Stellan Skarsgård Net Worth

What Is Stellan Skarsgård's Net Worth and Salary?

Stellan Skarsgård is a Swedish actor who has a net worth of $50 million. Stellan Skarsgård began acting as a teenager and became a household name in his home country through television and stage roles. His breakthrough in Swedish cinema came with films like "The Simple-Minded Murderer" (1982), for which he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival. Skarsgård quickly established himself as one of Scandinavia's most versatile performers, equally adept at intense drama and subtle character work.

In the 1990s, he transitioned into international films, gaining attention with his role in "Breaking the Waves" (1996), directed by Lars von Trier. This began a long collaboration with von Trier, including "Dancer in the Dark" and "Dogville." His ability to move between arthouse projects and mainstream fare made him a sought-after character actor. Hollywood soon embraced him, with standout roles in "Good Will Hunting" (1997) as the empathetic professor, and later in big-budget franchises. He played Bootstrap Bill Turner in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, scientist Erik Selvig in Marvel's "Thor" and "Avengers" films, and Baron Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" adaptations.

Alongside his blockbuster work, Skarsgård continued to take on challenging dramatic roles, such as in HBO's acclaimed miniseries "Chernobyl" (2019), where he portrayed Soviet bureaucrat Boris Shcherbina. Known for his commanding presence and deep voice, Skarsgård has built a career balancing Scandinavian arthouse cinema with global box-office hits, cementing his reputation as one of the most accomplished international actors of his generation.

Early Life

Stellan John Skarsgård was born on June 13, 1951, in Gothenburg, Sweden, to parents Gudrun and Jan Skarsgård. His childhood was marked by frequent moves across the country, and the family lived in several towns and cities, including Helsingborg, Totebo, Kalmar, Marielund, and Uppsala. These constant relocations exposed him to different communities and cultures within Sweden, experiences that would later enrich the nuance and depth of his performances.

Early Career in Sweden

Skarsgård began acting as a teenager in the late 1960s and quickly built a reputation as one of Sweden's most promising young actors. By the age of 21, he had already amassed an impressive list of credits in television, film, and stage productions. Early appearances included Swedish series such as "Bombi Bitt" and, in the early 1980s, roles in "Skärp dig, älskling" and "Babels hus." His breakthrough came with the 1982 drama "The Simple-Minded Murderer," a performance that brought him international recognition and critical acclaim.

Throughout the 1980s, Skarsgård became a mainstay of Swedish cinema. He gained particular notice for portraying diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in "Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg" (1990), further cementing his reputation as a versatile actor capable of handling emotionally complex roles.

Art-House Collaborations

Skarsgård developed longstanding creative partnerships with acclaimed European directors. He worked frequently with Danish auteur Lars von Trier, appearing in six of his films: "The Kingdom," "Breaking the Waves," "Dancer in the Dark," "Dogville," "Melancholia," and "Nymphomaniac." He also collaborated closely with Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland on projects such as "Zero Kelvin," "Aberdeen," "A Somewhat Gentle Man," and "In Order of Disappearance." Skarsgård has often described their friendship as feeling like "an old married couple," joking that he experiences separation anxiety when they are not working together.

He also starred in the Norwegian thriller "Insomnia" (1997), playing detective Jonas Engström in the original version of the story, later remade in Hollywood. These roles established him as one of Scandinavia's most important actors, equally comfortable in arthouse dramas and psychological thrillers.

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Hollywood Breakthrough

Skarsgård made his first appearance in an American project with "Noon Wine" (1985), followed by a role in "The Hunt for Red October" (1990). His international profile rose significantly with Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting" (1997), where he played MIT professor Gerald Lambeau opposite Matt Damon and Robin Williams. He was considered for the lead in "Schindler's List," a role that ultimately went to Liam Neeson, to whom Skarsgård is often compared. In 2004, he did end up replacing Neeson in "Exorcist: The Beginning."

Through the 2000s, Skarsgård appeared in a wide variety of projects. He won Best Actor at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in 2002 for "Taking Sides." He then entered major franchises, playing Bootstrap Bill Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) and "At World's End" (2007), and Bill Anderson in the ABBA-inspired musical "Mamma Mia!" (2008) and its sequel a decade later.

(Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Blockbusters and Television Success

In 2011, Skarsgård joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as scientist Dr. Erik Selvig, appearing in "Thor" and later reprising the role in "Thor: The Dark World" (2013), "The Avengers" (2012), and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). He reunited with Kenneth Branagh for Disney's 2015 live-action "Cinderella," playing the Grand Duke.

He has also continued to balance prestige television with blockbuster work. In 2015, he starred in the BBC drama "River," winning acclaim for his portrayal of a detective grappling with grief. In 2017, he played Swedish tennis coach Lennart Bergelin in "Borg vs McEnroe." His role as Soviet politician Boris Shcherbina in HBO's miniseries "Chernobyl" (2019) earned him Emmy and BAFTA nominations.

Recent Work

In 2021, Skarsgård took on one of his most visually striking roles as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of "Dune." The following year, he joined the "Star Wars" universe in the Disney+ series "Andor," portraying Luthen Rael, a leader in the early Rebel Alliance. These roles reinforced his ability to shift seamlessly between independent dramas and large-scale franchise projects.

Outside of film and television, Skarsgård has appeared in music videos, including Eva Dahlgren's "Vem tänder stjärnorna" in 2009 and Lykke Li's "Sadness is a Blessing" in 2011.

Personal Life

Stellan was married to physician My Skarsgård from April 1975 until May 2007. They have six children, several of whom have become internationally known actors: Alexandar Skarsgård ("True Blood," "Succession," "Big Little Lies"), Gustaf ("Vikings," "Westworld"), Sam, Bill Skarsgård (known for playing Pennywise in Stephen King's "It" and "It Chapter Two"), Eija, and Valter. Stellan and My divorced in May 2007. Stellan married Megan Everett in January 2009, and the couple had two sons. In an interview, Skarsgård stated he had a vasectomy and said that he "felt eight children was enough."

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