- Date of Birth: August 25, 1976
- Place of Birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
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Alexander Skarsgård Biography
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"Curiosity is one of our most important qualities,
it should never be smothered." - AS
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Actor and director Alexander Skarsgård was born in Råcksta, Stockholms län, Sweden to father Stellan Skarsgård, a famous Swedish actor, and to mother My Skarsgård, a doctor. He grew up in Södermalm, a district in central Stockholm, and is the eldest of seven children: sister Eija, and brothers Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Valter and new little half-brother Ossian (born to Stellan and new wife Megan).
Alexander had his first taste of acting in a small theatre when he was just 4 years old, but in 1984 he got his first role in the award winning Swedish film "Åke och hans värld" (Åke and His World) where he played Kalle Nubb. He became a teen star in Sweden after portraying Jojjo in the 1989 film "Hundem som log" (The Dog That Smiled). Shortly after this, Alexander became uncomfortable with celebrity and decided it wasn't for him, his self-confidence was knocked, he didn't care for the media attention and being recognised everywhere he went as you can imagine, especially at such a young age. He turned down every acting job offer for about 7 years, give or take, at this stage, leaving the acting career behind.
During this period of acting hiatus, Alexander went to college to study political science until 1995 when he entered into the Swedish Navy. He completed his conscripted military service at the Berga Naval Academies as a sergeant with the SakJakt-unit. In 1996 when his time in the military had ended, he moved to Leeds in England, UK to study at the Leeds Metropolitan University for six months, leaving the school with a proficiency certificate. With new found self-confidence Alexander's new career goals of becoming an architect, a lawyer, a doctor or a pilot, gave way to his desire to return to acting, so, he moved to New York and enrolled in Marymount Manhattan College to study theatre.
In 1998, Alexander returned to Sweden taking a job in a cafe and some extra work as a model. In the summer of that year he was offered and accepted a role in Christina Olofsson’s film "Happy End", afterwards realising that he was in the same position he had been in 10 years ago, but older and wiser, now knew how to handle the media attention. Since that time he has starred in over 15 movies/TV movies in Scandanavia, winning two awards in 2003 for his writing and direction of the movie "Att döda ett barn" (To Kill a Child), and nominated for a Guldbagge award (Swedish Oscar) for best supporting actor in the movie "Hundtricket" (The Dog Trick) the same year.
Alexander was first introduced to the US as Meekus, Ben Stiller's dim-witted model roommate in the 2001 comedy "Zoolander." His fame in the US has grown since developing a relationship with HBO after playing Sgt. Brad 'Iceman' Colbert in the 2008 mini-series "Generation Kill", he is now probably best known as the ex-viking vampire Eric Northman in "True Blood", Alan Ball's TV series adaption of the Charlaine Harris novels "The Southern Vampire Mysteries."
Currently Alexander can be heard as one of the voices in the 2009 animated film "Metropia". He will be starring in David L. Williams' "Beyond the Pole" (2009), the 2010 Swedish movie "Puss" (Trust Me), Géla Babluani's 2010 movie "13" alongside Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke, and Rod Lurie's remake of Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" due for release in 2011.
Click here to read an extended more in depth biography.
© written by Flixster's A. Skarsgård experts. Please don't repost without linking back to this page!
Click here to read an extended more in depth biography.
© written by Flixster's A. Skarsgård experts. Please don't repost without linking back to this page!
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| Full name: | Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård | ||
| Height: | 6' 4" (193 cm) | ||
| Hair: | Blonde | ||
| Eyes: | Blue-Green | ||
| Nickname: | Alex | ||
| Notable features: | Eyes, his height, tattoo | ||
| Star sign: | Western - Virgo Chinese - Dragon | ||
| Nationality: | Swedish  | ||
| Family: | Father: Stellan Skarsgård Mother: My Sonja Marie Agnes Günther (Skarsgård) Stepmother: Megan (née Everett) Skarsgård Brothers:
Apparently has around 400 cousins | ||
| Education: | Södermalm School, Stockholm, Sweden Eriksdal School, Stockholm, Sweden The American International School of Budapest, Hungary Åsö (high school) Attended college to study Political Science Completed military service at the Berga Naval Academies as a sergeant with the SakJakt-unit of the Swedish Navy. Leeds Metropolitan University, England, UK Marymount Manhattan College, Manhattan, NYC, NY, USA | ||
| Resides in: | Venice, Los Angeles, CA, USA Stockholm, Sweden although he now considers LA his permanent home, he tries to split his time between both locations. AS: "Stockholm will always be my base. It is where I have my family and my friends. But when I came back to the U.S. this time it was the first time it felt like home. It was actually a really strange feeling." - Aftonbladet, 26 July 2009 | ||
| Religious affiliation: | Atheist When asked by a reader in an Aftonbladet interview (August 2001) if he was "religious in any way", Alexander simply replied "no." | ||
| Political affiliation: | Pacifist, Socialist ? | ||
| Languages: | Swedish and English fluently, a little French and German | ||
| Interests/Hobbies: | Football (soccer), fishing, sailing AS: "I don't want to sound like a cliché but my hobbies are boating, fishing, lying in front of a fire and drinking red wine." - GLife December 2003 | ||
| Charities/Causes: |
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| Other: | Voted "Sexiest Man Alive" in Sweden five times. Former Sergeant in the Swedish military. |
 | The Infamous Picture It's time to clear up for everyone, that the picture you've been seeing on almost every True Blood and Alexander Skarsgård fan site or forum, is, as I'm sure many of you had already guessed, a fake! It's just a clever manipulation done by a talented user over at the True Blood Fan Wiki. Is it his face, well obviously yes, is it his body, no. But those who have seen any of Alexander's movies, hint hint, Hundtricket, know he doesn't need any digital help, so don't feel too disappointed. Still not convinced? Suspicions are confirmed at skarsgardfans.wordpress where Mr. Skarsgård sets the record straight. So go dig their site if you feel so inclined, just click on the link. |
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Alexander often wears a necklace with two anchors. Anchors are a symbol associated with well grounded hope, well spent life, stability and faithfulness.Says the actor he would most like to work with is Daniel Day Lewis.
Alexander was very close to getting the part of Angel in X-Men: The Last Stand, the part ended up going to Ben Foster.
Favourite football (soccer) team is Sweden's Hammarby IF - Bajen.
His favourite team in the Swedish Hockey League is Luleå.
He got to decide on the middle names of his brothers.
AS: "Gurra (Gustaf) was named Orm (snake). But at first I thought he should be named Ådolf, but my parents thought that was a little too close to Adolf, they told me the story behind that name and yeah. But I still think Ådolf is a good name. Then when the next brother came, well, we lived close to the large icebreakers and the coolest icebreaker was named Ymer. So then he was named Ymer."
Enjoys traveling and the one thing he always takes with him is his Ipod.
Loves the ocean and the countryside.
Has never smoked.
AS: "I have never smoked and I think it smells like a bi*ch, but I like cigar smoke, it reminds me of my grandfather."
When asked in an interview in 2001, what he would change about the world, Alexander replied "I would remove a bunch of idiots and bring in some honest angels."
Says if he could only listen to three bands for the rest of his life, they would be The Clash, Van Morrison and Ebba Grön (a Swedish punk band formed in the late 70s).
Some actors whom Alexander admires are, Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Daniel Day Lewis, Isabelle Huppert, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Keve Hjelm, Margareta Krook, Thommy Berggren, Göran Ragnerstam and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Says the simplest way to get him to dance is to get him drunk.
According to Alexander, one film that is a must see is Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon."
AS: "It is a beautiful and perfect Sunday film."
Alexander always dreamt of being a rock star, but says he's completely tone deaf so it's never going to happen.
Narrow-minded people (narrow mindedness) make him angry.
Alexander was considered for the part of Thor in the 2011 movie adaption of the Marvel comics. He was so close to getting the part that he even tried on the costume, although the role eventually went to Chris Hemsworth, Alexander says he would still like to play an action hero someday, depending on the circumstances of course.
AS: "I think it's every little boy's dream; it would be a person's dream to play an action hero."
Has said one of the worst things he knows is falsehood.
In 2002 Alexander wrote a short story titled "Men Don't Eat Chocolate Mousse" for a book of celebrity sex stories. He also wrote a small article about meeting famous former Hammarby player Jonas Stark. He still writes and says he often uses his "word program as a cheap psychiatrist."
A profession which he would least like to attempt would be a teacher or a principal.
On 9 September 2009 Alexander appeared on Santa Monica's KCRW Radio Station's Guest DJ Project. His set choice was emotional and revealing as he dedicated his 5 songs to people that play or have played an important part in his life. These are, in order, his father Stellan, an old friend who's sick, an ex girlfriend, his mother My and finally the city of Los Angeles. The songs were:
- Mother's Little Helper - Rolling Stones
- 800 °C - Ebba Grön
- Ever Fallen in Love - The Buzzcocks
- Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
- The Passenger - Iggy Pop
In True Blood season 2 his favourite episode to shoot was 9 "I Will Rise Up"
Robert De Niro ate breakfast in the Skarsgård family kitchen one special morning, unfortunately, Alexander had already moved out, but, he got to meet De Niro on a different occasion. Alex said this about him, "He is a pretty muddled fuzzy dude... he fits right into Söder." (where Alex grew up)
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 | Full name: John Stellan Skarsgård Date of birth: June 13, 1951 Place of birth: Uppsala (not Göteborg) Uppsala län, Sweden Relation: Father Height: 6' 4" (193 cm) Hair: Blonde Eyes: Blue-Green Star sign: Gemini Occupation: Actor |
In the US Stellan is probably most well known as Bootstrap Bill Turner form the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies, but Stellan became a teen star in Sweden in 1968 after playing the title role in the TV mini series 'Bombi Bitt och jag' (Bombi, Bitt and Me). From 1972-88 he worked at The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) in Stockholm, where he starred in many productions. Since his start in 1968, Stellan has starred in over 80 films. He has stated that his main goal in raising his children, has been to ensure they grew to be nice people and he believes he has succeeded in this. Many would agree. |
 | Full name: My Sonja Marie Agnes Günther Date of birth: July 3, 1956 Place of birth: Kalmar, Småland, Sweden Relation: Mother Hair: Brown (naturally) Eyes: Blue Star sign: Cancer Occupation: Doctor |
Married to Stellan from 1975 - 2007, mother to Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija and Valter. Stellan has stated that even though they are no longer together they will remain close friends as long as they live. Alexander stated in a 2008 interview that he believed their seperation was a good thing, as they hadn't been happy in recent years, but would feel better as friends. He said he has "never understood the argument that we should be together for the sake of the children. Children feel the vibes. Growing up in a family where the parents do not love each other, but where it is calm and they don't argue and just agree for the children's sake, I believe, is much more harmful than a stormy breakup where both parents can find happiness with somebody else." - Cafe June 2008 |
 | Full name: Gustaf Caspar Orm Skarsgård Date of birth: November 12, 1980 Place of birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden Relation: Brother Height: 6' 3" (191 cm) Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Star sign: Scorpio Occupation: Actor |
Gustaf had his first acting roles at the age of 9, in the short film 'Prima ballerina' and the movie 'Täcknamn Coq Rouge' (Code name Coq Rouge) in which his father Stellan had the lead role. In 1999 he enrolled in The Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (Teaterhögskolan) and graduated in 2003, he then joined The Royal Dramatic (Dramaten) as his father did, and starred in many stage productions. In 2007 Gustaf won a Guldbagge award (Swedish Oscar) for his role in Förortsungar. He will be starring with Alexander in the 2010 movie 'Puss' (Trust Me). |
 | Full name: Samuel 'Sam' Kristoffer Ymer Skarsgård Date of birth: June 5, 1982 Place of birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden Relation: Brother Height: 6' 5" (196 cm) Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue-Green Star sign: Gemini Occupation: Doctor |
| Sam had a very small role in the 1987 film 'Jim & piraterna Blom', his father Stellan was one of the writers and also starred in the film. Sam was also the production assistant on Alexander's award winning short film 'Att döda ett barn' (To Kill a Child). Despite this, Sam decided to go down a different path from his brothers and decided to become a doctor like his mother. Bill Skarsgård: "He goes to the medical board. He is not acting like any of us. He is very smart and talented." - Metro, March 2009  |
 | Full name: Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård Date of birth: August 9, 1990 Place of birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden Relation: Brother Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Star sign: Leo Occupation: Actor |
Bill (sometimes credited as Billie) had his first acting role in the 2010 movie 'Järngänget' (White Water Fury) alongside Alexander. He continues to act and make a name for himself in his native Sweden. |
 | Full name: Eija Skarsgård Date of birth: February 27, 1992 Place of birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden Relation: Sister Height: 5' 10.5" (179 cm) Hair: Brown Eyes: Green Star sign: Pisces Occupation: Model |
| Eija has been an equestrian for many years and has her own horse named Zeus, she is currently involved in a modeling career, with the Swedish Mikas agency. Eija appeared on the cover of iCity Magazine in summer 2007 and hit the runway for Stockholm Fashion Week 2008. Here are some pretty shots from Eija's shoots:   |
 | Full name: Valter Skarsgård Date of birth: 1995 Place of birth: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden Relation: Brother Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Occupation: Actor |
Valter's first acting job was in Alexander's award winning short film 'Att döda ett barn' (To Kill a Child), in which he had the lead role. Since then he has starred in 'Detaljer' (2003), 'Arn - Tempelriddaren' (2007) and 'Arn - Riket vid vägens slut' (2008). Valter is also responsible for Alexander's little green bird tattoo, which he drew when he was 7. |
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| Year | Title | Role | Information |
| 2011 | Straw Dogs | Charlie | Film, USA (filming) |
| 2010 | Puss aka 'Trust Me' | Alex | Film, Sweden (filming) |
| 2010 | 13 | Jack | Film, USA |
| 2009 | Beyond the Pole | Terje | Film, UK |
| 2009 | Metropia | Stefan | Film, Sweden, Voice |
| 2008 | True Blood | Eric Northman | TV, HBO, USA |
| 2008 | Generation Kill | Sgt. Brad Colbert | TV, HBO, USA |
| 2007 | Järnets Änglar | Stefan | Film, Sweden |
| 2007 | Leende guldbruna ögon | Boogey Knights singer | TV mini-series, Sweden |
| 2006 | Exit | Fabian von Klerking | Film, Sweden |
| 2006 | Cuppen aka 'Score' | Micke | TV, South Africa, Sweden |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Geert | Film, USA, Sweden |
| 2006 | Never Be Mine | Christopher | Short Film, Sweden |
| 2005 | Om Sara | Kalle Öberg | Film, Sweden |
| 2005 | The Last Drop | Lt. Jergen Voller | Film, UK |
| 2005 | Revelations | Gunnar Eklind | TV mini-series, USA |
| 2005 | Som man bäddar | Nisse | Film, Sweden |
| 2004 | Hjärtslag aka 'Heartbeats' | Piloten | Short Film, Sweden |
| 2003 | Att döda ett barn | writer & director | Short Film, Sweden |
| 2002 | Hundtricket - The movie | Robinson-Micke | Film, Sweden |
| 2001 | D-dag | Lise’s papsøn | TV, Denmark |
| 2001 | Zoolander | Meekus | Film, USA |
| 2001 | Drakarna över Helsingfors | Robin Åström | Film, Finland, Sweden |
| 2000 | Vingar av glas | Johan | Film, Sweden |
| 2000 | Järngänget | Anders | Film, Sweden |
| 2000 | Judith | Ante Lindström | TV, Sweden |
| 2000 | Dykaren aka 'The Diver' | Ingmar | Film, Sweden |
| 2000 | Hundtricket | Micke | Short Film, Sweden |
| 1999 | Happy End | Bamse Viktorsson | Film, Sweden |
| 1999 | Vita lögner aka 'White Lies' | Marcus Englund | TV Soap, Sweden |
| 1989 | Hunden som log | Jojjo | Film, Sweden |
| 1987 | Idag röd | N/A | TV, Sweden |
| 1984 | Åke och hans värld | Kalle Nubb | Film, Sweden |
Have A Skarsgiggle! The boys singing songs throughout Generation Kill  Alexander as Meekus in Zoolander | Beyond the Pole test screening  Eric pretending to be human Scene from 'Cuppen' |
Alexander the Hero Back in 2006, Alexander is called a hero after derby riots. According to several witnesses he risked his own safety to help a beat down supporter. Alexander was in the middle of the worst riots in the stadium's north stands. AS: "It was a heated atmosphere. Too bad it gets this way." According to several witnesses what Alexander did was heroic. The 30-year old actor risked his own safety when he, during the heated riot, went to call on the on-site ambulance personnel to get help for the unconscious boy. AS: "The guy had received a blow to the head and got a concussion. It was scary, he was completely gone (unconscious). He was damn young aswell, only 15." When asked what happened to the boy Alexander said, "He’s okay. My 14 year old sister knows him, so I know how he's doing." But, being so passionate about his home team, Alexander says that this one event will not stop him from going to the stadium to support his team. AS: "No, I won't stop standing in the arena cheering. I don't think running away from the problem will change anything, it's probably better if there are some older "uncles" there like me." Source: Aftonbladet |
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| Alexander Skarsgård c/o Principal Entertainment 1964 Westwood Blvd. Ste. 400 Los Angeles, CA. 90025 USA |  written requests onlyminimum envelope size 8.5" x 4" may take a while for a response due to Mr S' busy schedule, so have a little patience. |
Links:   |  | Tack for visiting Alexander Skarsgård's page If you would like to see anything else here, leave a comment below Don't forget to check out the subpages! puss puss xo  |
| | Alexander Skarsgård IMDB | Quotes True Blood Official | |
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Comments
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imd1stdevilposted 63 days ago -
just saw him in generation kill, and he ROCKS, BLOODY GREAT in true blood 2
posted 89 days ago -
I think that they casted the PERFECT Eric Northman. Alexander portrays the part perfectly. I also LOVED him in Generation Kill.
posted 360 days ago -
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this guy blew my mind on Trueblood last night.
He is absolutely stunning as Eric.posted 418 days ago
