Sweden is known for many things – for the invention of the zipper, Celsius, Propeller, and Spotify. Another contribution of the Scandinavian country to the world is Stellan Skarsgard. The Swedish actor was at the forefront of some of the best films in modern history, and his children will continue this legacy.
Stellan Skarsgard Bio
Stellan Skarsgård was born on June 13, 1951, the son of Swedish parents, Gudrun and Jan Skarsgård. He spent his childhood moving from place to place, perhaps due to his parents’ professional responsibilities.
Stellan was brought up as an atheist and is a well-known critic of religion and its effects, especially in Sweden. He is a humanist.
Between his nomadic childhood and Stellan, who became interested in acting early in his life, so much so that he was already a star in Sweden at the age of 21, he currently has no significant formal educational background in public space.
Stellan Skarsgard Career
As mentioned above, by the time Stellan was 21 years old, he had already gained considerable experience in film, television, and stage productions. His work in the Swedish film industry included Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg, one of his famous Swedish projects. His television appearances include Bombi Bitt.
After gaining fame in Sweden, Stellan turned his attention to Hollywood, the world’s number one film industry. The actor received his first Hollywood role in 1985 when he played an immigrant who is mentally disturbed and is being chased by a bounty hunter. In one of his more prominent Hollywood roles, Skarsgård played Captain Tupolev in The Hunt for Red October.
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Certainly, there is no denying that Stellan Skarsgård has starred in his own fair share of iconic films, but the actor’s filmography narrowly missed the chance to make Schindler’s List, one of the greatest films in modern history. He was strongly considered for the role of Oskar Schindler, but it was eventually passed on to Liam Neeson. Skarsgård later took some revenge by replacing Neeson in the 2004 film Exorcist: The Beginning.
His other iconic roles include Bootstrap Bill Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. He permanently wrote his name into modern film history by assuming the role of Dr. Erik Selvig in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He starred in four films: Thor, the sequel, Thor: The Dark World, The Avengers, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Other prominent roles in Skarsgård’s filmography include Bill Anderson in Mamma Mia and the sequel Mamma Mia: Here we go again, Prof. Gerald Lambeau in Good Will Hunting.
His work has seen many films directed by Lars von Trier, including Breaking the Waves, another critically acclaimed achievement by the actor. Perhaps it is a question of familiarity with culture and language, but Skarsgård has a great preference for Scandinavian directors. Apart from Lars von Trier, he has a strong and close working relationship with Hans Petter Moland, a Norwegian. Stellan describes his relationship with Moland as that of a couple. It is assumed that both filmmakers are very close friends. Skarsgård has acted in four films by the Norwegian director, including Aberdeen and Zero Kelvin.
Family Life: Wife, Children
Stellan was married twice. His first marriage was to My Skarsgård, a doctor with whom he had six children. The couple married in April 1975 and were together until May 2007, when they divorced. Four of their six children, Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, and Valter, followed in their father’s footsteps and pursued an acting career. Their only daughter, Eija, is a former model.
Stellan remarried Megan Everett two years after his divorce in January 2009 and shares two children with his second wife. The couple has two sons, Ossian and Kolbjörn.
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After his eighth child, Skarsgård had a vasectomy and explained that he is more than well off with eight children.
Stellan Skarsgard Net Worth
Through a career spanning film, television, and the stage, Stellan has built a net worth of $40 million. His net worth has been built up over decades of appearing in commercially successful films such as Marvel films and the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. His performances in other dramatic roles such as Good Will Hunting have made him a high-profile actor who receives a high salary for a film appearance.