A Skarsgård Family Guide: Stellan, Alexander, Bill & Many More

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Stellan Skarsgård isn’t one to go on about his eight children in public.

Taking on the role of a famous director who reconnects with his children to film a movie about them naturally led to some teasing from his own kids.

While accepting his Golden Globe award on January 11th, 74-year-old actor joked that his children had been a great learning experience. He explained that he played a flawed father in Joaquim Trier’s film, Sentimental Value, and his own children had helped him understand what makes a father ‘bad’.

Stellan Skarsgård’s eldest son, Alexander, jokingly teased him about portraying himself in the film. Later, his son Gustaf, after seeing the movie, asked him, “Do you recognize yourself? I understand exactly what this is about.”

The Skarsgård children have occasionally talked about how they grew up, but generally, they’ve come to terms with their unique family life a long time ago.

Actor Alexander Skarsgård described his upbringing as chaotic, telling Chelsea Handler in 2013 that his parents—Stellan and My Skarsgård—created a very bohemian environment in their Stockholm apartment, but he actually enjoyed it. His brother, Bill Skarsgård, explained to Esquire in 2024 that their home was always full of activity, with people constantly coming and going and running around.

Though growing up with such a famous father was admittedly weird at times.

Bill recalls that when he was a child and went grocery shopping with his father, people would often recognize his dad and start whispering and talking about him. Bill said this made him feel uncomfortable and like his privacy was invaded. He remembers his dad asking him to get something from a specific aisle, and then hearing strangers point him out and comment on his father’s presence.

Stellan feels the situation has completely flipped – the roles people are famous for have reversed.

Stellan Skarsgård jokingly refers to himself as a ‘nepo daddy’ because his children’s success gives him a boost and potentially opens doors for him professionally. However, he also points out a reciprocal understanding: he hasn’t used his influence to help them, and they haven’t done the same for him.

Stellan involved his family in his work from an early age, bringing them along to his job locations until his children started high school, giving them a firsthand view of the industry.

And he still believes in the more, the merrier. 

Stellan, who has eight children total – six with My and two with Megan Everett-Skarsgård – explained that it’s important to include his wife’s friends and some of their kids’ friends. He said, ‘Otherwise, she’ll be alone in a new city looking after everyone,’ and added that they all function best as a group.

While filming Exorcist: The Beginning in Rome in 2004, he worked long hours as the lead, often seeing his family only on weekends. Despite the demanding schedule, he remembers the house feeling lively and happy because his family was enjoying themselves.

With a large family – eight children, their partners, and grandchildren – even a simple gathering feels like a big celebration.

I was reading an interview with Bill Skarsgård in Esquire, and he was talking about Christmas! He said it’s like having 25 people over – that’s just his immediate family! He joked that they might need to buy their own island someday and call it ‘Skarsisland’ just to accommodate everyone. It’s pretty wild how big his family is!

Before they’re only accessible by boat, here’s a guide to all the Skarsgårds:

Stellan Skarsgård was born on June 13, 1951, in Gothenburg, Sweden. He began acting as a teen and has since become a beloved and highly respected actor in his home country.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve definitely noticed Stellan Skarsgård over the years! You probably recognize him from so many iconic films – everything from the classic The Hunt for Red October and the heartwarming Good Will Hunting, to the fun of Mamma Mia! and the blockbuster action of Thor and Dune. He’s consistently delivered incredible performances, and his work in Sentimental Value was truly award-worthy – he even took home a Golden Globe in 2026 for his supporting role! Plus, he’s been fantastic in some really compelling TV series like HBO’s Chernobyl and Disney+’s Andor. He’s a truly versatile actor!

He married My Skarsgård in 1975, and they had six children – Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, and Valter – before divorcing in 2007.

Bill Skarsgård shared with Esquire in 2024 that he deeply admires his mother for everything she’s overcome. She’s dedicated her life to helping others recover from addiction, having battled with it herself. Though she generally keeps to herself, she has spoken about her own recovery journey and her work as an addiction counselor.

Stellan and My welcomed their first child together on Aug. 25, 1976, in Stockholm.  

In a 2025 interview with Variety, Alexander shared his wish for his family to simply blend in and be seen as conventional. He told Stellan, ‘It would have been great if you had a normal briefcase instead of that unusual bag you found in India.’

Growing up, most of my family members were artists – they were all really unique and larger-than-life people who I adored. But when I started having friends over as a teenager, it was always stressful. I just wanted my home to feel normal, like everyone else’s.

The actor, famous for roles in shows like True Blood, Big Little Lies, and Succession, as well as films like The Legend of Tarzan and even a Murderbot adaptation, once surprisingly joined the Swedish Navy. He did this to get away from the world of acting—and the public eye.

Looking back, I realize my decision wasn’t about defying you,” he explained to Stellan. “Growing up in a creative, unconventional family, I just felt a strong need to forge my own way. Choosing a career in the military would have been the complete opposite of everything I knew, so it wasn’t a deliberate attempt to upset you.

I was so thrilled to hear that Alexander and Tuva Novotny welcomed their first child in 2023! It’s wonderful news. It got me thinking, though – his dad had a pretty big family, so Alexander definitely has time to catch up if he wants to! It’s all good, though, just happy for them both.

In a 2013 interview with Chelsea Handler, the Emmy-winning comedian shared that his father had children across five different decades – the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. He jokingly added that he hoped to surpass his father’s record.

Alexander Skarsgård says his family, despite him splitting time between Sweden and New York, is very close. He told the New York Times in 2022 that everyone lives near each other in South Stockholm, and he sees them frequently when he visits.

Gustaf was born on November 12, 1980, and began acting when he was six years old – the first of his brothers and sisters to try it.

As a child, your parents’ jobs are usually the first careers you become aware of,” said the actor known for his roles in Vikings and Westworld in a 2017 interview with Interview magazine. “I was immediately drawn to my dad’s work.”

He was eager to establish himself as a serious actor, so he declined offers to appear in popular soap operas, even though they would have given him immediate recognition. Looking back, he admits he was a bit arrogant at the time, wanting to hone his skills through formal training. However, he now appreciates that ambitious young version of himself for making those early choices.

Gustaf shares a daughter, born in 2020, with partner Caroline Sjöström.

Sam, who was born in 1982, did some acting as a child, but he ultimately chose to become a doctor, like his mother.

Oh my gosh, you guys, it’s just… he works in the ICU! Like, every single day he’s going in and literally saving people’s lives! I remember reading about it in an interview he did with his brother Bill back in 2017, and it just… it gets me every time!

Bill mentioned feeling a bit embarrassed about what actors actually do, especially when he thinks about his own family – his mother and brother are both life-saving professionals.

Bill, born on August 9, 1990, initially hesitated to follow his father and older brothers into acting. As he told Esquire magazine in 2024, he was worried about being “number four” in a family of performers.

After gaining recognition in the U.S. with the show Hemlock Grove, and then appearing in films like The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Atomic Blonde, It, Barbarian, John Wick: Chapter 4, and Nosferatu, he’s starting to feel like a leading man.

Despite occasionally dreaming of a more traditional, stable career – like one where he’d carry a briefcase – he was a natural actor. It felt perfectly suited to him.

Bill described those rare times when you become completely immersed in what you’re doing. It’s when you’re so focused that you don’t even realize you’re ‘performing’ – it doesn’t feel like acting at all.

The actor, known for his role in It: Welcome to Derry, and actress Alida Morberg have two daughters. Their first daughter was born in 2018, and they welcomed another child in 2023.

Eija, the only child of Stellan, was born in 1992 and now works as a casting director in the Swedish film and television industry.

Stellan Skarsgård shared that whenever his wives were pregnant, his daughter would say she hoped the baby wasn’t a girl. He explained to The Guardian in 2015 that his daughter is very strong-willed and confident, even more so than his sons, and she enjoys being a girl.

Eija and husband Zeke Tastas welcomed son Aldous Judo Tastas Skarsgård in September 2025.

Born on October 25, 1995, as the youngest of Stellan and My’s six children, he began his acting career at the age of eight. His first role was in the short film To Kill a Child, which was written and directed by Alexander. He also appeared in the Swedish film Details, playing a younger version of Gustaf’s character around the same time.

Valter and Bill Skarsgård played brothers in the 2007 film Arn: The Knight Templar, and Stellan Skarsgård portrayed their father.

Since leaving his family’s business, he’s acted in several projects, including the horror movies Don’t Click and Funhouse. He also appeared in the Netflix series The Playlist, which tells the story of Spotify’s beginnings—it’s a Swedish company, by the way—and the Canadian series Börje.

Valter made his red carpet debut with girlfriend Melina Göransson in December 2024.

Stellan married wife Megan Everett-Skarsgård in 2009 and they have two children together.

Son Ossian was born on April 26, 2009, and began his acting career in 2017 by voicing the character of Young David in the film The Wife. He continued to work as a series regular on the Swedish fantasy show Trolltider – Legenden om Bergatrollet through 2023.

Kolbjörn, born on August 24, 2012, is currently the youngest actor in his family, appearing in the SVT horror series Blood Cruise. While his older brothers had some doubts about following in their father’s footsteps, their father says the criticism of Kolbjörn being a ‘nepo baby’ has been especially difficult for him.

Oh, it just breaks my heart! Stellan told Vulture about how awful it is for his son when kids at school call him a ‘nepo baby.’ He said it really isolates him, and those kids can be so unbelievably cruel – or just clueless, honestly. And the internet just loves to pile on, which is disgusting. But Stellan’s so right – nobody would give you a real chance, or hire you for anything worthwhile, if you didn’t actually have talent! It’s just not fair to him.

Every member of the Skarsgård family who has become an actor has proven talented enough to continue working in the industry.

During a conversation with Variety, Stellan Skarsgård admitted he was surprised when his oldest son enlisted in the military. However, he added that he understands each of his eight children handles life differently and, admitting he prefers a hands-off approach, believes it’s best to let them make their own decisions.

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2026-01-13 01:51