Alex interviewed by B.dk: Actor of Desire
Nice interview. The translation was fairly smooth too.
Actor of desire
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By Louise Kidde Sauntved
The cult series 'True Blood' has made 36-year-old Alexander Skarsgård, eldest son of Stellan Skarsgård, a superstar in the United States. But the Swedish actor is most passionate about small films with something to say - like 'What Maisie Knew', which has its Danish theatrical release today.
With his 194 cm and piercing blue eyes Alexander Skarsgård is not a man anyone could just overlook. However, it is his - inherited presumably - acting talent, which in a few years has made Stellan Skarsgård's eldest son a name both in and outside of Hollywood. He really broke through as the icy cold, but also complex vampire Eric Northman in HBO's cult series "True Blood," which is currently running at 6 season. Since then he has created a solid film career alongside work on the series. He has, among other things starred in Lars von Trier's 'Melancholia' and this year alone in three films: Thriller 'The East' and 'Disconnect' and the current independent cinema film 'What Maisie Knew', which tells the story of a divorce from the child's point of view. Alexander Skarsgård plays the new stepfather, Lincoln, who is six year old Maisie's anchor in the storm.
The film is a modern interpretation of a more than 100 year old novel by Henry James, translated into today's New York, and Alexander Skarsgård was attracted to the film at once eternal and a very current portrait of how the children too often become trapped when Mom and Dad go to war against each other.
"We live in a very individualistic society, where there is a strong focus on self-realization and me-me-me. It's not about that one does not love their children, but that they are so focused on their own thing and being angry with their ex-partners, the children are forgotten, and it's not pretty, "says Alexander Skarsgård, who, however, only had his parents' divorce to draw on when it comes to experiences.
A proper divorce
"And I think there would have been a very boring movie out of," he says with a laugh. Parents, Stellan and My Skarsgård, divorced amicably when Alexander Skarsgård was 30 years old.
"They had been together for 35 years and it was about time that they came forward, and I knew both of them well. They are very good friends and live a block from each other on Södermalm in Stockholm. Both mom and dad feel better now than the last year they were together. '
Perhaps this seems Alexander Skarsgård views 'What Maisie Knew' not as an anti-divorce movie, but as a reminder to do it in a proper way.
"If it does not work, separate. I do not believe in staying together for the children's sake. There's nothing good out of growing up in a loveless home. '
Wine, laughter and True Blood
Alexander Skarsgård grew up in a large family with lots of love, noise and high ceilings.
"I come from a bohemian artist family where there were always many people at home. Father always cooked, so almost every day there were great dinners with 20 people on board. They drank wine, and there were all kinds of crazy hippies - creative, beautiful and interesting people. It was very unpretentious. I always wanted the door open into my room, because I could hear when the adults sat there and talked and laughed and drank wine late into the night. I would be with them. So I have it still. I thrive in social groups with many friends. "
Alexander Skarsgård was part of the creative world early on. He made his debut at age seven in the movie "Åke och hans värld"and had his big breakthrough at age 13 with the TV movie "Hunden som log." Alexander Skarsgård did not, however, like to be recognized on the street. He wanted to just be an ordinary boy who could play football with friends in peace, so he said stop.
To this day, he is deeply grateful that his parents did not try to push him to continue.
"During casting for 'What Maisie Knew' I met a lot of child actors whose parents put a large strain on them that they almost were not kids anymore. But my father just said, "I love my job, it's a great job, but it's also a tough job. You should listen to yourself, and if you feel that there is an alternative, do it instead. You only become an actor if you do not feel you have no choice. ' I was glad. If I had continued, I was definitely burned out. "
Instead, he again felt the urge at the age of 20 and first went to New York to go to drama school and then, ten years ago, to Los Angeles, where he got his big break in the HBO series "Generation Kill" and not least 'True Blood', which was such an overwhelming success that it has given him the financial freedom to be selective in his choice of film roles.
'''True Blood' has opened a lot of doors for me in the film world, and I am incredibly grateful for it. It has also meant that I can afford to just go for projects I'm passionate about, small indie films like 'What Maisie Knew', which I do not earn much on. It's a great privilege."
Spontaneity and passion
Next year's 'True Blood" is, however, a closed chapter, at least for Alexander Skarsgård - he is very reluctant to make an official announcement about the series. And it probably means a farewell to LA.
"I do miss the spontaneity from when I grew up in Södermalm, where I lived close to my friends and could just go down to the local bar without having to call anyone because I knew that my friends were there. In LA everything is far apart, so it's a different lifestyle that is more planned and less spontaneous. I miss just bumping into people - it does not happen in LA, where everyone is just sitting in their cars. I just love to go around, maybe look into a shop or sit in a café. "
Next stop will probably be New York or Europe - but everything is open. "We have to see what happens," he says with a wry smile. It all depends on the projects being offered to him, and if he can burn them.
"I am having incredible fun right now and am deeply grateful that I am one of the lucky ones who have work in this industry. But it is also a creative job, and you have to feel the creativity, to feel that you burn every day upon waking. If there comes a day when I wake up and do not feel the passion, I must continue. I will never be an actor if I did not think it's the best job in the world - so I'll find something else! But right now I think it's great. '
(Source:
b.dk, + Google Translation + Some Clean-up/Interpretation by The Library, Photo credit:
Niels Ahlmann
Olesen)
http://www.b.dk/kultur/skuespiller-af-lyst
......and I'm sorry to disappoint you but Mönsterå isn't thrilling but means 'patterns'. 
I'm sorry but my stealth mode doesn't work here - you see, I'm a real redhead and don't blend in easily among all these beautiful blond beach babes 
......but I'll do my best 
