Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (Swedish pronunciation: [alɛkˈsandɛr ˈskɑːʂɡoːɖ]; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his roles as Eric Northman in the HBO series True Blood (2008–2014), Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill (2008), Meekus in the comedy-drama film Zoolander (2001), Dale Conroy in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011), Prince Hans in the Disney animated film Frozen (2013), Tarzan in the Warner Bros. Pictures film The Legend of Tarzan (2016), Perry Wright in the HBO miniseries Big Little Lies (2017–2019), Amleth in the Robert Eggers film The Northman (2022), and Lee Scoresby in the BBC/HBO series His Dark Materials (2019–present).
Skarsgård has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards.
Early life and family
Skarsgård was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the eldest son of actor Stellan Skarsgård and My Skarsgård, a physician. He has seven siblings: Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter, and Ossian Skarsgård, all of whom are actors, and a half-sister, Julie.
Skarsgård attended Södra Latin gymnasium in Stockholm, where he graduated in 1994. He then studied at Leeds Beckett University in England for six months before moving to New York City to study theater at Marymount Manhattan College.
Career
Skarsgård began his acting career in Sweden, appearing in the films The Dogs of Riga (1995) and Show Me Love (1998). He made his English-language debut in the 2001 film Zoolander, in which he played Meekus, the dim-witted male model.
In 2008, Skarsgård gained international attention for his role as Eric Northman in the HBO series True Blood. He played the role for six seasons, until the series ended in 2014.
In addition to his work on True Blood, Skarsgård has appeared in a number of other films and television shows, including Generation Kill (2008), Mildred Pierce (2011), Frozen (2013), The Legend of Tarzan (2016), Big Little Lies (2017–2019), The Northman (2022), and His Dark Materials (2019–present).
Skarsgård has received numerous accolades for his work, including a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards.
Personal life
Skarsgård is in a relationship with British model and actress Tuva Novotny. They have two children together, a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2012.
Skarsgård is a supporter of several charities, including the Swedish Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He is also an advocate for animal rights and environmental protection.
