Stellan Skarsgard had no idea how special it would become.
The role, the movie, and the unexpected awards that followed. But given his first Academy Award nomination after more than 50 years in film, the Swedish actor wears his reputation with the same precision he delivers in every performance.
Skarsgård was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in Joachim Trier’s Norwegian drama Sentimental Value, in which he plays Gustav Borg, a film director and father who overcomes the rupture of family ties, alongside a cast that includes Renate Rheinve, Inga Ybsdotter Lilleas and Elle Fanning. The film was nominated for a total of nine Oscars, making a surprising turnaround after being shut out of Best Actor (formerly SAG) altogether.
“We went from being nominated at the SAG Awards to suddenly getting nine nominations,” Skarsgård said. “That’s better.”
His performance is rooted in what he calls the film’s hallmark: all the things that go unsaid. “So much of this movie is about what’s not on screen, what’s not in the dialogue or the script,” he says. “It’s all atmosphere, all our memories and personalities. Joachim extracts that from us and plays with it.”
He suggests that the nomination is a milestone and something of a surprise for the actor, who made his professional debut as a child actor and has appeared in more than 200 films and television productions, working with directors ranging from Lars von Trier to Denis Villeneuve to Gus Van Sant.
I don’t have any projects scheduled, but that doesn’t mean I’m lazy. He’s still watching, reading and thinking about people – that’s what cinema is all about, he insists.
“For thousands of years, people have been very interested in humans,” he says. “That curiosity will never leave us.”
Read excerpts from his interview below. Edited and condensed for clarity.
Stellan Skarsgård “Sentimental Value”
Courtesy of Everett Collection
You went from being completely shut out of the SAG Awards to being nominated for nine Academy Awards for Sentimental Value. How did you handle that whiplash?
I feel good. It’s better than not being a candidate. We have to be prepared for everything. There is no way to predict these things. It was not considered for the SAG Awards, but suddenly it was nominated in nine categories. That’s better.
This role is said to be one of the best of your career. How did we arrive at something so unique?
I would say it’s one of the best roles of my career – if not the best. It’s not just the role written on the page. It turned out the way it did because Joachim let me do my job to the fullest. He monitors, saves, edits and improves everything. That’s wonderful. I am very lucky to play this role.
In your early days on set, did you feel like something special was happening?
I had no idea how special it was. I had no idea how great the other actors were, and I didn’t know how great the bond we had would be. So much of this movie is about what’s not on screen: what’s not in the dialogue or the script. It’s all about the atmosphere, all the memories and personality. Joachim extracts it from our essence and plays with it.
You grew up watching one movie a week on Swedish TV. Which early films stuck with you and shaped who you became as an actor?
My father always made sure to watch the best movies: old movies, black and white, Italian neorealism, French new wave. One of the movies that really got me into it was Marcel Carné’s L’Elephant Children, or “Children of Paradise.”
The film stars Jean-Louis Barrault as a mime artist in an early 19th century French theater company. He is performing on stage, and at the same time the woman he loves is standing in the wings with another man. He saw it for the first time and understood that she loved someone else. At that moment, the way his face – thick with white makeup – cracked, was amazing to me.
It stands as an image of what you want to achieve. You want to see the cracks in people’s surfaces, and you can do that in movies that you can’t do in other formats.
For many American audiences, Lars von Trier’s films Break the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, and Melancholia were their introduction to your work. What was it like being in that world?
He said to me once, “Stellan, I now know what kind of movie I’m making.” I said, “Right? Lars, what kind of movie are you making?” He said, “I’m making a movie that hasn’t been made yet.” Yes, Mr. Lars. you are doing it.
Every movie is unique and amazing. The first time I worked with him – I had probably made 30 movies at that point, so I thought I knew filmmaking – and here comes this guy and he breaks all the rules. The way he cuts, the framework.
His first five films were beautiful, but icy because they were overthought, and the actor was given no freedom at all. But then he changed. On the set of “Breaking the Waves,” he had signs everywhere that said “Make mistakes.” I could do whatever I wanted.
What he does is release the real life of the actor. Life is always irrational and cannot be planned. And true life appears in irrational and surprising moments.
Are there any similarities between Lars von Trier and Joachim Trier as film directors?
That’s exactly right. When it comes to the most important things, they’re doing the same thing. In other words, it frees you up to let out your emotions and uses them beautifully in your edits.
Lars von Trier is more story-oriented and perhaps less interested in purely psychological surprises. But it’s basically the same thing. They are like two different painters working with different materials and different colors.
“Good Will Hunting” introduced you to a generation of American viewers, including this interviewer. Remember working with Robin Williams and Gus Van Sant?
As for the gas, it was great because it didn’t interfere with the scene. We blocked them during rehearsal, and then he said, “I’m going to put the camera here. Let’s start.” He did the first take and said, “Oh, great. I like it. Let’s do it again.” And he said the exact same thing over 10 takes.
I felt like he really loved it – he just wanted to see more. You will feel more courageous, have new ideas, and want to try new things.
Robin, of course, couldn’t help but improvise and do wild things, so he was having a blast all over the place. His brain was constantly bombarding him with ideas, both funny and dark, like a waterfall. But what Gus ended up with in those 10 takes was incredible material. If he wanted to, he could turn Robin into a very mean man, a very funny man, a very sad man, or anything in between.
What was it like working with Renata Reinsve, Inga and Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value?
Renate is an extraordinary talent. She has the breadth and depth to upset anyone she faces. I was happy to be able to respond to her.
And then there’s Inga, who we’ve never seen before. She’s amazing. Although she does very little, she nevertheless grows into the heart of the film, becoming not only the voice of reason, but also the voice of love.
And Elle is a young woman with a similar background to me, starting out as a child actress. She approached the strange Norwegians and the strange Swedes I was about to work with with an open heart and without any preconceived notions. And she opens up completely and does something very, very difficult.
She plays an actress who is very good but not quite right, which is very difficult. The final scene doesn’t say much. I just looked at her. My heart broke as I looked at her.
What do you think about the current state of film and the growing presence of AI in the industry?
For thousands of years, people have been very interested in people. Portraying people is theater, it’s film, and it’s what we do best.
Movies, even better than television, are able to explain all the unspoken words and unspoken aspects of relationships that are almost impossible to explain but still exist. We are always interested in other people. That curiosity will never leave us.
What form does it take and how is it generated? Perhaps some people are quite satisfied with what the AI can generate, and others are not. But I think the main problem in the film industry today is the concentration of capital. And the concentration of capital is a problem for all industries and for humanity. AI is of no use without the humans supporting it. AI is owned by the tech tycoons behind the powers that be.
There could have been a father-son Oscar-like moment with Alexander on the Pillion circuit this season. What was it like spending time together?
We were actually hoping that Alexander would be nominated for “Pillion.” If we do that, we may be able to be in the same category for the first time. I had a lot of fun with Alexander when we were touring the awards together at the beginning of the season, drinking, joking, and watching movies. It was a great time and I wish Bill had been a part of it.
After 50 years in the film industry, what remains at the core of what you love about it?
I think it’s about creating something together with other people on set. I’m not really a monologue actor. I’m a conversational actor. I take energy from other actors and give energy back to them. I think the most interesting thing is what happens between people.
But I also like the crew. I know exactly what everyone’s different jobs are. I walk around the set, talk to people, and crack jokes. The feeling of having family around me gives me courage.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tunkay, Emily Longeretta and Michael Schneider, who also serves as a producer, is your one-stop destination for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode’s “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talents and creators, discussions and debates about the awards race and industry headlines. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you download your podcasts.
