Alexander Skarsgård

[BuckeyeChicago]

Thanks for posting the recaps. I'm glad to see his acting skills are getting mentioned, especially as he's acting with an Oscar winner with multiple other nominees and awards.
As for his not promoting it at all, I knew that the focus was and is on the ladies, but I had thought we'd get a couple of phone interviews. I am interested in seeing how he approached playing Perry. Though I do wonder if part of the reason for not having him do interviews is that reason, that you'd have to find some humanity in Perry, which might be construed as excusing his behavior. It might also take away from the focus on Celeste, who's the victim. Whatever the reasons I'm hoping we get to find out sometime what it was like to work on BLL, even if it's months from now.

Thanks for the link to Saulnier's twitter. Jeffrey Wright is also on SM, and has been posting pretty pics from the mountains.
https://www.instagram.com/jfreewright/
https://twitter.com/jfreewright
Riley Keough isn't on set yet either, she's been in LA this weekend doing the awards weekend stuff:
https://twitter.com/RileyKeough
James Badge Dale's IG:
https://www.instagram.com/jimmybobbydale/
Here's hoping we get something of Alex on this set, the lack of pics from The Aftermath was annoying!

 

[BuckeyeChicago]

Vallée and Kelley talk about the Perry/Celeste scenes:

Because the women of this story are such interesting and complicated characters, the men in this story could have easily fallen into the background, but they’re interesting and complicated, too.

KELLEY: There’s definitely more explored with all of them. The men may be bigger characters than they were in the book. I’d have to go back and look at it. These women are so strong and formidable and complicated that it wouldn’t be believable, if they didn’t have some complicated and smart men in their lives, as well.

How tricky was it to find the relationship between Celeste and Perry, especially with how much it walks a very fine line, or even crosses that line?

KELLEY: It was the most challenging relationship in the book, and it’s tough stuff to mine. You want to be careful with it because it’s serious subject matter and you don’t want to be glib and not pay attention to it. I thought it was handled really well in the book, and I tried to live up to that. And then, you have to put it on its feet. You feel the truth when you yell, “Action!,” or you start rehearsing it. The way those scenes were shot, the chemistry and the antagonism and the passion between those characters, and the use of the camera and music, was pretty extraordinary.

VALLEE: It was on the page, and we stuck to that. It was tough and it was emotional. We just tried to be real. The D.P. had the courage to use no light and no blocking, so that the actors could move around and create a space of freedom. I asked them not to rehearse the fighting. Nicole [Kidman] was up to it and willing to try it. The first rehearsal was the first take. It’s all right that it looks messy and unexpected. They were trying things. Sometimes it was dead-on, on the first take.
http://collider.com/big-little-lies-david-e-kelley-jean-marc-vallee-interview/#images

 

[Santress]

Thanks for the reviews & info., Buckeye, Jooa, Julia & Esizzle.

What did everyone think of BLL's Serious Mothering? I think it's getting better by the episode and will keep tuning in. The house porn is gorgeous too.

New promo still of Alex in BLL's episode 3: Living the Dream:

https://twitter.com/HBOPR/status/837425410585542658

HBO's "Inside the Episode" for Big Little Lies, episode 2: Serious Mothering:



HBO's preview for Big Little Lies, episode 3: Living the Dream:

 

[Esizzle]

Thanks the new pic and the preview, Santress

I loved the second episode. Reese's Madeline is my fave character so far. Also glad to see more of Celeste and Perrys relationship. It's intense but they are doing a good job of portraying it. I think the third episode is going to deal even more with their relationship.

PS. Is anyone interested in discussing hold the dark in private messages? I have quite a few questions about that book. The more I think about the more, the more weird it seems to me! (In a good way).

 

[Santress]

From ASN:

New fan photos of Alex in Paris, France shared on instagram today (March 3, 2017):

“Muse says: ‘ok, girls, don't scream, don't cry, don't be jealous, let me introduce you to my new friend, Alexander Skarsgård (Tarzan) who felt in love with me. I know, I know, this is not fair, but I'm a princess...’ “

-musevonsilberweiss instagram

"Today we met a very handsome and polite man, Alexander Skarsgård, talented Swedish director and actor. He likes Thaï restaurant. Muse was flying with angels... #lovedog #puppies #dogs #weimarlovers #weimy #weimaranersofinstagram #weimaraners #instapic #picotheday #alexanderskarsgard #tarzan #generationkill #moviestar #dogstar #germanshorthair #doglover #doglife."

-berengeresaulais instagram

 

[Esizzle]

Alex'a hands are so big!!! Giant.

 

[BuckeyeChicago]

Thanks the new pic and the preview, Santress

I loved the second episode. Reese's Madeline is my fave character so far. Also glad to see more of Celeste and Perrys relationship. It's intense but they are doing a good job of portraying it. I think the third episode is going to deal even more with their relationship.

PS. Is anyone interested in discussing hold the dark in private messages? I have quite a few questions about that book. The more I think about the more, the more weird it seems to me! (In a good way).

Message me, I'm interested.

From ASN:

New fan photos of Alex in Paris, France shared on instagram today (March 3, 2017):

“Muse says: ‘ok, girls, don't scream, don't cry, don't be jealous, let me introduce you to my new friend, Alexander Skarsgård (Tarzan) who felt in love with me. I know, I know, this is not fair, but I'm a princess...’ “

-musevonsilberweiss instagram

"Today we met a very handsome and polite man, Alexander Skarsgård, talented Swedish director and actor. He likes Thaï restaurant. Muse was flying with angels... #lovedog #puppies #dogs #weimarlovers #weimy #weimaranersofinstagram #weimaraners #instapic #picotheday #alexanderskarsgard #tarzan #generationkill #moviestar #dogstar #germanshorthair #doglover #doglife."

-berengeresaulais instagram

Aw, Alex and dogs! So done with The Aftermath and spending time with Alexa in Paris before he heads off to Canada for HLD.

 

[Santress]

Another :

“Ok girls, one more time! Sooo cute!”

-berengeresaulais instagram

 

[AnBuW]

Thanks for the pics! He looks so different, but good, very young! So Alex and Alexa are still an item, as he's probably in Paris with her (she posts less from Paris Fashion Week than from other FW, no afterparties etc., so they're spending some quality time together )

 

[lvstratus]

I never payed much attention to him, neither to his movies, but so far I'm loving his work in BLL. He and Nicole have great chemistry and they make one of the best things in the show.

 

[Askarbb]

Thanks for the pics! He looks so different, but good, very young! So Alex and Alexa are still an item, as he's probably in Paris with her (she posts less from Paris Fashion Week than from other FW, no afterparties etc., so they're spending some quality time together )

Yet when they are together spending time it is impossible not to get her in the picture. He maybe in the same city as her that doesn't mean they are spending time so I am not going to assume he is spending time with her just because he is in the area. She was spotted somewhere else in Paris too, and they have always hung out with the same crowd as for his appearance he looks tired and a bit skinny. I feel concerned for his health. I feel like working so much is starting to show I hope he rests up before filming starts in Canada.

 

[BuckeyeChicago]

Yet when they are together spending time it is impossible not to get her in the picture. He maybe in the same city as her that doesn't mean they are spending time so I am not going to assume he is spending time with her just because he is in the area. She was spotted somewhere else in Paris too, and they have always hung out with the same crowd as for his appearance he looks tired and a bit skinny. I feel concerned for his health. I feel like working so much is starting to show I hope he rests up before filming starts in Canada.

I don't think he'd be in Paris if it weren't for her, he'd already be on set or have spent what free time he might have had back home in Stockholm.
As for his being skinny, he should be somewhat skinny for this role, as he's playing a German one year after the war, food was an issue, His character's weight, or lack of it, is mentioned in the book. He's not emaciated, but he's still underweight. And the pics we had from Prague from January he was bulkier than I was expecting.
As for his being tired, yeah, that's to be expected. And with his schedule booked through the end of summer it might end up becoming an issue for him, though he seemed to do ok in 2013/14 when he just about literally worked a year straight, with The Giver/WWTW and then DOAG/TB/LOT. Hopefully he'll take a break in the fall.
Slightly OT, Bill did an interview/photo shoot with Mr. Porter and apparently there were 17 of them in Bali over the holidays, including spouses and SO's. To me that sounds like fun, a slew of Skarsgards and a tropical island.

 

[VampFan]

Just watched the latest BLL ep. Have to say that Skars is great.
He is so good at presenting sh**y characters but with a human element where you don't totally hate him. Following in his Dad's footsteps I think.

Stellan played these types of characters the same way.

 

[Santress]

Just finished the latest episode too. Very good (imo) and a great opportunity to show off his range as an actor.
He is able to bring some empathy to a very unlikable character.

Promo still of Alex and Nicole Kidman from BLL episode 3: Living the Dream:



Source: HBO.com

Preview for episode 4: Push Comes to Shove:



Inside the episode for #3: Living the Dream:

 

[BuckeyeChicago]

The scene inside Celeste and Perry’s therapist’s office also feels like an exception from the rest of the series in how it functions, and the kind of story it’s telling. Big Little Lies is a series that deals with secrets and unknowns, but there’s not a lot of nuance involved in those mysteries. We don’t know who died at the school fundraiser, but the show points to that missing information with big red arrows that say, “Mystery here!” We likewise don’t know much about the history of Jane Chapman and her son Ziggy until we get more clues in this episode, but between her penchant for angry beach running and her long glowering looks, Jane’s trauma might as well be hung around her neck like a sandwich board.

Initially, the relationship we see between Celeste and Perry seems like it will follow a similarly unsubtle path. They look like a perfect, loving couple from the outside; inside he’s an abusive husband and she doesn’t know how to get out. Which is why the scene with their therapist is so surprising — they begin evasively, describing their relationship as “passionate” and “volatile.” But without too much pressure, Perry admits that his initial description of the marriage as nonviolent is incorrect. He admits to being rough with Celeste, to grabbing her by the shoulders, and to being “physical.” He also tries to describe why he feels like “lashing out” — he’s worried she’ll leave him. He’s so insecure in himself that his fear of abandonment is overwhelming.

It’s a standout scene in part because of how many shades it gives to Celeste and Perry’s relationship, and because of the real surprise that someone as patently villainous as Perry would deign to tell a therapist the truth (or at least something approaching the truth) about how violent he gets with his wife. The moment when he admits the full extent of his actions is really astonishing, and vulnerable in a way that Big Little Lies doesn’t generally lead us to expect from these characters. It pulls us away from what seems like the easily anticipated arc of Celeste and Perry’s narrative — they’re on track to be a relatively straightforward spousal abuse story (he hits her; she can’t leave; things end tragically). This begins to look like a different story, one in which an abuser tries to tackle his own anger and insecurity, and who tries to be honest about his motivations. While Jane Chapman’s angry beach running continues to look about as subtle as the gun held shakily aloft in the show’s opening credit sequence, this scene with their therapist lends Celeste and Perry something more like humanity.

Do not mistake me — discussing the behavior with a therapist does not excuse Perry’s abuse, and that question is something the series will continue to explore over the next several episodes. Even in “Living the Dream,” the closing montage with Celeste and Perry happily slow dancing to Neil Young comes off as a temporary gesture toward hopefulness, one that only the wholly naïve could watch and feel completely comforted by. The therapist’s office lends this closing scene of apparent harmony more emotional color. Rather than simple foreboding or an uncomplicated reconciliation, that slow dance is now weighed down with questions on all sides. Could a relationship like this ever be truly functional? Is he really trying? Does the therapist see how dangerous he is? Does Celeste? And the real mystery at the bottom of it all — do they actually love each other? Could sincere love ever look like this? Surely no, and yet …
http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/big-little-lies-best-investigations-are-not-about-murder.html