Biography for
Alexander Skarsgård More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

25 August 1976, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Birth Name

Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård

Nickname

Alex

Height

6' 4" (1.93 m)

Mini Biography

Sweden may be a small country with few natural resources but it has gifted the world with bounty of astonishing directors and actors. Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Max von Sydow and Ingrid Bergman are just the tip of the iceberg of Nordic actors and filmmakers who have enchanted and engaged cinemaphiles across the globe: Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård is poised to join their ranks. As the eldest son of famed actor Stellan Skarsgård, the handsome actor/director comes by his talent honestly; however, Alexander did not grow up in the glitzy world of international cinema.

For most of Alexander's formative years, his father was a struggling stage actor and had not yet achieved the fame that came after his star turn in Breaking the Waves (1996). Young Alexander was raised under modest circumstances in a working-class Swedish neighborhood. He began his acting career at the age of eight and continued working in films and on Swedish television until he turned sixteen and decided acting was not the career for him. Life under a microscope lost its charm and perhaps due to the influence of My Skarsgård, his physician mother, he stopped working as an actor to continue his education.

Alexander was a bit of a rebel as a teen and instead of continuing college, at the age of nineteen he enlisted in the military. He used the time to contemplate his future. He studied at the Leeds Metropolitan University then moved to New York where he enrolled at Marymount Manhattan College to study theatre. After six months in New York, a romantic entanglement lured him back to Sweden but the relationship was short lived. Despite having a broken heart, Alexander decided to stay in Sweden and with a bit of life experience under his belt, began his acting career again. He appeared in a number of Swedish productions and became a star in his native country but was interested in broadening his horizons and working outside of Sweden. A visit to Los Angeles landed him both an agent and a part in the Ben Stiller movie, Zoolander (2001). After Zoolander (2001) Alexander returned to Sweden where he continued honing his acting in film and theatrical productions including "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Bloody Wedding". He also co-wrote and co-directed an award winning short, Att döda ett barn (2003),(To Kill a Child) which was shown at both the Tribeca and Cannes Film Festivals; unfortunately, stardom in Sweden doesn't bring international recognition and Skarsgård found himself flying back and forth to Los Angeles, auditioning for roles that he had no real interest in.

Finally, parts in two different HBO series came his way. His first big break was with the miniseries "Generation Kill" (2008). Alexander spent seven months broiling in the desert of Namibia but it was well worth it. His portrayed of Marine Sgt. Brad "Iceman" Colbert astonished critics and audiences alike. Thanks to the writer's strike, after completing "Generation Kill" (2008), he was cast in the role of Eric Northman, a 1,000-year-old Viking vampire on the hit series, "True Blood" (2008). The series was created by 'Alan Ball', the man behind Six Feet Under (2001). "True Blood" (2008) was adapted from the "Sookie Stackhouse" novels by Charlaine Harris and rode to success on quality scripts, great acting and the public's obsession with the vampire genre. In addition to "True Blood" (2008) which begins its third season in 2010, Alexander has a number of film projects in the works including the remake of Straw Dogs (2011) in which he co-stars with James Marsden, Kate Bosworth and James Woods. There is no doubt with Alexander's rising popularity and amazing talent, we will be seeing great things from him in the future.

IMDb Mini Biography By: digitaldiva

Trivia

Voted the sexiest man in Sweden in 1999

Five times voted the sexiest man in Sweden.

His mother is a doctor.

He lives in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden near his parents.

Has four younger brothers, Gustaf, Sam, Bill and Walter, and has one younger sister, Eija.

Supports the Stockholm based football club Hammarby IF

Son of actor Stellan Skarsgård and My Skarsgård.

Brother of Gustaf Skarsgård, Sam Skarsgård, Bill Skarsgård, Eija Skarsgård and Valter Skarsgård.

His favorite actress is Isabelle Huppert in the movie La pianiste (2001).

His favorite movie is Duck Soup with the brothers Marx.

Favorite actor is Gary Oldman.

Not comfortable with being a celebrity at such an early age, Alexander decided to quit acting. During almost eight years he turned down every offer he got. Instead he studied Political Science, did his Military service in the Marines and intended to study at an school of architecture in Stockholm. But in 1997 his longing for acting grew too strong and he enrolled at Marymount Theatre School in New York City.

The interest for Alexander Skarsgard outside of Scandinavia has grown rapidly over the last few years, and he has recently signed with the agency Endeavor in Los Angeles and New York and with Markham & Froggatt, Britains most acclaimed agency, to represent him in Europe. He can already be seen in big international movies such as "Zoolander" "The Last Drop" and "Revelations".

Made his debut in Allan Edwalls award winning drama "Ake och hans varld" in 1983. Worked frequently as a child actor during the 80s and became a huge teenage star when he played "Jojo" in Rumle Hammerichs "Hunden som log" in 1989.

When he came back to Sweden after two years in New York it didn't take him long to land his first part as a grown up (in Christina Olofsson's "Happy End" 1999). Since then he has done over fifteen movies in Scandinavia and is today one of Swedens most beloved stage and screen actors.

Did his conscript military service at the Berga Naval Academies as a sergeant (Patrol Leader) with the SakJakt-unit of the Swedish Navy.

Appeared as 'Lady Gaga''s boyfriend in the music video for her single, "Paparazzi".

Personal Quotes

Yeah. First of all, sex and violence are always something that attracts an audience, and vampire stories usually have a lot of both. And, vampires symbolize consistency and something that's permanent, in a world where everything is constantly changing -- humans, animals, nature and even mountains will change over time. To have something that will just stand the test of time is attractive. Eric has been around for a thousand years, and he hasn't changed one bit. That intrigues people. What makes good drama is that people are intrigued by that and drawn towards it, but at the same time, that comfort they feel in something that is consistent, is also lethal and can kill them in a second. That creates a good platform for drama. -- on why people are attracted to vampires and the whole sub-genre in general

I enjoy everything. Every single part of it is great -- just going to work, every day, and working on this show. It's HBO and it's Alan Ball. Just look at the cast, and the writing is phenomenal. I couldn't ask for a better job. I'm so happy to have the job. And, it was challenging, definitely in the beginning, when I was trying to find the character. I was reading the books and trying to figure out who this guy was, and also trying to find that balance of making him likable, but menacing. I wanted people to be intimidated by him, but intrigued, at the same time. -- on what is the most enjoyable and the most challenging aspects of working on "True Blood"

Where Are They Now

(March 2008) Joined the cast of True Blood, Alan Ball's new vampire drama series for HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, based on the Southern Vampire book series by Charlaine Harris, centers on the love story between a vampire, Bill (Stephen Moyer), and Sookie (Anna Paquin), a waitress who can read people's minds.

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z