The Skarsgard's, their name sounds like it could be part of something historical and epic.
Believe us when we tell you, they are just as interesting as they seem. Patriarch Stellan
Skarsgard is an acting legend all on his own, but his parenting skills might have you raising an
eyebrow or two. While some might think that increasing your kids in an 'unconventional
bohemian' household sounds interesting, we're not sure how his son, Alexander, felt coming
home with a date to his father walking around the living room, glass of wine in hand, and … naked.
Stay tuned while we take a deep dive into Stellan's unusual parenting skills
and how they affected his kids growing up. Don't forget to subscribe to Rumour Juice!
Stellan married his childhood sweetheart, My , in 1975.
They had grown up together in the same small Swedish neighborhood and shared the same friends.
In fact, My's brother had been Stellan's best friend while they were growing up too.
It was all perfect. Stellan couldn't imagine himself with anyone else.
There was no one better than My to have by his side,
and she knew him better than anyone else did. Little did they know that they were the start
of an epic and incredibly talented family that would sweep Hollywood off its feet.
The Skarsgard patriarch has always made sure to keep much of their private life
away from the spotlight. However, this didn't stop his kids from speaking about what it was
really like for them growing up in Sweden. The couple chose to raise their six kids,
of which five were boys and one girl, in what they described to be a "Bohemian Household."
What did that mean? Well, Alexander Skarsgard , the eldest of the siblings,
explained that the environment at home was what fueled their creative freedom.
He admitted that their home was always relaxed, very loving,
and his parents always encouraged them to take their creativity to the next level.
Alex also went on to share that there were constant dinner parties and tons
of people coming in and out of the house all the time.
"I was raised by this whole community of artists. It was pretty wild.
Illegal substances floating around... I was born in the late '70s. There was so much love there."
We all know that the 1970s was a pretty wild time in history,
so we can only imagine what a house party full of artists must have been like during that time.
We're picturing a lot of flowers and tie-dye, lots and lots of tie-dye. Oh, and minivans!
That wasn't the only thing that the oldest brother had to share about his childhood.
He also described a very interesting situation with his father.
Dating when you're a young teen is already awkward,
but when your father is Stellan Skarsgard, it's not just awkward. It can be a little weird too.
Apparently, as Alexander got older, bringing girls to the house became a bit of an issue.
"When I was 12, 13, 14—and bringing girls over after school. Dad was always walking
around - without clothes - with a glass of red wine in his hand."
For Alex, this was just another day in the Skarsgard household,
and his friends had all gotten used to seeing Stellan roam around his home in his birthday suit.
However, he admitted that it only got a little uncomfortable when he tried to bring girls over.
We're not sure how young Alex got around to explaining that to his dates.
Despite all the love in their home, Stellan and My chose to part ways
in 2007 after 32 years of marriage. However, their divorce was nothing
like the nasty and messy splits that Hollywood had become accustomed to.
The exes remain best friends and even live on the same street, with their houses just one block
away from each other. They proved to their kids that even though their partnership only worked
out for so long, it didn't mean they couldn't still love and respect one another as friends.
Stellan went on to remarry in 2009 to film producer Megan Everett.
The new couple went on to have two beautiful boys together.
This took the number of Skarsgard kids to a whopping eight in total.
When speaking about his children, the actor shared that there are 36 years
between the eldest and youngest, and only one of them is a girl.
His daughter, Eija , could not be happier being the only daughter amongst seven sons.
Stellan admitted, "During each of my wives' subsequent pregnancies, my daughter would say,
"I hope it's not a girl." She's very strong,
stronger in many ways than the boys, and relishes her position."
Alexander backed up Eija's powerful position in the family,
recalling a story from when she was a toddler.
"When my sister Eija was maybe two and a half years old, she and my brother had an argument.
Eija couldn't write, so she said, 'Dad, write this down:
Girls are always right.' He taped that up on the kitchen wall. It's still hanging there."
Stellan has always seen being a good parent as one of the most important jobs that anyone could have.
He loves being a father, and he always finds time,
no matter how busy his schedule may be, to see all of his kids.
Stellan shared that he sees all of his children together every three months or so. However,
he manages to get five or six of them together every week. The loud and passionate gatherings
make things all the more exciting for him because he's raised his kids to question everything.
They're all opinionated and have no shame in sharing their thoughts and feelings with others.
"To outsiders, our loud discussions around the dinner table might appear confrontational,
but only by discussing things can you reach compromise." The actor shared.
The most important advice he's given to his eight children is that they should
think about what they want to do with their life and try to do that. He admitted that he
never had ambitions for his children; he only wanted them to be happy and decent people.
Stellan himself was raised in a very similar way; he remembered that the one ethical code
that his parents raised him by was to be good to people and try not to hurt anyone.
He explained, "I have tried to show them that having a full life is not a selfish pursuit,
but one that makes you of more value to your friends and family."
When you take a look at how his kids turned out, it's clear that he did an excellent job raising
them. Four of his children followed in their father's footsteps and became actors; Alexander,
Bill, Gustaf), and Valter have all been making their strides in the entertainment industry.
While Sam chose to follow in his mother's footsteps and become a doctor, and his daughter,
Eija, is a model. The newest additions to the family are both still too young to decide what
they're going to when they grow up, but we have a feeling that with Stellan's genes,
they'll be just as talented, good-looking and very, very tall.
What's more, is that they've all supported one another in everything that they've done.
We're quite sure that you're familiar with Alexander's role in True Blood as Eric Northman.
If you're not, then we suggest that you google it immediately. Somehow, the gothic look and
vampire fangs suit Alexander so well, it's hard not to imagine him as a Vampire in real life.
We'd also like to add that he takes his shirt off in True Blood several times.
Lest we forget his incredible performance as Nicole Kidman's husband in "Big Little Lies,"
where he is also seen shirtless on more than one occasion, we have only one word for you, YUMMY.
Bill took a much scarier and darker direction with his acting career. You might not recognize him
at all, but you'll know him when you see him. He terrified his way onto our screens as Pennywise in
the film IT, and we've been obsessed with him ever since. In an interview conducted by his father,
Bill assured that he has no complexes about following in his family's path.
Gustaf stars as Floki on History Channel's TV show Vikings.
You can also find him in Season 2 of Westworld, where he plays Karl Strand.
Gustaf is such a talented actor that even the legend himself, Daniel Day-Lewis, raves about him.
He described Gustaf as "one of the truly great."
Fans were introduced to Valter when his Swedish drama on the BBC,
Black Lake, premiered at the end of 2019. While it may not be in English,
we can't help but be completely swept away by his good looks and charm.
Even his brother, Bill, thinks that Valter will be the "next big thing" of the family.
Naturally, with so many siblings, there comes some form of sibling rivalry.
Although with the Skarsgard brothers, it's all friendly and in good fun.
Gustaf especially admits to having those feelings early on when Alex was
just getting serious about acting because the two of them didn't always get along.
"As a 17-year-old and a pretentious acting school applicant, it was very
easy to dismiss Alex as a superficial bimbo whore. And I did for many years. It took a
very long time before he was able to win my respect as an actor," Gustaf admitted.
Those might sound like harsh words, but Gustaf now admits that
their rivalry is more like friendly motivation than actual competition.
They never let their acting careers get in the way of what comes first – family.
Family comes first. That's what has been the most important thing for the Skarsgard's. No matter
where they all are around the world, they always make time for one another, and their patriarch
Stellan is the reason for that. He made sure to raise his kids with good morals, to be kind,
and stand by one another through it all, and we think that's pretty damn amazing.