Alexander SkarsgÄrd - AnOther Magazine Spr/Smr 2026. anothermagazine Ig (x) Thanks alexanderskarsgard_archive Ig
"In Pillion â the tender, offbeat kink romance directed by Harry Lighton â Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd plays a leather-clad biker defined less by force than restraint, a man of few words and firm rules.
But in conversation with Jack Sunnucks for AnOther Magazineâs 25th anniversary issue, SkarsgĂ„rd proves wry, playful and relaxed. Best known for bringing a cool, slow-burn menace to roles from True Blood to Big Little Lies and The Northman, here he talks control, vulnerability and Pillionâs big pierced-penis moment. Read the full interview at the link in bio. [Link (x)]
[More photos below keep reading]
Photography @alasdairmclellan
Styling @alistermackie#AlexanderSkarsgard in conversation with @jacksunnucks
Editor-in-chief @susannahfrankelÂ
Art direction @sj_todd_Â
Casting @gkldprojects
Hair @anthonyturnerhair
Make-up @melarter
Set design @andyhillmanstudioÂ
Set build deancoombs
Processing @bayeux_ltd
Production @partner.films
Producer @fernandadugdale
Production coordinator starsantoshannan
Post-production #OutputÂ
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Alexander SkarsgÄrd on sex scenes, career and the daring love film "Pillion"
MovieZine met Alexander SkarsgÄrd at the Stockholm Film Festival, where he will soon receive an award and present a kinky love film.
Alexander Kardelo Published: 12.11.2025 15:07
Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd is in the news with a new film â one that is already his most talked about in a long time.
In "Pillion" he takes on the role of a hunky and quiet biker, who takes young Colin (Harry Melling) under his wing - as lover slash sex slave. Ray is part of a liberated community of leather gays and the shy, lovesick newcomer gets to experience an exciting and forbidden new world. The film has made headlines for its daring sex scenes, and there are more to come before the Swedish cinema premiere this winter.
The audience at the Stockholm Film Festival was the first in Sweden to see the hot comedy-drama âPillion.â Tonight, Alex will appear at Bio Skandia to accept the Stockholm Achievement Award. Before that, he met with a small group of journalists during a press conference in the Old Town⊠for a casual conversation about blowjobs, BDSM sex, and a role he is clearly very proud of.
But I also took the opportunity to ask SkarsgÄrd about the highlights of his career and which roles have been particularly significant so far.
â âZoolanderâ was a milestone in a way, my first job abroad. But âGeneration Killâ was my first major job in the US. At that time I wasnât getting much work, neither in Sweden nor over there. I jumped into small roles but couldnât make a living from it. When I got âGeneration Killâ I was in shock. I was sure I would be replaced.
â After that came âTrue Bloodâ and that became my life for seven years. It was also a big milestone, Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd tells MovieZine.
Read more from the press conference below.
The world premiere in Cannes seemed to be a special experience for everyone present. What was it like showing âPillionâ there?
â It was incredibly big to show it there. We had no idea how the film would be received, because it is quite extreme in some ways but also intimate and funny, I thought when I read the script. It was our first screening in front of an audience and you never know how something will land. I was completely overwhelmed afterwards. We had the GBMCC guys (Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club) there who had driven down from England themselves. The contrast in Cannes, people in tuxedos among people in pup masks and harnesses⊠it was an incomparable evening.
When the project came to you â a romantic film about a subâdom relationship in a biker environment â ââwhat made you say yes?
â I had no idea what it would be like in terms of tone. Harry Lighton had never made a feature film before and I hadn't seen his shorts. I got the logline through the agents and was curious. I thought: okay, a kinky gay biker filmâŠÂ I have no idea what this is. When I started reading I was surprised by how tender it was. It was a wonderful read, very original. It's unusual to read something that feels new.
The first day of filming was the wrestling scene with Harry Melling. What was that meeting like?
â We had almost no time to rehearse. I came straight from âMurderbotâ in Toronto to Bromley two days before filming. Itâs a scene that had to be rehearsed, there are a lot of moments. We hadnât spoken before, but it was clear in the script what the relationship was. There was something nice about just seeing each other, shaking hands, wrestling a little and starting to film. The dynamic is a lot about Colin trying to understand whatâs okay and whatâs not. It was fun to explore in front of the camera instead of analyzing everything in advance.
[Harry Melling is Alexander SkarsgÄrd's puppy-eyed bitch in the queer film "Pillion".]
The film contains several explicit scenes. How did the collaboration with intimacy coordinator Robbie Taylor Hunt work?
â He was fantastic. All the sex scenes, from the first blowjob in an alley to a forest orgy, were interesting because they tell us something about the development of the characters. I often find sex scenes boring in film, because it's the build-up that's interesting. Here we talked a lot about what each scene means and how best to tell it. How long you stay in the scene, how close the camera should be.
âWe didnât want to shock just for the sake of shock value, nor did we want to do the more modest version where you pan up into the treetops. Robbie was very creative and discussed with the photographer and director how to find the right balance. It was inspiring and fun.â
How do you think the film will be received, both within the subculture and by the wider audience?
â I can't answer that, but I hope you feel the love in the script. It's done with respect but not with too much respect. Sometimes when you're talking about a subculture you don't dare show the awkward and a little ugly. Here it feels like real characters. Basically it's a nice story. I wouldn't say a classic coming-of-age, but in a way it's about Colin's first love and his journey to understand what he wants from a relationship. I think everyone can relate to that.
You've made a lot of unexpected casting choices and not a lot of big franchise movies. No Marvel. How do you reason when choosing projects?
â I reason as little as possible. It's very intuitive. I go by my gut feeling. After many years without options, I try to enjoy being able to take on projects that I really love. "Pillion" was a small film by a first-time director but the script was incredible. I had a Zoom meeting with Harry and immediately gained trust in him. The combination of his vision and that script made the decision easy.
Ray is almost like a Marvel character anyway.
â Yes, this is my version of a Marvel hero. Exactly. (laughter)
You are also the executive producer of âPillion.â What attracted you to tell this story? But also: what is the appeal of playing a character like Ray?
â The film was not financed when I read the script. I was so passionate and wanted to do whatever I could to make it happen. It is difficult to raise money for small independent films. Ray is also very enigmatic. When I read, I was waiting for a twist where you learn more about him, but it never comes. It was liberating and felt confident. The challenge was to find something that swings beneath the surface even though he seems completely collected.
You've played powerful men before, like Perry in âBig Little Lies.â How is Ray different from them?
â The film is based on the novel âBox Hillâ, but there is more of an assault in the beginning and we didnât want to tell that. We wanted the rules to be clear. In the first meeting in the alley, we did a take where Ray was more dominant and Colin more hands-on, but we quickly felt that the audience should leave the scene with Colin smiling a little. That he is proud and maybe hoping for another date.
â We definitely didn't want this to go into something that could be compared to Perry in "Big Little Lies". This is not that story and it wasn't the relationship we wanted.
You turn 50 next year and tonight you will receive an Achievement Award. How do you feel about aging in the acting profession?
â I'm having a lot of fun right now and getting interesting opportunities. I've probably never had as much fun as I have in recent years. It's a bit like I feel freer now. I care less about what people think, I just try to have fun and challenge myself. I also think I get more interesting roles now than when I was 25 or 30, and that's a huge luxury.
â I don't really see this as a "lifetime achievement award" yet, I hope I have a little left to give. And if you look at the old man... he still seems to be doing pretty well, even though he's 98. So there's hope.
How does it feel to receive an award on home soil?
â It feels great. I've been to so many festivals around the world, but never really been here at home. I think it's fantastic that Stockholm has a real film festival with a program like this. I was impressed when I saw the program. It feels really great to be a part of it â and to also receive the award here at home, it means a lot.
"Pillion" is currently screening at the Stockholm Film Festival. The film will be released nationwide on February 13, 2026.
Alexander SkarsgÄrd - AnOther Magazine Spr/Smr 2026. anothermagazine Ig (x) Thanks alexanderskarsgard_archive Ig
"For Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd, acting is a family business. Itâs not the first time a SkarsgĂ„rd has appeared on our cover â his brother Bill did so for Autumn/Winter 2024, apt for our Kinship issue.
His father Stellan recently dubbed himself a ânepo daddyâ, with six of his eight children in the industry â though SkarsgĂ„rd the younger says their Stockholm lives rarely sync up.
Festival season changed that. Touring Pillion alongside his fatherâs new film, Sentimental Value meant rare time together â âa real treat,â he says. Home, these days, pulls stronger too: being closer to his nieces and nephews makes time away feel different â âmy roots started to attach themselves again to the soil where I was born and raised.â Read the interview at the link in bio. [Link (x)]
Photography @alasdairmclellan
Styling @alistermackie
Video editing @alexandrospissourios
Colourist @jamienoble_colour
Music and sound design @studio.blomberg.sundin
#AlexanderSkarsgard in conversation with @jacksunnucks
Editor-in-chief @susannahfrankel
Art direction @sj_todd_
Casting @gkldprojects
Hair @anthonyturnerhair
Make-up @melarter
Set design @andyhillmanstudio
Set build deancoombs
Production @partner.films
Producer @fernandadugdale
Production coordinator starsantoshannan
Post-production @inkretouch
Post-production management @tomas_.kat
The 50th issue, marking 25 years of AnOther Magazine, is on sale from Thursday, 12 March"
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[Alex is wearing shirt in cotton twill and tie in silk satin by SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO. Stylistâs own brooch in silver with diamonds]
Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd on Pillion: âIt Was Exhilaratingâ
Photographed by Alasdair McLellan and styled by Alister Mackie, SkarsgÄrd tells Jack Sunnucks about his role in Pillion as a brooding, gay, leather-clad biker in a relationship with an eager submissive
February 21, 2026
Photography Alasdair McLellan Styling Alister Mackie Text Jack Sunnucks [Thanks alexanderskarsgard_archive Ig]
This story is taken from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of AnOther Magazine:Â
I am waiting for Alexander SkarsgÄrd in the tearoom of a London hotel. Under normal circumstances and given his celebrity, the Swedish actor and I would be in a hushed corner or private room.
Instead we are sitting in the middle of a glittering lounge, beside a golden Christmas tree surrounded by a miniature train. Our armchairs are also gold, and very small. As is the tiny British finger food that the management insists we order. SkarsgĂ„rd, who is not small in stature or fame, is grinning wolfishly at me as I try to fend off the attentive waiters, who for some reason, perhaps because of the Hollywood actor in their midst, want to bring us specially brewed herbal tea in, once again, miniature cups. Just when it has been agreed that we can have two black coffees rather than five courses of picnic food, bite-size sausage rolls appear. SkarsgĂ„rd takes one in his elegant hand and eats it whole. Weâll have the sandwich flight, he tells the waiter. Itâll be a competition to see who can get to the middle first. As the mise en scĂšne in which I find myself becomes more improbable I become redder than I have ever been, the colour pulsing hotly up my neck. And thus we settle in to discuss Pillion, the film in which he plays a brooding, gay, leather-clad biker in a relationship with an eager submissive.
Brooding is an apt word for the roles that have made SkarsgĂ„rd famous over the course of his four-decade career. With the exception of 2001âs Zoolander, in which he plays a dim-witted model, he brings a subtle intensity and sense of unspoken threat to his work. He caught the popular imagination as Eric Northman in the TV series True Blood, which brought vampires, gore and graphic sex to the small screen. In Lars von Trierâs Melancholia he is jilted on his wedding day almost immediately before the end of the world. The Legend of Tarzan, which starred Margot Robbie alongside his newly bulked-up physique, and Godzilla vs Kong, which rejuvenated the cryptid genre, made him a rare action star outside the various superhero universes. It was HBOâs Big Little Lies, however, that took his stardom to the level reserved for those both very good at acting and very good at being an actor (a complicated combination). Playing Nicole Kidmanâs abusive husband, he expressed both vulnerability and an ever-present menace to millions. Since then his status has been cemented with work including Robert Eggersâs The Northman (naked Norse menace, once again with Kidman) and Succession (menacing tech lord).Â
Pillion is SkarsgĂ„rd at his very best. In the opening moments of the film, shy Colin, played by Harry Melling, locks eyes with SkarsgĂ„rdâs Ray in a pub. Colin is in an a cappella group and being set up on dates by his dying mum â Ray is in full leather, lives alone and is in a bike gang. He promptly lures the Bromley naif down an alley for oral sex before they enter a sub-dom relationship in which Colin cooks him dinner and cleans in exchange for sessions spent wrestling in singlets and some light penetration.Â
[Alexander is wearing a shirt in leather by GIVENCHY BY SARAH BURTON Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
In the context of kink, SkarsgĂ„rdâs ominous undercurrent is subdued â everything happens within the rules of the sub-dom relationship and the only actual pain caused, some titty twisting aside, is to Colinâs heart, as he longs for something beyond role play. The film is at times heartbreaking, moving beyond the sexually charged source material to something transcendental. Why do we love? Why do we die? Why canât we settle down with the nice gay man in a Kylie T-shirt that our mum set us up with on her deathbed instead of getting pissed on in a dingley dell surrounded by mohawked bikers? Somehow the director Harry Lightonâs film makes the highly specific feel universal.Â
When we meet, SkarsgĂ„rd has been promoting the film worldwide in a selection of leather get-ups on the red carpet. Also on a press tour, for Joachim Trierâs new film, Sentimental Value, is his father, Stellan, who has credited his children, six of whom act (the other two are a doctor and casting agent), with turning him into a ânepo daddyâ. In Stockholm, where Alexander and Stellan both now live, they usually miss each other, so SkarsgĂ„rd the younger has been enjoying some family time with his father. Just as we finally make our way through the last tiny cake, none other than Nicholas Galitzine, in heroic shape to play the new He-Man, bounds up, claps me manfully on the shoulder to apologise for interrupting and announces heâs been filming in Western Australia with SkarsgĂ„rdâs younger brother Bill. The pianist strikes up Adele at one point. Itâs very romantic and SkarsgĂ„rd is highly amused by my awkwardness at the situation, going so far as to mime a proposal. We converse and I work up the courage to ask about Pillionâs big pierced-penis moment, among other things ...Â
[Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Denim jacket in cotton from THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM. Necklace in silver, bronze and gold with tigerâs-eyes, ocean jaspers, onyx, garnets, ametrines, sunstones and tourmalines by GABRIELLE GREISS Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
JACK SUNNUCKS:Â Weâre in this beautiful setting.
ALEXANDER SKARSGĂ RD:Â The perfect contrast.
JS:Â Often when I see gay films, theyâre really, really sad. This was heartbreaking but outside the genre of âgay man knows love for two days and then spends the rest of his life lonely and sexless looking out of a window in Maineâ. This was very different, in that, for me, it had a happy ending. What did you like about the script when you first got it?
AS:Â Tonally, it really stood out. It felt unique and I agree with what you just said. [More food arrives.] We need an extra table. Itâs going to be a lot of food.Â
Often the sub-dom or kink subcultures are depicted in a very dark, scary way. Cruising [William Friedkinâs 1980 crime thriller, starring Al Pacino as an undercover cop tracking down a serial killer] is a good example, where itâs like this dangerous underbelly of society. Like youâre supposed to be intimidated. What I loved about this film was that it wasnât that, but it also didnât dip into the sentimentality of the violins playing, a new love for a second and now Iâm sad, staring out the window. It felt irreverent and fun and charming and I really cared about these guys, this couple. Itâs so rare to read something wholly original where Iâm like, âI havenât seen this depiction of any subculture before.â I thought Harry [Lighton] had beautifully approached this subject matter with curiosity and respect, but not too much respect, because if you do it with too much respect itâs a veneer, itâs a Disneyfied version â âLook how great they are.â I love that he wanted to show this world, let it be awkward and stumbly and weird and funny at times.
JS:Â Itâs also so graphic that itâs not sexy. Cruising is a sexy movie, and Pillion, for me, had its moments but it reminded me of the real-life leather people that Iâve seen, and biker people, and itâs usually quite normal-shaped people. They just happened to be wearing a dog collar and be crawling around on all fours.
WAITER ONE:Â Sorry to interrupt. This is a little welcome drink from us. Itâs a very Christmassy blend, berries and cinnamon spice.
AS:Â Thank you. Harry was interested in the contrast between the outlandish aspects of it compared to mainstream society and how extreme it would be in other peopleâs eyes and letting these scenes be intense and sexy, but also contrasting them with mundane activities. He tells this story of how, the first time he was out with GBMCC guys [the bikers in the film were cast from the Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club, Europeâs largest LGBT+ motorcycling club], he was struck by how, quote-unquote, normal they were.Â
JS:Â The camping [Colin and Ray go camping in the film].Â
AS:Â Yeah, the camping. And they stopped at a pub for an orange juice as they were driving to this meet, and they were talking about how foxes were encroaching on the suburbs of London â it was such a mundane conversation. I think he wanted to, if not capture that specific conversation, get the essence of that into the movie, where it doesnât have to be extreme. You can go from an orgy in the woods to Sunday roast with the parents.
WAITER TWO:Â Hello. Iâve spoken to my manager. If you want to just have something isolated, we can do Ă la carte for you.
JS:Â Thatâs really kind. Often thereâs so much threat in the eyes of your characters. And a placid exterior. Iâm thinking of Big Little Lies. The Northman is generally quite out-there violent. Was there any backstory prepared for Ray or was it, âIâm coming in and Iâm just not going to say anythingâ?
AS: Well, I knew that I didnât want the character to be âŠ
[Denim jacket from THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM. Jeans by POLO RALPH LAUREN. Necklace by GABRIELLE GREISS. And a first edition The Summer Book by Tove Jansson from PETER HARRINGTON Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Apron in cotton gabardine, jacket in leather, jumper in wool and scarf in silk by MIU MIU Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
WAITER TWO:Â Do you want champagne as well?
AS:Â Iâm good, thank you so much. It was important that I didnât want him to be chatty, obviously. I wanted the communication between him and Colin to be the bare minimum, at least initially. Itâs basically giving orders and then you can soften it a bit. In the beginning, itâs also a reading of Colin, because heâs a novice. This is his first submissive endeavour. Iâm giving an order and seeing if he is down to play this game. And then trying to shape Colin, in a way. In terms of backstory, I love that Ray is very enigmatic and that he maintains those enigmatic qualities throughout the movie. Colin never finds out anything revelatory about Ray in a big climactic moment. I think there are screenwriting tropes you could easily fall into.Â
JS:Â I was waiting for a violent act, a revelation.Â
AS:Â In a way, I was too. The first time I read it, I had no idea who Harry [Lighton] was. I didnât know who had written the screenplay. I was just reading and feeling so invested in this relationship and these characters, and slightly nervous because many versions of this script would have had that big climax â âWe need a big clash between the two.â I was so relieved that didnât happen, that [Lighton] maintained that enigmatic quality throughout.
JS:Â The confrontation between Ray and [Colinâs mum] Peggy is very British, and for me it was very violent. It was the only real act of violence in the film. She says to Ray, âI think youâre a cunt.â And because the film had been so restrained until then, in that moment I could hardly breathe.
AS:Â Itâs intense. I loved shooting that scene because I could see both points of view. It wasnât like, âOh, sheâs bigoted.â
JS:Â No, we see her efforts to find her son a partner.
AS:Â Very much so. Sheâs just a loving mother who is concerned about his wellbeing, his happiness. And sheâs not wrong. Heâs not completely happy at that moment. But I also love that Ray is not, to me, the villain either. Heâs very upfront about what type of relationship he wants. Heâs very upfront about the fact that he doesnât think going to dinner with the in-laws is a good idea. Colin kind of pushes him into that by playing the âmy mum is sickâ card. So Ray is like, âAll right, Iâll go, but Iâm going to be who I am. And if sheâs not happy about that, thatâs her issue.â
JS: Itâs a film about control. Colinâs mother is dying and I imagine he wants to be in control of just one thing â or to be controlled. When everythingâs going to shit ⊠[The hotel pianist starts playing Adele.] This is very romantic.Â
AS:Â [Mimes proposing.] Hereâs a ring.Â
JS:Â Itâs one thing in Colinâs life that has very clear parameters and rules, whereas real life doesnât. Real life is really tragic.
AS: I think Ray, in the first scene in the bar, can sense that from across the room â that heâs potentially quite an interesting prospect. Theyâve never spoken, but the way Ray approaches, gives that look, puts the coins on the counter ⊠He can smell that Colin is a little lost and that this type of relationship might appeal.
[Shirt in cotton twill and tie in silk satin by SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO. Stylistâs own brooch in silver with diamonds Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
JS: I have to ask about all the sex. Well, not all the sex because thereâs actually not that much. But in the wrestling scenes, for example, the humour is so inherent when often people take their kink communities very seriously. So I wondered what that atmosphere was like on set. Was there laughter or ⊠[The actor Nicholas Galitzine comes over to talk about filming with Bill SkarsgĂ„rd and how much he wants to visit the family compound.]Â
AS:Â Sorry about that.Â
JS:Â The sex.Â
AS:Â The sex. Was it funny? Well, I think it is quite a funny sequence, but obviously the key to shooting a sequence like that is to do it seriously. Ray is not laughing about it. It would have taken away from the scene if Ray was giggling about it. No, this is real.
JS:Â Well, the threat of violence means that, through the whole film, youâre wondering whether thereâs going to be some actual karate chopping, and there isnât because itâs all regulated and within these rules.
AS: Especially the scene in the back alley, because itâs obviously the first time for Ray and Colin â it was important to get that tonally in the right place because we wanted it to be very clear what the dynamic was, the sub-dom relationship. And that Ray is incredibly private, doesnât introduce himself until after the act. But itâs important to feel, to share, Colinâs excitement about this. And when we did the first take I was a bit more forceful, I think â not manhandling him, but I spoke even less and showed physically what I wanted him to do. And the blow job was a bit more like ⊠[He looks around.] Itâs strange with kids sitting around here ⊠but he was gagging a bit more and I was holding his hair. It was quite interesting because, after that, we got together and all felt that, no, it got too dark. Itâs important to come away from that scene the way it is in the edit now, with a slight smile on Colinâs face.
âItâs great that weâre living in a time when more people feel comfortable shouting out what their sexual preferences areâ â Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd
JS:Â It was kind of sweet in the end.Â
AS:Â Itâs kind of intense. And he hasnât experienced anything like that. I donât think it was scary for him, but it was definitely, âWhoa, Iâm in this back alley with a stranger, whatâs happening? Iâm being dominated.â But you want him to come home and feel, when he sits down and touches the wet stain on his knee, a level of excitement and a thrill. I think itâs important in that moment for the audience to be like, âI hope there can be a second date because this could potentially be interesting.â Rather than, âFucking call 911, thereâs a predator on the loose.â
JS:Â Most peopleâs parents would like them to be with someone, anyone really, who is kind of solid. I can feel Colin is like, âIâm with this really handsome man who wants to be with me. Leave me alone.â
AS:Â Thatâs another thing I liked about the script. The conventional story would be that the parents are a bit more conservative and by the end of the film theyâre accepting him and his sexuality. I love how funny and sweet it is in the beginning and that theyâre all cheering him on. Theyâre really pushing for it. But then they go, âWait, are you really happy about this? You have to shop and cook on your own birthday.â
JS:Â You studied in England for six months â what was your concept of the British comedy of manners?Â
AS:Â I donât think my six months at Leeds Metropolitan affected me. I had a blast but I was drunk most of the time. However, I think I was steeped in British culture growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, because British sitcoms, TV series, were massive in Sweden. Everything from Monty Python to Blackadder and Fawlty Towers, everyone watched them, and we only had two public-owned channels, TV1 and TV2, so at least half the population would watch them. British comedy had a big influence on me growing up, and British culture in general. On Friday night youâd sit and watch British comedy shows and then, Saturday afternoon, my dad and my uncle would watch the Premier League, so it was a lot of UK.
[Coat in wool by VIVIENNE WESTWOOD. Shorts in polyester by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
JS:Â [Referring to Galitzine] Does this happen often, where you run into people who have recently seen or worked with your family?
AS:Â Yeah, quite a bit. This festival tour weâve been on has been wonderful because my dad is on the same circuit with Sentimental Value and itâs been such a treat because quite often we miss each other â âDad was here two days ago, my brotherâs coming in a couple of days.â But with this the guys can go to Cannes together, and Telluride, and London â itâs been a real treat.
JS:Â Was there a film festival where Pillion had the most rapturous reception?Â
AS:Â Iâm not on social media, so I donât experience the aftermath of it, I have no idea. Itâs all about having fun in the moment. I donât dress as my character, I find that a bit too meta. Iâm on the red carpet, Iâm myself, but Iâm dressed like Ray. Itâs more being inspired by the tone of the movie and the people I made the movie with.Â
Once before when I did a movie [2015âs The Diary of a Teenage Girl], a bunch of the crew members were drag queens. We shot it in San Francisco and the premiere was going to be at the legendary Castro Theatre and the drag queens were hosting the after-party. Marielle Heller, who directed the film, and [SkarsgĂ„rdâs co-star] Bel Powley were going to wear these extravagant outfits and I was sitting there in a suit, so fucking boring. So I asked if I could come in drag and the drag queens were like, âYeah weâll glam you up, who do you want to look like?â I said Farrah Fawcett and they gave me this amazing outfit. It was a blast. And I think on this tour, after having spent time with the guys from GBMCC and the London kink scene, them showing up with their masks and harnesses for filming, I donât want it to feel like cosplay or a fucking actor going, âHey, look at me in a harness.â But it also wouldnât feel right to come in a boring grey suit. Itâs been fun to be playful and somewhat inspired by these guys I worked with.
JS:Â The playful bit of the film is where I really fell in love with Ray â on their date, when they can be outside of their roles. How was it running through Bromley town centre?
AS:Â It was exhilarating. Partly because we couldnât afford to close off Bromley High Street on a Friday afternoon, so it was fully open. The team had to get creative and hide cameras behind trees â they hid one in a rubbish bin to get those shots. And then Harry [Melling] and I, we were just thrown into it and had to interact with whatever happened around us. You never knew what was going to happen. I loved the fact that it was this heightened, Richard Curtis-rom-com trope of the falling-in-love montage. It was interesting to show a different side of Ray, a more playful side. I loved how it ended and the multiple potential interpretations of that ending. Itâs been interesting at Q&As after screenings, talking to audiences about how they interpret it. It really runs the gamut, including, âRay is sadistic and putting this together knowing that heâs going to leave.â
JS:Â Another interpretation is that Ray just couldnât cope with the pain of knowing freedom. He canât operate outside of being constrained by walls.
AS:Â Iâve heard that interpretation. But Iâve heard as well that he organised this and then lowered his guard for a couple of hours â and then he felt this intense connection to Colin and that scared the shit out of him. Potentially because of something that happened in his past, but he is letting someone in and being that vulnerable scared him enough to disappear. Another interpretation is that itâs almost an altruistic act. Itâs Ray knowing theyâre not compatible, knowing Colin wants something else â âLook, if I ask you, youâre going to say, âNo, no, Iâm happy sleeping on the floor seven days a week.ââ By showing Colin, âThis is what you want. And not every day, but maybe once a week, maybe once a month, you want this. Iâm not the guy for that.â To help Colin get to the conclusion he does at the end of the movie where on his Grindr profile he says, âThis is what I want: a day off.â
JS:Â And, âI wonât cut my hair.â
AS:Â I love that. I love it. I always dodge that question of what my interpretation is of Rayâs intentions in that moment, because people can have different interpretations. But I love the ending. I think itâs also so nice that Colin wasnât like, âI dipped my toes into sub-dom and it wasnât for me.â
[Shorts in polyester by ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Jumper in wool by PRADA. Scarf in silk by MIU MIU Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
JS:Â A more conventional film would have shown him married in a pastel shirt.
AS:Â âNow Iâm happy with a husband and weâre in a very equal relationship, we share the workload and tidying up and we sleep in the same bed.â I love the fact that heâs still a sub. He loves it. But heâs forged his own path and he knows the extreme version that Ray wants wasnât for him. Heâs found his preferences.
WAITER ONE:Â Is everything OK for you?
AS:Â Maybe a little sandwich. How do you feel about that?
JS:Â I feel great about that. You lived in the US for a long time and recently moved back to Stockholm â how was that?
AS: I lived out there for 20 years, almost half my life. I started [having a] feeling, it was actually just before the pandemic. I got an apartment in Stockholm but I still lived in New York. [Previously] I was just crashing on my dadâs futon whenever I was in Stockholm, a few days here and there. But for the first time I could have a couple of weeks in Sweden. And I noticed how calming it was. I was the only one in the States. My parents, all my siblings, have always been based in Stockholm. I just felt my shoulders dropped a bit when I came home. But I loved living in New York, so for a couple of years I went back and forth, but around the pandemic it was just nicer being back home with the family. And then my roots started to attach themselves again to the soil where I was born and raised. A couple of my brothers started having kids and then the passage of time became more painful in a way. Before there were kids involved Iâd be gone for six months and everything was the same when I came back. Now I was like, âOh, my niece and my nephew donât recognise me.â It was something about getting closer to them.Â
âA question Iâve been thinking about is, what type of projects, what kind of depictions of queer people in general do we want on screen and on television?â â Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd
JS:Â What was it like growing up in your family?
AS:Â I think I was always eager to get out of there because it was a very noisy household and I was the eldest. There were always screaming kids around, and my parents, who I love, are eccentric bohemians. It was a big, extended family of stuff that I, as an adult, love but as a teenager found frustrating â these hippies, drinking red wine until the wee hours. I just wanted to get away, which kind of precipitated the move to the States to find my own path. Also, I didnât want to be an actor as a teenager, probably also because I was adamant about doing my own thing.
JS: Do all Swedish people have to do military service [SkarsgĂ„rd enlisted in the Swedish Navyâs SĂ€kJakt unit when he was 19]? Or was this part of the escape?
AS:It was part of the escape. Iâd say it was rebellion against my father, but thatâs probably a stretch because I didnât get much reaction out of him when I told him I had joined the military. He was just like, âAll right, cool.â
JS:Â Are you recognised in Sweden?
AS: I grew up in an area called Södermalm in Stockholm and we rarely venture out of our little neighbourhood. My dad lives there, all my siblings live there, my childhood friends. Itâs a radius of ten blocks and the people in that area, theyâre probably more surprised that they donât have a SkarsgĂ„rd on the street. We go to the same bars and restaurants, so itâs not like anyone is surprised to see us. I can be ⊠I donât know if âprivateâ is the right word.
JS:Â Before we go, I have to ask â the penis isnât real, is it?
AS: The Prince Albert? [SkarsgĂ„rd eats a tiny sandwich and says nothing.]Â
[Shirt in cotton by DOLCE & GABBANA. Tie in silk by RICHARD JAMES. Jumpsuit and belt in leather from THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM. And stylistâs own tie pin in ivory Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Shirt in cotton by DOLCE & GABBANA. Tie in silk by RICHARD JAMES. Stylistâs own tie pin in ivory. Cuff and bracelet in sterling silver by THE GREAT FROG. And vintage watch in 14-carat yellow gold with leather strap by ROLEX from ALEX EAGLE STUDIO Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
JS:Â Maybe a more difficult question â do you think thereâs any tension around the issue of straight people playing gay people?
AS:Â I obviously donât think itâs a problem because I wouldnât have taken on the job. In terms of lived experience, itâs an interesting question, but itâs also tricky because, to me, the most important question is what type of projects do you want to be part of, what type of projects do you want to send out into the world? What type of projects do you want younger people to see when they see a depiction of any subculture? I was excited about Pillion when I read it because it felt very truthful and authentic to the subculture, but also very accessible to people who are not in that subculture. And the fact that Harry [Lighton] didnât sugar-coat it â âLook how amazing they are. Theyâre just like us.â He allowed it to be awkward and weird, and that excited me.Â
A question Iâve been thinking about is, what type of projects, what kind of depictions of queer people in general do we want on screen and on television? And is there a diversity in the stories that are told? Are some scary, or funny, or awkward? Is there room for a movie like Pillion out there? I felt strongly that, yes, there was. It excited me because I felt like this was a depiction I hadnât seen before. But then the question of who has the right to tell this story is a difficult one, because do the writer and director have to have a personal lived experience of not only being gay but also of having been in a sub-dom relationship? Do all the actors have to have personal experience? Because I have gay friends who know absolutely nothing about sub-dom culture â would they be qualified to play Ray just by virtue of them sleeping with men, or would it have to be someone who also has experience in the sub-dom community? Itâs only something I thought about and discussed with Harry Lighton when we first started this. What do you think?
JS:Â I imagine, being a gay actor, it would be annoying to only be asked to play gay roles. I havenât tried it, but I imagine, as an actor, the whole point is acting. Otherwise youâre just living.
AS: Itâs also not always a binary question of whether you sleep with men or women â and this is not me saying that Iâm bisexual â but itâs also great that weâre living in a time when more people feel comfortable shouting out what their sexual preferences are. I also think if you choose to be private about it, thatâs also your prerogative. I think itâs sometimes good to put less focus on the actor and more on the character the actor is playing, rather than, âAll right, show us a checklist of your past experiences and letâs see if you qualify for this role.âÂ
I have gay actor friends who are privately open but donât feel the need or desire to publicly talk about it. And I donât want to force anyone to do that. So I think it would be beneficial to open up the types of stories that can be told about different subcultures, to take some focus off the actors portraying these characters and focus more on the depiction of that subculture. Does it feel authentic and shown in a way that is informative and interesting in the world? [Eats the last finger sandwich.]Â
JS:Â I feel like weâre in a competition.Â
AS:Â And Iâm winning.
[Cardigan in mohair, shirt in cotton and jeans in cotton by LOUIS VUITTON. Tie in silk by RICHARD JAMES. And vintage watch in steel with leather strap by JAEGER-LECOULTRE from ALEX EAGLE STUDIO Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
[Jacket in leather and shirt in cotton by DOLCE & GABBANA. Stylistâs own scarf in silk Photography by Alasdair McLellan, Styling by Alister Mackie]
Casting: Greg Krelenstein. Hair: Anthony Turner at Jolly Collective. Make-up: Mel Arter at Julian Watson Agency using DERMALOGICA. Set design: Andy Hillman at Streeters. Photographic assistants: Lex Kembery, Jess Pearson and Simon Mackinlay. Styling assistants: Vincent Pons, Natham Fox and Dominik Radomski. Hair assistant: John Allan. Set build: Dean Coombs. Set-design assistant: Charlie Fairs. Set build: Dean Coombs. Processing: Bayeux. Production: Partner Films. Producer: Fernanda Dugdale. Production coordinator: Star Santos Hannan. Production assistant: Nikodem Postaremczak. Post-production: Output
This story features in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue, marking 25 years of AnOther Magazine, on sale internationally on 12 March 2026.Â
Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd - Pillion 2025 Interview, Video Ad - Siff â25. moviezine Ig (x) Thanks SwedishDelish
"Alexander SkarsgÄrd tells us about hot scenes in the new movie "Pillion". There he plays Ray, the biker book who gets young Colin (Harry Melling) as a submissive lover."