Alexander Skarsgårdfans are eagerly awaiting his starring role in the upcomingRobert Eggersfilm,The Northman, about a Viking prince who avenges his father’s murder. It’s just one of a very few departures Skarsgård makes from his usual casting as stone-cold villains, which, admittedly, he has perfected. He has been lauded for these performances: from the inhumane commanding officer, Sergeant Deeks, that goes rogue during a tour in Afghanistan inThe Kill Team, to his stint asNicole Kidman’sabusive partner, Perry Wright, in the HBO series,Big Little Lies, and, of course, let’s not forget his portrayal as a literal embodiment of evil, the demonic Randall Flagg, in CBS’s adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Stand.
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However, unlike the aforementioned roles, Skarsgård has commanded some equally powerful and memorable characters in films who are much more moral, just, and decent human beings. Here are some examples in which Alexander Skarsgård plays the good guy.
‘What Maisie Knew’ (2012)
The 2012/2013 premiere season was a busy one for Skarsgård, with the release of four major films in which he featured and starred, those being: the oft-forgotten Hasbro game adaptation ofBattleship, the modern-world social conundrum dramas/thrillers,Disconnect(2012),andThe East(2013), and the family drama,What Maisie Knew.
In theScott McGehee and David Siegel-directed film, based onHenry James’novel of the same name,What Maisie Knewtells the story of little protagonist and heroine,Maisie (played endearingly byOnata Aprile), who gets lost in the shuffle of her parents, Susanna (Julianne Moore) and Beale’s (Steve Coogan) separation. As changes in living circumstances see Maisie shifting to and from her mother’s to her father’s homes, she becomes neglected by her parents, with their self-serving interests, and finds solace in the company of their new partners, Lincoln (Skarsgård) and Margo (Joanna Vanderham).
As Lincoln, Skarsgård is a charming, playful, and doting parental figure in Maisie’s life, and he shields her from the chaos that Susanna presents with her rock star lifestyle. Like Maisie, Lincoln gets left behind, and he is drawn and compelled to care for the child. When Margo is placed in a similar situation with Beale, she also protects Maisie from being left behind by her father. Lincoln and Margo are in turn brought together and become the nurturing parents that Maisie has been deprived of with her biological parents.
‘Hidden’ (2015)
In this dystopian film directed byStranger Thingscreators,the Duffer brothers, Skarsgård again plays a protective and playful father, Ray, who remains unfailingly optimistic while he, his wife, Claire (Andrea Riseborough), and daughter, Zoe (Emily Alyn Lind) hide inside a bomb shelter, away from the plague outside.
As Ray, Skarsgård keeps spirits high for his family, especially his daughter, and is holding out for a return to normalcy. When an accidental fire in the shelter causes the outside world and “the Breathers” from above to close in on their haven, Ray prioritizes helping his family escape through an air duct, the only narrow exit left, even though it is too small for his own escape. His tightly-held but fragile safety is sacrificed to keep his family out of harm’s way and alive. Skarsgård’s character goes to extreme lengths, such as deliberately breaking his shoulder to fit through the duct, to be with his family outside, and help them evade danger. He is the quintessential family man placed in extraordinary circumstances.
‘The Legend of Tarzan’ (2016)
Skarsgård takes on the title role as “King of the Jungle” in thisDavid Yatesadaptation ofThe Legend of Tarzan.Having left the jungles of Africa to live in his parents’ home of England with his new wife, Jane Clayton (Margot Robbie), John Clayton/Tarzan is asked to return to Africa as a parliamentary guest of Belgian King Leopold to see the social developments he has made around the continent. Despite not wanting to go initially, he is convinced by both his wife and American, George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson) to investigate and see if the King has, in fact, made these strides on the backs of slaves. The trio then finds themselves at the hands of the King’s envoy, Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), who has a murderous plot in store for them and the locals.
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Skarsgård made a significant physical transformation for this role, comparable but perhaps less grueling than hisNorthmanpreparation. He portrays a man whose heart belongs to his newfound love, Jane, but also the jungles of Africa. Tarzan endures adversity to ensure both the safety of his wife and the people and animals of Africa, his kin, to which he is eternally loyal.
‘Mute’ (2018)
Moondirector,Duncan Jones, returns with another stunning sci-fi thriller with the Netflix feature,Mute. Set in a not-so-distant future Berlin, Skarsgård plays a mute bartender at a strip club, Leo Beiler, who is completely enamored with one of the girls working there, Naadirah (Seyneb Saleh). She is his only joy in life and reason for living and is greatly moved by his love for her. When she disappears, Leo must deal with gangsters associated with the owner of the club, Maksim (Gilbert Owuor), as well as their associates, two American surgeons, partners, and veterans, Cactus Bill (Paul Rudd) and his best friend, Duck (Justin Theroux). Leo discovers Naadirah was desperate for money and secretly working as a prostitute, as well as the mother of a daughter, Josie (Mia-Sophie BastinandLea-Marie Bastin). He also comes to realize that Cactus is Josie’s father and that he is the one responsible for Naadirah’s disappearance.
Leo is vengeful, but he is also kind and compassionate. He is a sensitive man who empathizes with the vulnerable, losing his voice himself after a swimming accident as a child. Skarsgård once again plays an affectionate father figure and adoring partner who will do anything to protect the ones he loves.
‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (2021)
The most recent tale of the legendary monsters, Godzilla and Kong, brings the two behemoths together in an epic battle. A squadron of leading Monarch scientists, including Skarsgård as Dr. Nathan Lind andRebecca Hallas Dr. Ilene Andrews, journey to Hollow Earth in search of a power source, unknowingly for Apex Cybernetics CEO, Walter Simmons’s (Demián Bichir) neurologically-controlled “Mechagodzilla”. The team seeks answers about the origins of the Titans and how humans can survive in their presence.
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Skarsgård’s character, Dr. Nathan Lind, is a zealous scientist fascinated by the possibilities of Hollow Earth and what humans can learn about the Titans. He becomes an unwitting pawn of Simmons but remains respectful of the creatures he studies and observes, and wants a peaceful co-existence for the Titans and humanity.Skarsgård described Lind as an “unlikely hero”and he is markedly different from hisNorthmanandTarzan“alpha-male” heroes.
Honorable Mention: ‘Zoolander’ (2001)
It would do this list a great disservice if Skarsgård’s first Hollywood role in the classicBen Stillercomedy,Zoolander,is not mentioned. The film is worth watching for the sudden realization it was Skarsgård’s fresh face making an appearance all along. In it, he plays a “really, really, really ridiculously good-looking” model by the name of Meekus. Meekus is one of three of Derek Zoolander’s (Stiller) model friends he shares an apartment with who ultimately and tragically gets killed in a gas station explosion (note: never light up a cigarette while filling up and spraying your 1967 Ford Bronco with gas, ok?).
Meekus leaves a lasting legacy, even though he wasn’t a particularly shining example of an inherently good person. He and fellow model, Rufus, share these pearls of wisdom before their untimely death: “Models help people. They make them feel good about themselves," and “They also show them how to dress cool, and wear their hair in interesting ways.”
