Washington DC [US], June 26: Actor Alexander Skarsgård has opened up about the emotional struggles he faced during the early years of his Hollywood career. In a candid conversation on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner’s on Me podcast, Skarsgård revealed the personal toll of relentless auditions and self-doubt before his breakout roles in Generation Kill and True Blood in 2008, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I found those experiences — they were horrible,” Skarsgård said, recalling the pressure to attend auditions he knew he wasn’t suited for. “You go in for something you know you’re not right for, and you’re not connecting with the character at all, but you feel like you can’t say no.”
Despite appearing in Zoolander (2001), Skarsgård said he still felt constantly on the edge of being dropped by his agents. “If I say no to this audition, they’re probably gonna drop me… but I don’t connect to the role. I’m completely wrong for it.”
Describing the emotional toll, he admitted to experiencing “a little PTSD” when thinking back on those times. “I remember coming back to my little shitty apartment in L.A., crying in the shower after a day like that. I just felt filthy in my soul… I had zero confidence. I thought, ‘I’m the worst actor in the world.’”
The son of renowned actor Stellan Skarsgård, Alexander began acting at the age of seven, briefly stepping away from it during his teens. After serving in the Swedish Navy, he returned to the screen, landing his first U.S. role in Zoolander.
He later gained acclaim with roles in Melancholia (2011), Battleship (2012), and The Legend of Tarzan (2016). His performance in HBO’s Big Little Lies (2017–2019) as an abusive husband earned him both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe Award.
Skarsgård has since appeared in several films including Long Shot (2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), Passing (2021), The Northman (2022), which he also produced, and Infinity Pool (2023).