Alexander Skarsgård has endured harsh conditions for several months.
Back in December, he recalls, he was on a roll after being nominated for a British Independent Film Award and a Gotham Award for his role in the gay BDSM drama Pillion. He also thought he could successfully launch a “smear campaign” against his famous father, Stellan Skarsgård, who is also in the awards race for the family drama “Sentimental Value.”
“I felt like I could beat that son of a bitch…Life was great,” Alexander said in a hilariously self-deprecating speech at Variety’s cover party at Sundance, hosted by United Airlines. “I was high riding.”
Things got better after that. “I didn’t win a British Independent Film Award. I didn’t win a Gotham Award. I didn’t get any other nominations. My dad just got an Oscar nomination,” Alexander said from the stage, charming the audience with his playful self-deprecation. “That’s when my self-esteem hit rock bottom. I started thinking, if I’m not going to get nominated and I’m not going to win any awards, what’s the point?”
So Skarsgard’s trip to Park City doubled as a much-needed morale booster. The actor, who graced the latest cover of Variety magazine, will be at Sundance with two films in tow: A24’s musical mockumentary The Moment, starring Charlie XCX as a fictionalized version of himself, and the unconventional romantic drama The Wicker, in which he co-stars with Olivia Colman and Peter Dinklage.
“This is great for my ego. I may not get nominated, but I can be on the cover of a magazine,” he said. “Thank you editor. I’m so great. My inflated ego is back!”
Saturday night’s event served as a farewell to Utah, which has hosted Sundance for decades. The festival departs for Boulder, Colorado in 2027.
“This is one of our favorite events of the year,” said Ramin Setoudeh, Variety’s co-president and co-editor-in-chief. “As we all know, Sundance marks the end of an era. This is the last year the festival will be in Park City. It was an honor to be here and hear about some of the great filmmaking voices emerging in the industry.”
