Alexander Skarsgård

Acting

Born August 25, 1976 · Stockholm, Sweden

Also known as Alexander Skarsgard

Biography

Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in the US film comedy Zoolander. In 2008, he played Marine Brad Colbert in the miniseries Generation Kill. Skarsgård's breakthrough came when he portrayed vampire Eric Northman in the television series True Blood (2008–2014). After appearing in films such as Melancholia (2011), Battleship (2012) and The Legend of Tarzan (2016), Skarsgård starred in the drama series Big Little Lies (2017–2019) as an abusive husband, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. From 2019 to 2022, he appeared in the films Long Shot (2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), Passing (2021), and The Northman (2022) as well as playing Randall Flagg in the miniseries The Stand (2020–2021).

Awards & recognition

Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2017
Satellite Award — Best Cast – Television Series · 2009
Actor Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series · 2010 · nominated