Alexander Skarsgård is ready for his close-up in the current edition of GQ Hype. The Scandinavian actor talks to the magazine about his new role as a brutal Viking in the film “The Northman.” Hitting the photo studio for the feature, Skarsgård links up with fashion and celebrity photographer Luc Coiffait (De Facto Inc.).
Related: ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD COVERS L’UOMO VOGUE, TALKS ‘THE NORTHMAN’
Alexander Skarsgård Talks ‘Big Little Lies’
Alexander Skarsgård co-stars in “The Northman” opposite Nicole Kidman, with whom he previously appeared on HBO’s “Big Little Lies.” Skarsgård recalls portraying Kidman’s violent husband in the series, saying, “This guy wasn’t a beer-on-the-couch wife-beater.” Skarsgård explains, “You were allowed, as a viewer, to understand why it might have been difficult for Nicole’s character to leave him.”
Alexander Skarsgård explains how he and Nicole Kidman promised to collaborate again after “Big Little Lies,” but with a much lighter subject. That, however, did not work out. Skarsgard contacted Kidman about a role in “The Northman.” “Nicole was probably expecting me to suggest a rom-com. And instead I’m, like, ‘Hey! Do you wanna play my incestuous mom?'”
Alexander Skarsgård on ‘The Northman’
“The Northman” has been dubbed “this generation’s ‘Gladiator.'” Alexander Skarsgård is no stranger to the comparison. “Funny you should mention the quote,” Skarsgård remarks. “Rob [Eggers, the director] and I just had a conversation about that. We both felt that my moral journey in ‘The Northman’ is, uh, pretty different from Russell Crowe’s in ‘Gladiator.’ But then we agreed, it’s really not a bad way to sell a movie.” Skarsgård hesitates before confessing, “It’s a f**king cool quote. So why fight it?”
