Families of actors are always fun to watch. From the Coppolas to the Arquettes, there have been many throughout the history of movies. One of them has been around since the early '70s, and that's the Skarsgårds.
Stellan Skarsgård is one of the most prolific Swedish actors that the country has ever produced. He has a whopping total of eight children, four of whom are actors as phenomenal as he is: Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, and Valter. Talent runs in their veins, and they have proved it by delivering some outstanding performances.
Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki in 'Vikings' (2013-2020)
A History Channel action drama of epic proportions, Vikings portrays the brutal world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a viking warrior who dreams of exploring distant lands. Here, Gustaf Skarsgård plays Floki, the eccentric trickster who happens to be Ragnar's closest friend.
Although Gustaf hasn't had the opportunity to show his talent as much as Alexander and Bill, his work in Vikings proves that he is as much of a force to be reckoned with. In many ways, his terrific portrayal of Floki is the heart of the show.
Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman in 'True Blood' (2008-2014)
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One of the most successful vampire shows to ever air on TV, True Blood is the story of a telepathic waitress who's thrown into a mysterious supernatural world when she meets a vampire from Southern Louisiana. Alexander Skarsgård plays Eric Northman, a calculating but loyal thousand-year-old vampire.
True Blood was one of the definitive breakout roles of the oldest Skarsgård sibling. Charming and measured, his performance as Northman paved the way for what might just be his best work to date...
Bill Skarsgård as Willard in 'The Devil All the Time' (2020)
One of the younger Skarsgårds is Bill, who played a tormented veteran in Netflix's The Devil All the Time, an ensemble drama about a series of sinister characters revolving around a young man's struggle against evil forces.
As one would expect from such a star-studded cast, this film is full of excellent performances. One of the best, though, is undoubrtedly Skarsgård's. He's not just chilling in The Devil All the Time, he's downright terrifying, masterfully portraying a man utterly consumed by grief.
Bill Skarsgård as Clark Olofsson in 'Clark' (2022)
The Swedish Netflix miniseries Clark tells the real story of Clark Olofsson, Sweden's most infamous gangster. His crimes were what gave origin to the now widely known term "Stockholm Syndrome."
This show is perfect proof that Bill has an insane amount of range and versatility. His absolutely hilarious performance just oozes charisma, elevating an entertaining and creative miniseries into a great one that's stylish, thrilling, and an awful lot of fun.
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in 'Dune' (2021)
Denis Villeneuve's "impossible adaptation" of Frank Herbert's quintessential sci-fi novel was a cultural phenomenon like no other. In this tale about a young man born into a destiny beyond his understanding, Stellan Skarsgård plays the horrifying Vladimir Harkonnen, a deceitful baron with an unquenchable thirst for power.
Partly thanks to Villeneuve's impeccable directing, partly thanks to Hans Zimmer's roaring score, and largely thanks to Stellan's undeniable talent for disappearing into the characters he plays, the Baron is an incredibly intimidating antagonist who's mere presence commands the screen throughout Dune's entire runtime.
Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright in 'Big Little Lies' (2017-2019)
8-time Emmy-winning crime drama Big Little Lies sees the apparently perfect lives of three mothers thrown into a mysterious murder case. For his outstanding performance as the abusive villain Perry Wright, Alexander won a much-deserved Emmy.
This HBO original is a truly powerful tale about the little lies people tell themselves in order to survive, and Skarsgård is the perfect antagonist for such a story. He's profoundly unlikable, yet Alexander fills him with complexity and inner conflict which is astonishing to watch unfold.
Stellan Skarsgård as Jonas Engström in 'Insomnia' (1997)
Stellan is better-known for his Hollywood roles, but he is equally good (if not even better) playing roles in his native Scandinavia. One of his best is in the Norwegian film Insomnia, about a murder investigator who travels to a city with 24 hours of daylight to try and find an elusive killer.
This film is the one that Christopher Nolan's 2002 version is based on, and many people say that it's perhaps superior. Stellan is outstanding in it, flawlessly capturing the slow-burning descent into complete darkness of his character.
Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth in 'The Northman' (2022)
Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Robert Eggers's The Northman is a gritty and unsparing revenge tale about a prince heading to Iceland to retrieve what was stolen from him: A mother and a kingdom.
The movie itself is absolutely brutal, and Alexander's work in the lead role is just as well. What would be easy to dismiss as a simplistic shout-y performance is actually one full of complexity, conflict, grief, and pain. By the time the credits roll, one feels fully connected with the character of Amleth, and that's mainly thanks to Skarsgård.
Stellan Skarsgård as Jan Nyman in 'Breaking the Waves' (1996)
Stellan is a common collaborator of controversial director Lars von Trier, and the best performance that the Danish filmmaker has gotten out of Skarsgård is definitely the one in Breaking the Waves, where he plays an oil-rig worker who's paralyzed and urges his wife to take another lover and tell him the details.
Emily Watson is so great as the co-lead that she was nominated for an Oscar, but Stellan more than keeps up with her performance. His work here is poignant bordering on heartbreaking, portraying a man in love in a way that feels absolutely genuine.
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in 'It' (2017) and 'It Chapter Two' (2019)
2017's It is undebatably one of the greatest Stephen King movie adaptations ever. Chapter Two may not be as strong, but there is something consistently staggering about both: Bill Skarsgård's performance as Pennywise, a child-eating monster who takes the shape of a frightening killer clown.
Bill's take on the character of Pennywise is the definition of terrifying. He's transfixing in the role, a true force of nature bound to send shivers down any viewer's spine. Bill may not yet have the vast trajectory of Alexander or Stellan, but he for sure delivered the most memorable performance any Skarsgård has thus far given.