Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Alexander Skarsgård

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
3047
Alexander Skarsgård
Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård, stars of 'Infinity Pool,' reveal the scene that drew them to Brandon Cronenberg's thriller and their memories of shooting it on set. They also share the part of the filmmaking process that truly haunts their dreams.
Play clip2:03
This Scene Convinced Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård to Make 'Infinity Pool'
97 Videos
99+ Photos
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård was born in Stockholm, Sweden and is the eldest son of famed actor Stellan Skarsgård. Among his siblings are actors Gustaf Skarsgård, Bill Skarsgård, and Valter Skarsgård. For most of his formative years, his father was an acclaimed actor in Europe but had not yet achieved the international 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 as his parents wanted their children to have as normal an upbringing as possible. 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.

Instead of continuing college, at the age of nineteen, he entered compulsory military service (military conscription). 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 that 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.

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 portrayal 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), Melancholia (2011), written and directed by Lars von Trier, action Sci-Fi film, Battleship (2012), and The East (2013), directed by Zal Batmanglij.
BornAugust 25, 1976
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 25, 1976
IMDbProStarmeter
3047
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Primetime Emmy

Enter IMDb’s Portrait Studio at Sundance 2023

Enter IMDb’s Portrait Studio at Sundance 2023

It’s 2023, and Sundance is back for an in-person festival, so IMDb came prepared with an exclusive studio space in Park City, Utah. See who stopped by for a visit.
Take an exclusive look inside
View image
Photos

Photos531

Alexander Skarsgård in The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård at an event for 75th Golden Globe Awards (2018)
Alexander Skarsgård, Marielle Heller, and Bel Powley at an event for The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Shannon in The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
Alexander Skarsgård at an event for The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017)
Alexander Skarsgård and Matt Cross in The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
Alexander Skarsgård in The Northman (2022)
Alexander Skarsgård and Odessa Young in The Stand (2020)
Alexander Skarsgård in The Stand (2020)
Alexander Skarsgård in The Stand (2020)
Alexander Skarsgård and Nat Wolff in The Stand (2020)

Known for

Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie in The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
The Legend of Tarzan
6.2
  • John Clayton
  • Tarzan
  • 2016
Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley in Big Little Lies (2017)
Big Little Lies
8.5
TV Series
  • Perry Wright
Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Nelsan Ellis, and Rutina Wesley in True Blood (2008)
True Blood
7.9
TV Series
  • Eric Northman
Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Shannon, and Florence Pugh in The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
The Little Drummer Girl
7.4
TV Mini Series
  • Gadi Becker

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Tiger
    • Pre-production
  • Eric Larue
    • Post-production
  • The Pack
    • Pre-production
  • Lee
    • Post-production
  • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen, Jeremy Strong, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
    Succession
  • Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth in Infinity Pool (2023)
    Infinity Pool
  • Fred Armisen and Bill Hader in Documentary Now! (2015)
    Documentary Now!
  • The Kingdom (1994)
    The Kingdom
  • Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz in Atlanta (2016)
    Atlanta
  • Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Björk, Alexander Skarsgård, Claes Bang, and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Northman (2022)
    The Northman
  • Shun Oguri in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
    Godzilla vs. Kong
  • The Stand (2020)
    The Stand
  • Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in Passing (2021)
    Passing
  • Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley in Big Little Lies (2017)
    Big Little Lies
  • Kirsten Dunst in On Becoming a God in Central Florida (2019)
    On Becoming a God in Central Florida
  • Alexander Skarsgård and Nat Wolff in The Kill Team (2019)
    The Kill Team
  • Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen in Long Shot (2019)
    Long Shot
  • Alexander Skarsgård, Jason Clarke, and Keira Knightley in The Aftermath (2019)
    The Aftermath
  • Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Shannon, and Florence Pugh in The Little Drummer Girl (2018)
    The Little Drummer Girl

Producer

  • Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth in Infinity Pool (2023)
    Infinity Pool
  • Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Björk, Alexander Skarsgård, Claes Bang, and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Northman (2022)
    The Northman
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • Keith Ewell and Adrianne Palicki in It's Supposed to be Easy (2017)
    It's Supposed to be Easy

Director

  • The Pack
    • Pre-production
  • Valter Skarsgård in Att döda ett barn (2003)
    Att döda ett barn
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Star Siblings: Famous Brothers and Sisters

Star Siblings: Famous Brothers and Sisters

Take a look at some of our favorite celebrity siblings, including Toby Sebastian and Florence Pugh, and Bill and Alexander Skarsgård.
See the gallery
[object Object]
Photos

Videos97

This Scene Convinced Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård to Make 'Infinity Pool'
Clip 2:03
This Scene Convinced Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård to Make 'Infinity Pool'
Alexander Skarsgård Answers Your Fan Questions
Clip 3:08
Alexander Skarsgård Answers Your Fan Questions
Alexander Skarsgård | Career Retrospective
Clip 1:47
Alexander Skarsgård | Career Retrospective
How the 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Cast & Director Made Epic Battles Feel Real
Clip 3:20
How the 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Cast & Director Made Epic Battles Feel Real
Team Godzilla or Team Kong? The Cast Chooses a Top Titan
Clip 4:05
Team Godzilla or Team Kong? The Cast Chooses a Top Titan
The Most Anticipated Movies and TV Shows to Stream in December
Clip 3:16
The Most Anticipated Movies and TV Shows to Stream in December
What We Know About "The Stand" ... So Far
Clip 3:39
What We Know About "The Stand" ... So Far
Melancholia
Clip 1:35
Melancholia
True Blood Season 4: Your Blood Tastes Like Freedom
Clip 0:24
True Blood Season 4: Your Blood Tastes Like Freedom
True Blood Season 4: Eric
Clip 0:59
True Blood Season 4: Eric
"The Earth Is Evil"
Clip 0:49
"The Earth Is Evil"
"Release Me"
Clip 1:20
"Release Me"

Personal details

Edit
    • August 25, 1976
    • Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
    • Stellan Skarsgård
    • Bill Skarsgård(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Edward Albee's play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at Södra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Interviews
    • 7 Articles
    • 40 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    He speaks French, Swedish, and English.
  • 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.
    • Distinctive mellow voice
    • True Blood
      (2008)
      $275,000 per episode (2013-2014)

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.