Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
BetweenStellan Skarsgårdand his eight children —Alexander,Gustaf, Sam,Bill, Eija, Valter, Ossian and Kolbjörn — there is no shortage of talent in the Skarsgård family.
Stellan is a celebrated actor both in his native Sweden and stateside, appearing in more than 100 films throughout his decades-long career — includingGood Will Hunting,Thor, The Girl With the Dragon TattooandDune, to name a few. But Stellan isn’t the only Skarsgård in Hollywood: The Swedish star has passed along his acting chops to six of his seven sons.
Having seven Skarsgårds working as actors (Stellan’s youngest boys are child actors) seems like it would lead to some natural competition among the large family — but the opposite is actually true, according to Gustaf, who is best known for his roles inVikingsandWestworld.
“Luckily, we are different in type and age, so there hasn’t been a lot of competition for specific parts,” hetold Sweden’sSchön!magazinein 2018. “There is competition to the point that we can actually make fun of it — we’ll keep scores and laugh about it. At the end of the day, we’re in this industry to have fun,” adding, “We’re a very close family, and we’ve always been supportive of one another.”
Stellan shared a similar sentimentwith The Daily Beastin 2021, joking: “There’s no competition, really. There’s some joking competition at the dinner table, but I know they’re better than me, so I’ve given up.”
That also means that seeing their dad in a major blockbuster is no big deal to them.
“I think they think everybody’s in major blockbuster. All their siblings are in major blockbuster. I mean, that’s a way of life for them. It is weird,” Stellan told PEOPLE at the New York premiere ofDune 2in February 2024.
Acting isn’t the only thing the Skarsgärds are good at, either: The family also counts models, film producers and doctors among them. Stellan insists, however, that there is no secret to raising such a gifted brood.
“I have never had ambitions for them, other than that they should be decent people,” he toldThe Guardian.
Keep reading for everything to know about the Skarsgård family.
Stellan Skarsgård
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Stellan, the patriarch of the Skarsgård family, was born June 13, 1951, in Gothenburg, Sweden. He started his acting career early, first appearing in school productions and later landing his first major role in 1968, when he starred in the hit Swedish television showBombi Bitt.The show made Stellan a teen idol in his native Sweden.
“It was like being a pop star,” Stellan recalled toThe Independentin 2020. “Screaming girls and all that s—.”
The television series was just the beginning of what would become a five-decade-long (and counting) acting career for Stellan, ranging from notable Swedish films to major Hollywood blockbusters. He’s particularly well known for his collaborations with Danish director Lars von Trier, appearing in six of his projects includingMelancholiaand the controversialNymphomaniac.
“We’ve grown to be friends, and we did that pretty quickly, actually, because I liked him so much as a person,” StellantoldSlantmagazineabout von Trier in 2014. “He’s one of the most technically skillful directors in the world.”
“For being a Swede with an accent, I have been extremely successful internationally, so I can’t complain,” Stellantold The Daily Beastin 2020. “I’m a solid f—— actor, and I’d rather be an actor than a star.”
Stellan’s family tree is almost as extensive as his acting resumé. The actor has been married twice: First to My Skarsgård from 1975 until their divorce in 2007 and then to film producer Megan Everett in 2009. Stellan and My share six children together (Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija and Valter), while he and Megan have two sons (Ossian and Kolbjörn).
“I’ve had two beautiful wives — and very smart wives — and that’s helped a lot. I’m not going to take much credit for anything,” Stellan told The Daily Beast about his brood of 8 children.
Alexander Skarsgård
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The eldest Skarsgård sibling, Alexander, was born on Aug. 25, 1976, in Stockholm. Alexander nabbed his first film role at just 7 years old, starring opposite Stellan in 1984’sÅke och hans värld,according to theLos Angeles Times. He followed that up with the lead role in the 1989 Swedish hitHunden Som Log, but the fame and attention that followed led him to quit acting. Instead, he joined the Swedish Armed Forces at the age of 19.
“It was my way of going off into the unknown,” AlexandertoldGQin 2011 about his time in the military. “I didn’t want to just be somebody’s son.”
But after completing 18 months of military service, it was a visit to see his father in L.A. that reignited his acting career. “I obviously didn’t have representation out there but [my father’s] agent asked, ‘You’re in town, would it be fun to go to an audition? Do you think that’d be interesting?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it’d be a great story to tell my friends back home.’ " Alexander recalled toGood Morning Americain 2018. That audition resulted inhis first American acting gig, the 2001 comedyZoolander.
It was HBO, however, that would truly launch Alexander’s acting career. He earned critical acclaim when he landed a lead role in the 2008 HBO miniseriesGeneration Killand became a household name appearing onthe HBO hit seriesTrue Bloodfor seven years. Then, in 2017, hestarred as an abusive husbandoppositeNicole Kidmanin HBO’s miniseriesBig Little Lies— a role that would earn him an Emmy, aSAG Awardanda Golden Globein 2018.
“It felt like such a honest and nuanced portrayal and depiction of an abusive relationship,” AlexandertoldEWabout his role onBig Little Lies. “It wasn’t lazy in the way it was portrayed. It wasn’t cliché.”
Since hisBig Little Liessuccess, Alexander has alsoappeared in the CBS miniseriesThe Stand, returned to HBO forseason three ofSuccessionandreunited with Kidman in the 2022 epic Viking thrillerThe Northman. But despite his acting achievements, Alexander still has difficulty fully enjoying his success.
“I sometimes have a hard time allowing myself to enjoy a moment. I’m not good at sitting and feeling that I’ve achieved something,” heshared withGQin 2022. “I’m trying to allow myself, with humility, to take more joy in my accomplishments.”
Gustaf Skarsgård
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Born on Nov. 12, 1980, in Stockholm, Gustaf took the earliest interest in acting out of all of his siblings. By the age of 6, he knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and was already attending drama school in Sweden.
“To any child, the first occupations that are presented to you are your parents',” hetoldInterviewmagazinein 2017. “I was appealed to my dad’s occupation from the get-go.”
As a teen, Gustaf turned down roles in soaps and instead attended the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting for college. “I was really pretentious in a sense and was like, I’m going to drama school, to learn the craft,” he shared withInterview. His early career was in theater, performing with the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm until his first major film role came in the 2003 Swedish horror filmEvil.
Gustaf’s stateside big break came with the 2010 filmThe Way Back. The second eldest Skarsgård sibling is perhaps best known, however, for his television work: He played Floki on the History Channel seriesVikingsfrom 2013 to 2020, nabbed his “dream role” on the second season of HBO’sWestworldin 2018 and starred in the 2020 Netflix seriesCursed.
“I expected to be doing basement theater in the suburbs of Stockholm,” Gustaf toldInterviewabout his career. “But here I am.”
Sam Skarsgård
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Sam Skarsgård, who was born on June 5, 1982, in Sweden, also followed his parent’s footsteps when it came to his career — but instead of pursuing acting like his father and older brothers, he went into medicine like his mother My. “We’re either actors or doctors,” AlexandertoldThe Inquirerabout his family in 2013. “Mom went through medical school while raising six kids and taking care of the household.”
Alexander and his younger brother Bill spoke more about Sam’s medical career ina conversation withInterviewmagazinein 2017. “He works at an ICU so he, on a daily basis, saves lives,” Alexander said.
Bill continued, emphasizing that their mother and brother’s careers in medicine trumped the rest of the family’s in Hollywood. “There’s definitely a sense of embarrassment about what it is artists really do, at least for me in terms of acting. We have a mom and a brother who literally save lives.”
Bill Skarsgård
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“Iwanted to be an actorever since I was a little kid,” he told PEOPLE in 2016. “But as I got into my teenage years I thought, is it really me wanting this or because I want to follow in my dad’s footsteps?”
After studying science in high school, Bill realized his true passion was acting and set out to establish his own career. However, he wanted to do so without the help of his already famous father and big brothers.
“I’ve always felt a very strong need to do it myself,” he said to PEOPLE. “The association with my brothers and my father is already so big, I didn’t want them to have anything to do with what I did. I needed them to feel that I am completely responsible for what I do.”
After some initial success in Sweden, Bill landed a role on the Netflix seriesHemlock Grovein 2013. From there, he appeared inAllegiantin 2016,Deadpool 2in 2018 and was a series regular on Hulu’sCastle Rockthe same year. But perhaps his most recognizable role was that of Pennywise the Clown inthe 2017 horror filmItandthe 2019 sequelIt Chapter Two.
“I was really excited to do a full character transformation into something that’s so far away from who I am in every way,” Billtold PEOPLE about playing Pennywise.
Bill plays another villainous role oppositeKeanu Reevesin 2023’sJohn Wick: Chapter 4. He was also cast as the lead role in the upcoming reboot of the action thrillerThe Crow,according to Deadline.
The Crowisn’t the only projects he has in the works right now. WhenBoy Kills Worldhits theaters on April 26, fans can see Billplay a man seeking revengeafter his family was murdered when he was a child.
In his personal life, things are much less scary: Bill has been linked to Swedish actress Alida Morberg since 2016, and the pairwelcomed a daughter togetherin October 2018.
Eija Skarsgård
The lone daughter in the Skarsgård crew is Eija, who was born on Feb. 27, 1992, in Sweden. According to Stellan, Eija enjoys being the only girl in the large family.
“During each of my wives' subsequent pregnancies, my daughter would say, ‘I hope it’s not a girl,’ " hetoldThe Guardianabout Eija in 2015. “She’s very strong, stronger in many ways than the boys, and relishes her position.”
Eija is one of the few Skarsgård siblings who is not an actor, but she did spend time in front of the camera as a model. She met her husband, Zeke Tastas, in a nightclub in December 2011 and the two were married on Aug. 24, 2019. “[I] am so lucky that I got my dream. I love you Zeke!” Eija wrote ina romantic tribute on Instagram.
Valter Skarsgård
Born on Oct. 25, 1995, in Sweden, Valter is the youngest child of Stellan and My. He, too, has embarked on a career in acting, just like his elder siblings and father.
“I thought I was going to be the youngest one,” older brother Billsaid in an appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live!about his fellow siblings who act. “And then my little brother, who is five years younger and better looking, started.”
Valter’s acting resumé includes primarily Swedish productions, but in recent years he appeared in the BBC seriesBlack Lakefrom 2016 to 2018 and the 2021 Netflix seriesKatla.
More recently, Valter starred in the title role inBörje — The Journey of a Legend, a six-part series that tells the story of Swedish hockey player Börje Salming, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and became the first European inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Salming died in 2022 after a battle with ALS.
In an interview withThe Canadian Press,Valter opened up about how important it was to him to get the role right.
“I was looking forward so much to sharing this whole ride. Even though I got his seal of approval, the pressure was on. I wanted him to hold my hand. I wanted him to lead me through this. When he wasn’t able to, it was terrifying,” he said. “I felt even more pressure. This has to be good. I have to nail it.”
The youngest Skarsgård in Hollywood has poked fun at his acting status compared to his older brothers and father on Twitter. “It’s hilarious that I’m here but not dad,” heresponded to a tweetthat showed him, along with brothers Alexander, Gustaf and Bill, beneath an interview quote from Alexander that reads: “If you need a Skarsgård for a movie and one of us isn’t available, it’s like, ‘How about this one?’ "
Ossian Skarsgård
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Stellan welcomed his seventh child — and first with wife Megan Everett — Ossian Skarsgård in 2009.
Although Ossian is only a teenager, he has already entered the family business of acting. He starred alongside older brother Bill in the 2022 Swedish filmBränn Alla Mina Brev, which translates toBurn All My Letters.
Ossian has also joined his famous family on the red carpet over the years, attending the Stockholm premieres ofIt Chapter 2in 2019 and Netflix’sClarkin 2022, both of which starred Bill.
Kolbjörn Skarsgård
Kolbjörn is the youngest sibling of the Skarsgård clan. He was born in 2012.
Like his father and majority of his older brothers, Kolbjörn is a child actor. He held his first role alongside brother Bill in the 2022 Netflix seriesClark.
He also played Mio in the Swedish television seriesKenny Starfighter, according to his mother’sInstagram.
source: people.com
