Sentimental Value star Stellan Skarsgård reveals he first got into drag aged 15
Stellan Skarsgård got into drag aged 15. (Getty)
Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård has recalled his first experience of getting into drag aged 15, revealing that he borrowed his then girlfriend’s clothes to do so.
Skarsgård, 74, who is currently nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in familial drama Sentimental Value, explained his one-time drag habit during a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times.
Speaking about typecasting, the Chernobyl and Dune actor said that he has never felt pigeonholed into a certain type of role, using his last four projects as an example.
“I look completely different. From the fat guy in Dune to the wigs in Andor and [Sentimental Value]. I come from theatre, so you’re used to wigs and doing several different characters, especially when you start out,” he explained. “There’s a childish satisfaction of becoming an invented person.”
The interviewer then brought up Skarsgård’s recent W Magazine photoshoot, above, in which he appeared wearing makeup, a sleek gray bob, and silky lingerie.
Skarsgård stated that it was the publication’s idea, but he was happy to oblige, having seen his son, Pillion actor Alexander Skarsgård, do drag “with success”.
In 2015, Alexander Skarsgård appeared at the premiere of his film Diary of a Teenage Girl donning full drag, including a towering blonde wig, golden hooped earrings and a full face of makeup. In recent times during the promotion of his queer romance film Pillion, the Skarsgård son, 49, has continued his love for outlandish outfits, donning leather trousers and thigh-high leather biker boots.
Stellan Skarsgård went on to explain that the first time he ever got into drag was when he was just 15-years-old, when he headed out on the town in his girlfriend’s lingerie.
“I just borrowed a girlfriend’s clothes, and I put socks in the bra and put on makeup and went out,” he said, adding that he experienced plenty of flirting from local lads.
“I was flabbergasted over how young men were treating me — the notice you got and the eyes and everything. It was a very different experience. So I know that it can be seductive and also objectifying to be a woman.”
At 74, Skarsgård is experiencing one of the most successful stints of his career thanks to the critical adoration of Sentimental Value. In it, he plays arrogant filmmaker Gustav Borg, who reconnects with his estranged daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) following the death of their mother.
In addition to his first Oscar nod, Skarsgård won the Best Supporting Actor award at this year’s Golden Globe ceremony. He also received a nod in the Outstanding Supporting Performance category at the Gotham Independent Film Awards.
Sentimental Value is in cinemas now.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
