Image Credit: BEN WATTS FOR EWTrue Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard made the cut on our Summer Must List thanks to his devilishly delicious performance as uber-sexy vampire sheriff Eric (it also helped that Skarsgard handles the nude scenes on Blood with, uh, aplomb). Skarsgard talked to EW about acting in the buff, his storyline this season, and his opinion (or lack thereof) on Twilight.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What’s going on with Eric this season?
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD: I think it’s about vengeance. You find out pretty early on in the season that something happened centuries ago that Eric’s been carrying inside and suddenly he gets an opportunity to avenge someone. That’s kind of his arc during the season. This comes off something he’s been carrying, something we didn’t know before.
We get to see flashbacks to your family right?
There are a couple of flashbacks. That was a lot of fun. They built this amazing Viking long house. It’s huge. It looked great, and we were there for two days and shot all in Swedish.
Why do you think the show’s popular?
It’s very entertaining. It’s sexy, funny, smart. I think what makes it popular is it’s not too lightweight. You believe in the characters even though some of them are thousands of years old. You can also draw parallels to our society, which makes it quite updated.
What do you think of Twilight?
I’ve never seen it. I’m not very well educated in that.
Are the sex scenes uncomfortable to shoot?
I’m not uncomfortable at all. I’ve been naked in movies before. To me it’s not a big deal. If it’s justified in the script, I don’t care.
anytime he feels justified to be naked, i’m ok with it!!
plus, even though I’m a Bill fan (from the books), I do love Eric, and he does a fab job at playing him (minus the no long hair, but still, great awesome job!)
great actor, he takes it seriously, and he’s believable, unlike anna paquin who seems to be out of it the past three episodes, she’s like a ghost of what she really can do as an actress
Agreed. Man looks good naked. But then he also looks so good in the right clothes.
Ewwww the actor who plays Bill looks old and ugly. I think he does a good job of playing Bill but he;s definitely not attractive. I think Anna could do so much better in real life, to be honest. She’s so young and pretty. And in the show I think she’s been “out of it” because she’s probably unhappy with the poor writing we’ve been seeing this season.
A whole flashback in Swedish? Are they TRYING to kill me? *swoon*
He’s on MY Summer Must List. I must see him shirtless again…like, now.
The things I would do to this fine specimen of man.
Mmmmm MMMM mmmmmm. I agree. If only ALL men looked as good as him, right?
Tim, you forgot to tag his popwatch post with the very important “Skarsgaard Your Loins” catagory! I can’t believe I have to wait till next Sunday to see True Blood!
ME LOINS are burning for Skarsgard!
I am from Iceland, so I know some things about Alexander-like people who are used to cold temperatures. Luckily, I also know Moanie, a warm-blooded woman from the States who has chosen to give her blood and life to Alexander’s character Eric on “True Blood.” Moanie doesn’t mind the idea of being a vampire if it means eternity with Alexander. She loves him so much that she pronounces the two dots over the “a” in his name. I have never seen her react to a Swedish person or fish quite like she’s been taken by him. In some ways, I fear for her safety because she’s recklessly in love — she will literally do anything, including vacation in Mexico City, in order to win Alexander over. I wish Moanie the best, of course, and I hope to be able to arrange some sort of Swedish excursion for her in the near future so she can fulfill a dream she has had for weeks now, since she first encountered “True Blood.” If this were an “American Idol”-like contestant, I’m sure Moanie would win. America and the world would just fall in love with the love she has for this vamp. She’s smitten.
Very strange, Bjork’s SwanDress!
Thanks, Cristi! Ever since I appeared on the Oscars, I’ve been getting comments and looks just like that. It feels great!
Nothing against Alex, but how many times do we have to hear and read the same thing over and over? I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s wearing thin for me. Don’t you have something more interesting than Alex’s nude scenes, they’re old already.
I agree. The same soundbite over and over again is getting a bit old. To be fair though, it’s really the interviewer’s fault as opposed to Alex’s. More original questions please!
This ISN’T AN ORIGINAL interview. These are just cut and pasted tidbits of interviews past. He’s already said teh exact same things word for word several months ago in other interviews. HOW LAZY!!!! Must be easy to work at EW and make money doing nothing.
How is he gonna be on the Summer must list with a shirt on?
ITA. Please no more clothes.
He’s talented, funny, handsome, and kind. I love Alexander Skarsgård!
Im still on Team Bill but Eric is kicking some a** this season. So I might be changing teams soon.
Bill looks like he’s 55 years old. And have you ever looked at his hands? They are soooooo VEINY because of his thin skin and his age. The tops of his hands are covered in huge bulging veins (and not the good kind like on muscular arms or on a *cough*). Nope, these are huge veins like you’d find on an elderly person’s hands. EEEEEK!
Hopefully you’ll be dead before YOUR hands get all veiny. Wouldn’t want you walking around looking all veiny-handed. Good luck with that.
Why not just love them both. I do.
Mr. Skarsgard is on virtually every list I have.
I agree with Rica – I’ll watch ANYTHING that has even a second of Alexander Skarsgård in it!
Skarsgard…the man who made my GF reconsider blondes. (I’ve got my eye on you pal!)
I’ve ALWAYS loved blondes. I think blonde men are THE HOTTEST of all men!
Sorry to dissapoint, but ASkars ISN’T blonde. He has light BROWN hair and he colors it blonde because it looks so good on him. When all the fans started to complain that he looked TERRIBLE with darker hair (his natural light brown) then he went back to coloring it to appease his fans. But that beautiful beach boy blonde shade we love on him isn’t his natural color.
Who the heck cares whether he’s a fake blonde? And I beg to differ. Alex’s hair is like most semi blondes… it lightens in the sun. It isnt that he doesnt look HOT in darker hair too, but most of those complaints were because the “character” Eric has blonde hair.
HAHHAAa funny thats what my boyfriend says everything sunday night! Gosh Alexander Skarsgard…. wow i’d tap that even if my bf is next to me lol
He seems like a nice enough guy in interviews, but quite frankly he does nothing for me in the looks department. As for Eric…I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. I’d take ‘Alcide’ or ‘Bill’ over him any day
Alcide is so muscular and sexy! He seems like much more of a man than Bill or even Eric. But Alcide’s nose is just awful. It looks like a huge beak and it’s crooked. He’d be a “9″ if it wasn’t for that fugly nose. His body is to die for!
I agree with you..l Alcide looks good front, back, right side, left side. Heck, put him upside down and still looks hot! I wouldnt mind turning into a wolf for him! LOL
And you can keep them.. Alcide is just OK, Bill is just old.
On the list? He IS the list.
This!
Amazing actor, and he portrays one of the best vampires ever created!