Line #1 Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alexander_skarsgard.jpg]]
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3	Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (born August 25, 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish actor.
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5	Skarsgård is best known for portraying Nordic vampire Eric Northman on Creator/{{HBO}}'s ''Series/TrueBlood'', based on the ''[[Literature/TheSookieStackhouseMysteries Southern Vampire Mysteries]]'' book series by Creator/CharlaineHarris, for the entirety of its run.
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7	He's also notable for his work in other HBO dramas based on novels: war drama ''Literature/GenerationKill'', and domestic dramedy ''Literature/BigLittleLies'', for which he received an Emmy award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category.
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9	An actor in his native Sweden for many years, he's since crossed over into mainstream American films like ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', the 2011 remake of ''Film/{{Straw Dogs\|2011}}'', ''Film/{{Battleship}}'', and ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'' as the title character.
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11	He is the first son of Creator/StellanSkarsgard and the brother of actors Creator/{{Gustaf\|Skarsgard}}, Creator/{{Bill\|Skarsgard}} and Valter Skarsgård.
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13	!! Selected filmography:
14	* ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'' (2001) as Meekus
15	* ''Film/TheLastDrop'' (2006) as Leutnant Jurgen Voller
16	* ''Series/GenerationKill'' (2008) as Sgt. Brad "Iceman" Colbert
17	* ''Series/TrueBlood'' (2008 -- 2014) as Eric Northman
18	* ''Literature/TheMoomins and the Comet Chase'' (2010) as Moomintroll (voice)
19	* ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'' (2011) as Michael
20	* ''Film/{{Straw Dogs\|2011}}'' (2011) as Charlie Venner
21	* ''Film/{{Battleship}}'' (2012) as Commander Stone Hopper
22	* ''Film/{{Disconnect}}'' (2012) as Derek Hull
23	* ''Film/WhatMaisieKnew'' (2012) as Lincoln
24	* ''Film/TheEast'' (2013) as Benji
25	* ''Film/TheGiver'' (2014) as Jonas' father
26	* ''Film/{{Hidden}}'' (2015) as Ray
27	* ''Film/TheDiaryOfATeenageGirl'' (2015) as Monroe Rutherford
28	* ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'' (2016) as Tarzan / John Clayton
29	* ''Film/{{Zoolander 2}}'' (2016) as Adam
30	* ''Series/BigLittleLies'' (2017) as Perry Wright [[note]]Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie[[/note]]
31	* ''Film/{{Mute}}'' (2018) as Leo Beiler
32	* ''Film/TheHummingbirdProject'' (2018) as Anton Zaleski
33	* ''Film/HoldTheDark'' (2018) as Vernon Sloane
34	* ''Film/LongShot'' (2019) as Prime Minister James Steward
35	* ''Film/TheKillTeam'' (2019) as Sergeant Deeks
36	* ''[[Series/TheStand2020 The Stand]]'' (2020-2021) as Randall Flagg
37	* ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' (2021) as Nathan Lind
38	* ''Series/{{Succession}}'' (2021-2023) as Lukas Matsson
39	* ''Literature/{{Passing}}'' (2021) as John Kendry
40	* ''Film/TheNorthman'' (2022) as Amleth
41	* ''Series/{{Riget}}'' (2022) as Halmer's lawyer
42	* ''Film/InfinityPool'' (2023) as James Foster
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45	!! Alexander Skarsgard provides examples of the following tropes:
46	* TheBigGuy: He's 6'4'' and naturally slender, but has bulked up for numerous roles to play very physically imposing characters.
47	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: He attended high school with Creator/JoelKinnaman and Creator/NoomiRapace.
48	* FakeAmerican: He's played a few but doesn't normally make much effort to change his accent due to it being naturally less heavy than other Swedish actors.
49	* FamilyBusiness, His father, Creator/StellanSkarsgard, three of his four grown brothers (Gustav, Valter, and Creator/BillSkarsgard) and his sister all have more-or-less successful careers in acting or modeling. The fourth grown brother, Sam, is a doctor like their mother.
50	* FormerChildStar: {{Subverted}}. He was a famous child actor in Sweden, but found life as a public figure increasingly awful as he entered his teens. He then took a break from movies and completed high school, went through a stint in the Swedish army and did a semester of college before rediscovering his passion for acting and going to acting school, and eventually began to pick up work again.
51	* IcyBlueEyes: Has very pale blue eyes that probably contribute to his being cast as villains or cold-hearted characters.
52	* MemeticMutation: The line [[Film/{{Zoolander}} "Orange Mocha Frappuccino!"]] was yelled at him often on the set of Series/GenerationKill.
53	* MrFanservice: He has zero issue showing off his impressive physique in roles.
54	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
55	** He and Creator/CharlieHunnam were the runner-ups for the part of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse before Creator/ChrisHemsworth was cast.
56	** He screen-tested for the role of [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' before the casting of Creator/ChrisEvans.

Context Creator / AlexanderSkarsgard