
| 2010 | SAG Awards | True Blood | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |
| 2010 | Saturn Award Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within... |
True Blood | Best Supporting Actor in Television | |
| 2010 | NewNowNext Awards NewNowNext Awards The first NewNowNext-Awards were held in 2008 by the gay and lesbian-themed network Logo.- 2008 :The nominees were announced by Cazwell and Amanda Lepore. Hosts were Candis Cayne and Colman Domingo... |
True Blood | Brink of Fame: Actor | |
| 2010 | Scream Award | True Blood | Best Television Performance | |
| 2010 | Scream Award | True Blood | Best Horror Actor | |
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
True Blood | Choice Vampire | |
| 2011 | Scream Award | True Blood | Best Horror Actor | |
| 2011 | Scream Award | True Blood | Best Ensemble |
External links
- Alexander Skarsgård interview on True Blood
- Alexander Skarsgård interviewed about Lady Gaga and True Blood
- Alexander Skarsgård: Millennium Man interview at Los Angeles Times Magazine
- Alexander Skarsgård: Millennium Man video interview at Los Angeles Times Magazine