Born:
August 25, 1976
in
Stockholm, Sweden
Best Known For:
Playing Eric Northman in True Blood.
Early-life:
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgard was born to actor Stellan and Stellan's first wife, My, on August 25, 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden. His siblings include actors Gustaf, Bill and Valter. He started his acting career as a child but quit during his teenage years. At age 19, he joined the Swedish military and served for 18 months. Afterwards, he attended Leeds Beckett University for six months before enrolling on a theatre course at Marymount Manhattan College. He returned to Sweden after six months.
Career:
Skarsgard auditioned for the role of Meekus in the comedy Zoolander (2001) while on holiday in the United States. He got his big break in 2008 in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. After completing Generation Kill, he was cast as Eric Northman in the fantasy horror series True Blood. Since then, he has appeared in the films Melancholia (2011), Straw Dogs (2011) and Battleship (2012). He played the lead role in The Legend of Tarzan (2016).
Quote:
"When I step into a project, I need to feel that there's a challenge, something new, something fresh about it. That being said, I'm kind of attracted to characters with a darkness or a sadness that they carry with them."
Trivia:
He can speak French, Swedish and English.