Stellan Skarsgård
| Stellan Skarsgård | |
|---|---|
 Stellan Skarsgård, July 2009 |
|
| Born | John Stellan Skarsgård 13 June 1951 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Awards | Silver Bear for Best Actor 1982 Den Enfaldige mördaren |
John Stellan Skarsgård (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈstɛlːan 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 and At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, Mamma Mia! and WΔZ.
Contents |
Acting career
Skarsgård started his acting career early. At the age of 20 he already had a great deal of experience in film, TV and stage.[1] Most of his early roles were in Swedish TV (such as Bombi Bitt) and movies.
To foreigners Skarsgård is particularly associated with director Lars von Trier. He appeared in three of the Danish auteur's features including The Kingdom, Breaking the Waves and Dogville. 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."[2] 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.
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.
According to Swedish news site Ystads Allehanda, Skarsgard has joined the cast of Thor in an unspecified role.[3]
Personal life
Skarsgård was born 13 June 1951 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of Gudrun and J. Skarsgård.[4] He moved often in his childhood and lived, amongst other places, in Totebo, Kalmar, Marielund and Uppsala.[5]
With his first wife, My Skarsgård (married 1975–2007), he fathered six children, four of them 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 April 26, 2009.[6]
Views on religion
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.[7] After the September 11 attacks, Skarsgård set out to read both the Bible and the Qur'an, both of which he condemns as violent.[7] Skarsgård is also a critic of religious independent schools in the Swedish educational system.[7] 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.[7]
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.[8] The group also criticized the United Nations for its stance on blasphemy laws.[8]
Filmography
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 | aka 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| Glasblåsarns barn | Albert | a.k.a. The Glass-blower's Children | |
| 1998 | Savior | Peter Dominic | |
| Ronin | Gregor | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 3 & 3 | Stangl | ||
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Erik's Father | |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Bootstrap Bill Turner | ||
| Goya's Ghosts | Francisco Goya | ||
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | Bootstrap Bill Turner | |
| Arn – The Knight Templar | Birger Brosa | ||
| 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 | ||
| 2011 | Thor | Post-production | |
| Melancholia | Post-production |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award or nomination | Event | Category | Character/film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Nominated | Berlin International Film Festival | Best Actor | |
| Won | Berlin International Film Festival | Silver Bear for Best Actor | Sven in Den Enfaldige Mördaren | |
| 2001 | Nominated | European Film Academy | Best Actor | Wilhelm Furtwängler in Taking Sides |
| Nominated | European Film Academy | Best European Actor | Wilhelm Furtwängler in Taking Sides |
References
- ↑ "Stellan Skarsgard (Bootstrap Bill) Biography". Starsontop.com. 2007-01-13. http://starsontop.com/pirates/stellan_skarsgard.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ↑ Stiller opp for Moland www.dagsavisen.no
- ↑ Elisabeth Rappe (2009-10-05). "Stellan Skarsgard Joins 'Thor'". Cinematical. http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/05/stellan-skarsgard-joins-thor/. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
- ↑ "Stellan Skarsgaard Biography". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/25/Stellan-Skarsgaard.html. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ↑ "Hollywood’s Lonely Hero". Stellanonline.com. http://www.stellanonline.com/pcafe1998.html. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ↑ "Skarsgard welcomes lucky number seven". Wenn.com. http://www.wenn.com/archives/6151. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Stellan Skarsgård: Bibeln och Koranen får inte styra skolan expressen.se Retrived:2010-02-26
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 ”Därför är det viktigt med ett sekulärt samhälle” dn.se Retrived:2010-02-26
External links
- Stellan Skarsgård at the Internet Movie Database
- Stellan Skarsgård at the Swedish Film Database
- Stellan Online (Fan Site)
- Stellan Skarsgard Biography