Alexander Skarsgård has gotten his final breakthrough in the States by playing a Viking vampire in the TV-series “True blood” DNs Erik Ohlsson has met the new born Hollywood star that is still picking up his own laundry.
“There are 600 churches here,” Alexander Skarsgård informs us, while folding his long body into a purple-red Toyota Prius and taking us sightseeing in the town that will be his home for the next seven weeks.
Shreveport’s central parts are strange. The town, which is situated in northern Louisiana and is the size of Malmö, has a central core where decayed store houses are mixed with shiny polished sky scrapers. In addition the town consists mainly of churches and casinos. A merciless sun is burning the dusty roads. We see some occasional cars but not one single pedestrian.
This part of Louisiana is heavily struck by unemployment. To improve the economy, the state rulers have decided to give movie companies big reductions in taxes if they record in Louisiana.
Alexander Skarsgård has one of the leading roles in a new version of Sam Peckinpahs drama “Straw Dogs,” that right now is being recorded in and outside of Shreveport. The original movie came out in 1971 and was heavily debated due to its content of heavy violence. The new version of “Straw Dogs” will also turn bloody, Alexander lets us know.
Alex, as everyone calls him, wants to eat lunch and we drive towards the town’s house blocks where green gardens mix with strip malls.
On the radio, tuned into the local country station KXKS, Justin Moore sings about the benefits of living in an American small town, “Smalltown USA.”
Skarsgård had to work hard with his accent for the role and thinks it is useful to listen to country “but sometimes it gets painful, some songs are really bad,” he says.
“I have a dialect coach to get the right “twang.” The movie will take place in Mississippi. I am a hillbilly and speak with an accent, but I have been to the university for a year or so and gotten rid of the worst part.”
Alexander Skarsgård has simple but good looking casual clothes: white shirt, narrow gray jeans and black shoes. In addition, he has straggling stubble and trendy Japanese sunglasses that he puts on and off.
When we sit down by a table in the dining hall at La Superior, which is mainly crowded by family weekend lunch guests from Mexico, Alexander Skarsgård continues to tell us about his ongoing movie project with great enthusiasm.
“I play Charlie that grew up in a small town in Mississippi. He is the star of the school’s American football team, somewhat king of the town. Charlie gets a scholarship to study at the University of Louisiana to play football. The road to NFL seemed to be wide open. But then he suffers from a knee injury and has to go home after a year.”
He earns his living as a carpenter in his old hometown. One day he gets the assignment to renovate a house bought by his old girlfriend from the prime time of his youth. She is working to get a Hollywood career going but has temporarily returned to town with her husband, a peaceful scriptwriter.
“It really hurts Charlie to see their relationship. He looks upon his ex-girls husband as a real wimp, says Alexander Skarsgård.”
The youth sweetheart is played by Kate Bosworth, famous from “Superman Returns” as Lane while James Marsden is her meek husband.
The director wanted a legible contrast between the ex-athlete Charlie and the book-loving script writer. Thus, Alexander is training extra in the gym in order to put on extra muscles.
“ I put on about 17lbs before filming. But I am built rather lightly, so I will never turn into a real muscle man,” he states.
Except for building muscles he has also learned how to do carpentry – or at least how to fake it, and has experienced how it is to work outside when it is over 100 degrees hot and the sun is shining as Gods worst interrogation lamp. It is hot, hot in Louisiana in August.
“ It is only something you have to get used to. You get soaking wet, but I am playing a sweaty carpenter so that is ok.”
Skarsgård is at the moment in a schizophrenic situation since he is recording two movies on two continents. Simultaneous with “Straw Dogs” he is also working in Sweden with the last shots of Johan Kling’s “Puss.” The recordings started on the same day, so it took an effort to make both schedules work.
“ Last weekend was messy. I flew from here via Atlanta to Stockholm. And then a domestic flight to Visby and taxi to Fårösund, where the last scenes were recorded. The travel took 23 hours. But all fatigue was erased when we started to record. It is wonderful to work with Johan, very secure, he has every detail under control.”
Johan Kling attracted attention after his director debut “Darling.” “Puss” is a relationship drama revolving around some young adults in Stockholm that operate a theatre. Alexander Skarsgård’s describes his character as “slippery as a fucking eel.”
“A city guy that drives vintage sport cars and is interested in design from the 60s. He deceives his closest friends and is always in trouble. Pretty far away from Charlie in “Straw Dogs.” Since the characters are so different it makes it easier for me to keep them apart.”
Yes, things are going well for Alexander Skarsgård right now. He has gotten lots of good criticism for his performance in the TV-series “True Blood,” the most popular show on HBO at the moment. “True Blood” is a real cock and bull story that revolves around modern vampires that “ravage” in the fictive town Bon Temps in Louisiana. Alexander plays the 1000 year old Viking vampire Eric Northman, with white makeup, long hair and with sharp teeth. Sometimes he spice things up by using Swedish dialogue. Funnily enough Viking-Erik also has a connection to Shreveport: in the series he owns the vampire bar in town, Fangtasia.
The first season of “True Blood,” started this week on Swedish television. In the States it has reached cult status among young people. New episodes will start being recorded right before Christmas.
How does Alexander Skarsgård explain the series immense popularity?
“Alan Ball, the director, is extremely talented. He uses all the tricks in the book, but he is never stepping over the line when things gets too obvious or silly. I think that is why ‘True Blood’ appeals to so many.”
Alexander Skarsgård got a big raise when he signed up for season 3. He doesn’t want to reveal how much, but is enough for him to seriously start looking for a house in Los Angeles. For the last five years he has lived without a real home in LA. Five pretty scrawny years of test castings, meetings, roles that he “almost” got and regular trips home to Sweden to work and get money.
“ I want to live in Venice Beach. That is one of few places in Los Angeles where things are at walking distance. Los Angeles is a weird town and it has taken some time to adjust. And I will always have at least one foot left in Sweden. But last time I landed in LA, in the beginning of August after spending some weeks in Sweden, I felt as if for the first time that this was home to me.
If “True Blood” has filled up Alexander Skarsgård’s bank account, it is another TV-series, “Generation Kill,” that is helping him to get the film offers he is now receiving. During the recording breaks of “Straw Dogs” Alexander is reading and pondering manuscripts that his agent has sent forward.
And Viking vampires in all due respect. But it is pretty obvious that the role as sergeant Bradley Colbert in the TV-series “Generation Kill” is what Alexander Skarsgård feels most strongly about.
“What makes “Generation Kill” so intense is that it doesn’t make any attempts to squeeze in a love story or any other main Hollywood themes,” says Alexander Skarsgård, that got a lot of good criticism for his interpretation of Sergeant Colbert.
“The best reward is that lots of men and women that have been to Iraq have contacted us and think that we are telling a truthful story of what is going on down there.”
It probably also helped that Alexander is a real sergeant – he did his military service in the Swedish marines, one of the toughest trainings in the Swedish military.
“I was a restless 19-year-old that wanted to do the service, I wanted something challenging and that would give me something in return. And it felt as if I needed a break from the safe and comfortable life in Söder, Stockholm.”
Alexander Skarsgård adds that he has nothing positive to say about the political game behind the war, “the invasion was an obvious mistake and based on lies.”
Skarsgård doesn’t match the twisted image of the polished vain and self-centered Hollywood star. He does his own laundry, doesn’t expect VIP treatment at the restaurant and now when he meets a Washington correspondent it almost seems as if he is more interested in discussing President BarackObama’s troubles with reforming the healthcare system than his own career.
“Yes, of course I try to be updated with the news, as much as possible, even though I travel a lot. And I try not to miss “Meet The Press” (NBC),” he says.
He is much more reluctant to evolve how it is to be part of the Skarsgård clan in actor-Sweden. But it is hard to dismiss, when your dad is called Stellan and one of few Swedish internationally established actors, and with a brother (Gustaf) that frequently appears in leading roles in big Swedish movies.
“I have nothing to compare with, I have always been a Skarsgård, isn’t that so? Sure, I have grown up with theatre and movies, but I never looked upon acting as a career choice when I grew up. And I feel that where I am now, I have gotten by my own force.”
We are in a hurry to the hotel, because the film crew is supposed to participate in the event of the year in Shreveport; the guitar hero James Burton has arranged an international gala dinner to collect money for music education for school children. The 70 year old Shreveport son, has enticed names such as Albert Lee, Steve Lukather and Al di Meola.
The event will take place in Municipal Hall, the arena in music history was created on October 15th, 1954 when Elvis Presley did his first performance here.
Alexander Skarsgård mingles behind the stage with aged guitar heroes, his six-foot-four height makes him constantly noticeable in the crowd. When the guitar idols take the stage and start to entertain the audience, Skarsgård sits in the front among his acting friends, apparently happy with life. In random intervals he collects a cold beer from the bar – tomorrow is a free day from shooting.
When I take a taxi back to the hotel I ask the driver Bren if he knows who Alexander Skarsgård is.
“Mr. Skarsgard, oh yeah. Is he Scandinavian, Danish, oh Swedish! He has made Shreveport better known in the world and he is a fine young actor. Tell him that!”
Mission Accomplished.
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