"In an interview with The Sunday Times, Skarsgård said that being 'tall and blond' (i.e., Swedish) may have gotten in the way of his career. 'I was on a stupid "sexy hunky hot list,"' he said, 'and then people didn’t take me seriously. If you want characters with depth but have been labeled "a dude who takes his shirt off," you’re not going to get those offers.' I’m sorry, what was that? A sexy hunky hot list? Is that a Google doc? And you’re telling me you … don’t want to be on it?"
From "Actor Bravely Admits to Being on ‘Sexy Hunky Hot List’" (NY Magazine).
Ha ha. Made me think of Joey on "Friends" and the infamous "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!" commercial. But also, more tragically, how badly Marilyn Monroe wanted to be thought of as a serious actress.
Clearly, there is affirmative action for beautiful people. It's no wonder that the less beautiful look at them and develop theories about their lack of actual skill and depth.
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Dude, quit complaining. You'd just be another pretty face scrambling for work if your father wasn't an international film star.
Stay Frosty, we're Oscar Mike.
Nah. It was all about the å. Ditch that, and you got it made.
"I am the wrong kind of extrememely lucky."
That's exactly the reason I never got into the movie business. The other fellas would never had a chance...
His quote reminds me that there are many types of privilege in life, I.e. being tall, attractive, athletic, smart, etc. but each carries with it adverse aspects. Tall athletic males have advantages for basketball but may suffer low expectations academically. Beautiful females get the lead on stage but also draw low expectations academically. People tend to put others in categories based on their perceived strengths. The tendency always seems to have been strongest in Hollywood because they are selling quick perceptions.
This is also what prevented my big break. 🤷♂️
Jennifer Connelly had to wait a loooong time for Hollywood to notice she could also act.
As a guy, I've never been able to see what makes another guy attractive. I think Skarsgard was on True Blood as a vampire. My wife was addicted to it and I never knew why till she explained he was a hunk. I would not have known that otherwise. Can guys accurately tell what a woman finds physically attractive? Same on the reverse. Some women think that Sarah Sometime Something from Sex and the City is very attractive. I don't see it at all.
I've known very attractive women who were miserable socially. Not sure if that's really a problem for a guy because it's easier for him to ignore when he wants. Big beard, bad haircut, etc.
Well, silly me, the excerpt led me to expect to see an exceptionally handsome guy when I saw his picture in the article itself. Imagine my surprise.
“but also draw low expectations academically”
Yes, but you can always prove them wrong by getting good grades or doing good research. I think Hollywood would welcome an extremely beautiful and very smart person, there have been many. It’s unbecoming to claim that you were so pretty that you could not show how smart you were, just show it and people will notice.
“Huh?”
—Brad Pitt
Ann-Margaret (another Swede who was and still is very attractive at age 80) wanted to be taken seriously as an actor after a number of movies she starred in during the 1960’s basically showcased her singing voice and stunning body. So she took a role in the movie “Carnal Knowledge” opposite Jack Nicholson which netted her an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. That elevated her status to serious actor in a big way. Alexander needs to find a role where his character is physically out of shape and run with it. Maybe then he will be taken seriously for his acting skills…
Well I have the tall (6' 5") part down pat, but somewhere along the line the sexy hot hunk part never did arrive. OTOH beds are too short, knee space is a problem on airplanes, and I occasionally hit my head on low doors and ceilings. So it's all good.
Sexy hunky hot. That would have been a fair description in my household back when True Blood seemed to be on constantly. I diod enjoy seeing him get his in Monterey years later.
Seeing Marilyn mentioned reminds me of the year she spent in New York, taking acting lessons at the Actor's Studio. She had to start by working with a teacher, alone, to build her confidence before moving into the main group.
Even there, dressed down in jeans and a sweater and no makeup, she intimated the other actors. She approached one (a notable black actor whose name I've forgotten) to work with her on a scene. He turned her down.
Ben Gazarra, who was there at the time, refused to work with her as well, her beauty was that intimidating.
It's called glamour, and some actors really have it. A lot of them, even the pretty ones, don't.
But also, more tragically, how badly Marilyn Monroe wanted to be thought of as a serious actress.
Marilyn was a comic genius, though, and had no trouble whatsoever getting cast. In fact she was a notable pain in the ass, and directors hated working with her, but did so anyway because she was worth it. The top comic directors in her day (Wilder and Hawks) positively knew her worth.
Marilyn did some crap serious work because Hollywood disrespects comedy, and always has. Even today many people are oblivious to how important she was to films like Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
(Jack Lemmon won the Oscar in 1960 and she did not, which is ridiculous).
Monroe was a terrible actress.
And imho was about a 4 on the traditional scale.
I have no idea what people saw in her...
He is quite good-looking. I too, am tall and Swedish-looking, 75%. Sadly for me, but though, I resemble Stellan Skarsgård more than I do Alexander.
My new candidate for “most beautiful woman in the world” is Norwegian actress Synnøve Macody Lund. If she and Alexander Skarsgård had kids the odds are they’d be spectacular.
"But also, more tragically, how badly Marilyn Monroe wanted to be thought of as a serious actress."
I understand that Marilyn came very close to gaining her 'serious actress' creds with the film "The Misfits". Alas, it was over before it started.
The good thing about being very tall is that you get first pick of all the tall girls.
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