| Stellan Skarsgård | |
|---|---|
Skarsgård in Kalmar, July 2009 |
|
| Born | Stellan John Skarsgård 13 June 1951 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–present |
Stellan John Skarsgård (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈstɛlː.ˈan ˈskɒːʂɡoːɖ] ( listen); born 13 June 1951) 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, Mamma Mia!, Thor, King Arthur and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
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Skarsgård was born in Gothenburg, Sweden; the son of Gudrun (née Larsson) and Jan Skarsgård.[1][2] He moved often in his childhood and lived, amongst other places, in Helsingborg, Totebo, Kalmar, Marielund and Uppsala.[3]
Skarsgård started his acting career early. At the age of 21 he already had a great deal of experience in film, TV and stage.[4] Most of his early roles were in Swedish TV (such as Bombi Bitt) and movies. Of Skarsgård’s Swedish film work, he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who worked to save Holocaust victims. The movie was filmed in Budapest, in the only Jewish ghetto to survive World War II.[5]
Skarsgård is particularly associated with director Lars von Trier. He appeared in four of the Danish auteur's features-- The Kingdom, Breaking the Waves, Dogville and Melancholia. His most personal working relationship, however, is with Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland. Relevant films here are Kjærlighetens kjøtere, Aberdeen and A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010). Skarsgård considers Moland a close friend. Before shooting their next project in 2009, he said of their relationship: "We're like an old married couple and I get separation anxiety."[6] Aside from these, his best-known Scandinavian work is probably his leading role in another Norwegian film as the guilt-ridden policeman Jonas Engström in the original Insomnia.
Skarsgård’s first American film was the 1984 movie Noon Wine directed by Michael Fields, in which Skarsgård played a mentally disturbed immigrant farmhand being chased by a bounty hunter. He played opposite Fred Ward, who portrayed the farmer.[5]
He was considered for the role of Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List. Skarsgård reported that people often mistook him for Liam Neeson who portrayed Schindler in the film. Skarsgård would in fact replace Neeson in Exorcist: The Beginning (2004). He had a guest stint on the HBO TV Series Entourage as Verner Vollstedt, the German director of the fictional film Smokejumpers who has a bias against the main character Vincent Chase, one of the stars of the film.
Skarsgård appeared in 2011's Thor as fictional character Erik Selvig.[7]
With his first wife, My (married 1975–2007), he fathered six children, four of whom are now actors : Alexander Skarsgård (born 1976), Gustaf Skarsgård (born 1980), Sam Skarsgård (born 1982), Bill Skarsgård (born 1990), model Eija Skarsgård (born 1992) and Valter Skarsgård (born 1995). He married Megan Everett in January 2009 and their son Ossian, was born on 26 April 2009.[8]
Actors Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly named their son Stellan as a tribute to Skarsgård.
Skarsgård was raised by humanist parents and had an atheist grandfather and a deeply religious grandmother. According to Skarsgård, this never led to any problems because of the family's mutual respect for each other's opinons.[9] After the 11 September attacks, Skarsgård set out to read the Bible and the Qur'an, both of which he condemns as violent.[9] Skarsgård is also a critic of religious independent schools in the Swedish educational system.[9] Skarsgård has said he considers the notion of God absurd and that if a real God were actually so vain as to constantly demand worship, then he would not be worth it.[9]
In 2009, Skarsgård, along with other non-religious artists, authors and entrepreneurs including Christer Sturmark, Björn Ulvaeus and Christer Fuglesang, wrote an article in Dagens Nyheter stressing the importance of secularity.[10] The group also criticized the UN for its stance on blasphemy laws.[10]
This filmography is not full but rather a representative one.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Bombi Bitt och jag | Bombi Bitt | Bombi Bitt and Me, mini TV series |
| 1972 | Firmafesten | Peter | a.k.a. The Office Party |
| Strandhugg i somras | Erik | a.k.a. Raid in the Summer | |
| Magnetisören | Soldier | TV | |
| 1973 | Fem døgn i August | Christer | a.k.a. Five days in August |
| Bröllopet | Roffe Eriksson | a.k.a. The Wedding | |
| 1974 | Anita – ur en tonårsflickas dagbok | Erik | a.k.a. Anita: Swedish Nymphet (Anita – From the Diary of a Teenage Girl) |
| The Intruders | Peter Delaney, their son | a.k.a. Fait acompli | |
| 1977 | Tabu | Jan-Erik | a.k.a. Taboo |
| Hemåt i natten | Kurt Sjöberg | a.k.a. Homeward in the Night | |
| 1982 | The Simple-Minded Murder | Sven | Den enfaldige mördaren |
| 1983 | P & B | Karl-Johan 'Charlie' Pettersson | |
| 1984 | Åke och hans värld | Ebenholtz | a.k.a. Åke and His World |
| 1985 | Falsk som vatten | Stig | a.k.a. False as Water |
| Noon Wine | Olaf Helton | ||
| Pelle Svanslös i Amerikatt | Pelle Swanson, voice | a.k.a. Peter-No-Tail in Americat | |
| 1986 | Ormens väg på hälleberget | Karl Orsa Markström | a.k.a. The Serpent's Way |
| 1987 | Jim & piraterna Blom | Gustav, Jim's Father | a.k.a. Jim and the Pirates Also Writer |
| Hip hip hurra! | Sören Kröyer | a.k.a. Hip Hip Hurrah! | |
| 1988 | The Unbearable Lightness of Being | The Engineer | |
| Vargens tid | Peder Ulfstand | a.k.a. Arilds tid/Time of the Wolf | |
| Friends | Matt | ||
| The Perfect Murder | Axel Svensson | ||
| 1989 | S/Y Glädjen | Klas Larsson | a.k.a. S/Y Joy |
| Täcknamn Coq Rouge | Carl Hamilton | a.k.a. Code Name Coq Rouge | |
| Vildanden | Gregers Werle | a.k.a. The Wild Duck | |
| Kvinnorna på taket | Willy | a.k.a. The Women on the Roof | |
| Förhöret | Carl Hamilton | a.k.a. The interrogation | |
| 1990 | The Hunt for Red October | Capt. Tupolev | |
| God afton, Herr Wallenberg | Raoul Wallenberg | a.k.a. Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg | |
| 1991 | Oxen | Helge Roos | a.k.a. The Ox |
| 1992 | Den demokratiske terroristen | Carl Hamilton | a.k.a. The Democratic Terrorist |
| Wind | Joe Heiser | ||
| 1993 | Kådisbellan | Fritiof Schütt | a.k.a. Innocent Life |
| Sista dansen | Host in Norrköping | a.k.a. The Last Dance | |
| 1995 | Jönssonligans största kupp | Herman Melvin | a.k.a. The Jönsson Gang's Greatest Robbery |
| Kjærlighetens kjøtere | Randbæk | a.k.a. Zero Kelvin | |
| Hundarna i Riga | Magnus Björk | a.k.a. The Dogs of Riga/The Hounds of Riga | |
| 1996 | Harry och Sonja | Harry Olsson | a.k.a. Harry and Sonja |
| Breaking the Waves | Jan Nyman | ||
| 1997 | Insomnia | Jonas Engström | |
| My Son the Fanatic | Schitz | ||
| Amistad | Tappan | ||
| Good Will Hunting | Prof. Gerald Lambeau | ||
| Riget II | Swedish lawyer | TV miniseries | |
| 1998 | Glasblåsarns barn | Albert | a.k.a. The Glass-blower's Children |
| Savior | Peter Dominic | ||
| Ronin | Gregor | ||
| 1999 | Deep Blue Sea | Jim Whitlock | |
| 2000 | Harlan County War | Warren Jakopovich | |
| Passion of Mind | William Granther | ||
| Signs & Wonders | Alec | ||
| Timecode | Alex Green | ||
| Dancer in the Dark | Doctor | ||
| Aberdeen | Tomas | Also Associate Producer | |
| The Hire: Powder Keg | Harvey Jacobs | ||
| Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) | Felix | ||
| 2001 | Taking Sides | Dr. Wilhelm Furtwängler | |
| The Glass House | Terrence 'Terry' Glass | ||
| 2002 | City of Ghosts | Joseph Kaspar | |
| 2003 | No Good Deed | Tyrone Abernathy | |
| Att döda ett barn | (voice) Narrator | a.k.a. To Kill a Child | |
| Helen of Troy | Theseus | ||
| Dogville | Chuck | ||
| 2004 | King Arthur | Cerdic | |
| Exorcist: The Beginning | Father Merrin | ||
| 2005 | Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist | Father Lankester Merrin | |
| Beowulf & Grendel | Hrothgar | ||
| Guilty Hearts | Stangl | ||
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Erik's Father | |
| Goya's Ghosts | Francisco Goya | ||
| Arn – The Knight Templar | Birger Brosa | ||
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Bootstrap Bill Turner | ||
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | Bootstrap Bill Turner | |
| 2008 | WΔZ | Eddie Argo | |
| God on Trial | Baumgarten | ||
| Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End | Birger Brosa | ||
| Entourage | Werner | (3 episodes) | |
| Mamma Mia! | Bill Anderson | ||
| 2009 | Boogie Woogie | Bob Maccelstone | |
| Angels & Demons | Commander Maximilian Richter | ||
| Frankie and Alice | Dr. Oz | ||
| Metropia | Ralph | ||
| 2010 | A Somewhat Gentle Man | Ulrik | En ganske snill mann (Norwegian) or Regnskap |
| The Galapagos Affair | Friedrich | ||
| Submission | Narrator (English version) | ||
| King of Devil's Island | Håkon | Kongen av Bastøy (Norwegian) | |
| As If I Am Not There | Doctor | ||
| 2011 | Thor | Dr. Erik Selvig | |
| Melancholia | Jack | ||
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Martin Vanger | ||
| 2012 | The Avengers | Dr. Erik Selvig | filming |
| Year | Award or nomination | Event | Category | Character | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Won[11] | 32nd Berlin International Film Festival | Silver Bear for Best Actor | Sven | Den Enfaldige Mördaren |
| 2001 | Nominated | European Film Academy | Best Actor | Wilhelm Furtwängler | Taking Sides |
| Nominated | European Film Academy | Best European Actor | Wilhelm Furtwängler | Taking Sides |