Alexander Skarsgard Says He Was Too Hot To Be Taken Seriously Early In His Career

Alexander Skarsgård recently sat down with The Sunday Times to promote his new Viking movie, The Northman. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old Swede slipped up and committed a classic Hollywood interview sin; he told the Times that he wasn’t taken seriously early on in his career cuz he was too good-looking. How devastating. Maybe Alexander, Charlize Theron, Jessica Biel, and Rob Lowe should start some sort of support group for the pretty-persecuted?

via IndieWire:

“I don’t really know if that was the reason I wasn’t getting roles,” the “Big Little Lies” star said. “Starting out in Sweden, there was stuff about being tall and blond. But most people here are tall and blond.”

Skarsgård continued, “Still, after my first job, I was on a stupid ‘sexy hunky hot list’ and then people didn’t take me seriously. If you want characters with depth but have been labeled ‘a dude who takes his shirt off,’ you’re not going to get those offers.”

Skarsgård has been named Sweden’s Sexiest Man Alive five times…and counting. And heavy wore that crown: “I was questioning why I was in the industry,” he said of the “trivial” roles being offered at the time.

I feel for Alexander. Imagine arriving in Hollywood and only getting offered roles that require you to stand there and look hot? Sure, they pay great and you’re treated like a golden god, but you’re the son of acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård. You need to prove that you’re as talented as daddy!

Things changed for Alexander in 2008, when he was starred in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill and blew up as Eric Northman on True Blood. And obviously, Alexander was cast as Eric because he’s a very serious thespian. It had nothing to do with him being a chiseled blonde sexpot who stands at 6′ 4″. In fact, the original casting breakdown for Eric described the character as “Paul Giamatti meets Danny DeVito,” but producers changed their minds after Alexander’s mind-blowing audition. And that, my dear uglies, is the power of acting.

Pic: INSTAR