>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY
AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "TRUE BLOOD," "BIG LITTLE
LIES," AND "SUCCESSION."
HE NOW STARS IN THE NEW MOVIE "THE NORTHMAN."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," ALEXANDER SKARSGARD!
♪ ♪ ♪
THERE YOU GO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
IT'S PARTICULARLY NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO
THANK YOU IN PERSON FOR SOMETHING YOU DID FOR ME OVER A
YEAR AGO, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BECAUSE IT'S A WHILE YOU'VE BEEN
ON HERE BECAUSE OF COVID.
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, I DID A PART ON A SHOW CALLED "GIRLS
FIVE-EVA" AND I PLACED A MUSIC DIRECTOR, ARF MUSIC.
>> ACTUALLY, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
>> Stephen: YOU NEVER SAW IT, NO.
I KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO DO-- I CALLED YOU UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T
WANT TO DO LIKE SWEDISH CHEF.
SO I WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS IDENTIFIABLY SWEDISH BUT NOT
SUPER OVER THE TOP.
YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, RIGHT?
>> I WAS IN STOCKHOLM IN SOUTH STOCKHOLM, WHERE I'M FROM.
I WAS AT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP WHEN YOU CALLED.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> I GUESS YOU FIGURED, BEING A- NEEDING A SWEDE, I KNOW A SWEDE.
I'LL CALL ALEXANDER.
>> Stephen: MEAT BALL RECIPES.
>> AND I COULDN'T BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO OBLIGE.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID, "CAN IICALLY YOU LATER TONIGHT, AND I
MIGHT BE DRUNK."
YOU HAD SOME PARENT TO GO TO.
YOU COULDN'T BE BETTER.
YOU RECORDED EVERY LINE FOR ME.
AND I DID MY BEST.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE-- YOU DID NOT HAVE A
CHANCE-- >> I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE.
>> Stephen: SUR-THROMMING.
WHAT'S THE ACID TEST?
>> THE MASTER CLASS WOULD BE...
IT MEANS SEVEN SEA SICK SAILORS.
SO...
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: WHAT?
( LAUGHTER )
>> WHEU.
OOKA.
>> Stephen: HOOKA.
>> SEA SICK.
>> Stephen: SEA SICK.
>> WHER MEN.
NOW PUT THEM TOGETHER.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> I'M NOT GOING TO SOUND LIKE THE SWEDISH CHEF, BUT HERE I GO.
MORE THAN HAPPY TO OBLIGE.
GLAD I COULD HELP.
>> Stephen: ALEXANDER SKARSGARD, REITZ GET DOWN TO THE
HEAT OF THE MEAT HERE.
I HAVE SEEN YOUR NEW MOVIE, "THE NORTHMAN," AND I WILL GIVE
PEOPLE AN IDEA OF THE TONE WITH THIS PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS YOU RAIDING A VILLAGE.
THERE IT IS.
( CHEERING )
WHOLE FAMILY.
>> Stephen: IT IS.
THERE'S-- YOU MESS UP THAT VILLAGE REAL GOOD IN THIS SCENE.
YOU ALSO PRODUCD IT.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO PRODUCE THESE?
THE ABS WE KNOW YOU HAVE.
BUT THESE, YOUR TRAPS, MAN.
THESE TRAPS UP HERE, IT'S LIKE YOU GOT TWO SOURDOUGH LOAVES UP
THERE.
WAS IT JUST NOTHING BUT SHRUGS?
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET THE TRAPS?
>> WE SHOULD HAVE JUST GLUED ON SOME SOURDOUGHS UP THERE.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY EASIER.
>> Stephen: THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
>> I JUST HAD TO KIND OF CARRY ROCKS AROUND FOR MONTHS, LIKE
BOLDERS AROUND.
>> Stephen: THIS MOVIE IS-- IT'S A REVENGE THRILLER...
>> MUSICAL?
>> Stephen: MYSTICAL.
I WAS GOING TO SAY MYSTICAL, BECAUSE IT'S MYSTICAL.
AS WE WERE SAYING BACKSTAGE, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS
IS THAT IT REALLY TAKES NORDIC MYTH OINGS SERIOUSLY, AND THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO AVENGE HIS FATHER-- I AM NOT GIVING
ANYTHING AWAY-- YOU AVENGE ETHAN HAWKE YOUR FATHER.
IT'S IN THE TRAILER.
AND THE GODS HAVE THEIR NART THIS IN THIS OWN SUBTLE AND
ORGANIC AND NATURALISTIC WAY.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE STORY, YOU'RE NOT ONLY STARRING, YOU'RE
THE PRODUCER-- WHY IS THIS STORY SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> I REALLY WANTED TO CAPTURE IT.
I HAD NEVER SEEN THAT ON A BIG SCREEN, THE NORSE MYTHOLOGY COME
TO LIFE.
>> Stephen: THEY'RE VIKING MOVIES BUT THEY'RE KIND OF
GLOSSY.
>> THE IDEA WAS TO TRY TO CAPTURE THE SUPERNATURAL
ELEMENTS THAT ARE FANTASTICICAL AND SUPERNATURAL TO MODERN-DAY
AUDIENCE.
THE GOAL WAS TO-- FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME
AND SEE THE WORLD THROUGH AMLETH'S EYES 1,000 YEARS AGO.
SO ALL THESE SCENES IN WHICH HE GETS-- HAS TO FIGHT A SEVEN-FOOT
GIANT SKELETON, OR GETS PICKED UP ARE SUPERNATURAL AND CRAZY TO
US, POTENTIALLY, BUT TO HIM IT'S 100% REAL.
EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE TO HIM.
IT'S LIKE THESE ARE STORIES SHE'S BEEN TOLD SINCE HE WAS
YOUNG.
THERE'S NO REASON FOR HIM TO QUESTION IT.
THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS A VIKING ATHEIST.
THAT WAS KIND OF THE GOAL IN TRYING TO CAPTURE THAT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME
BACK, I WILL ASK ALEXANDER IF THERE IS ANY PARTICULAR PROP HE
HAS TAKEN FROM HIS LATEST MOVIE, "THE NORTHMAN."
IT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
♪ ♪ ♪