Stellan Skarsgard was born on June 13, 1951 in Gothenberg, Sweden. He became a teen star in 1968 after playing the title role in the TV miniseries Bombi Bitt och jag.

From 1972-88, he was employed at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, where he starred in such productions as Vita rum (1988), August Strindberg's Ett drömspel (1986) and Mäster Olof (1988).

He has appeared in over fifty films since 1982. His performance in The Simple-Minded Murder (1982) garnered the actor both a Guldbagge and a Silver Berlin Bear. He also played the lead in the Oscar-nominated Oxen (1991) directed by the world-famous cinematographer Sven Nykvist.

Stellan made his foray into American film with The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988). His role as Captain Tupolev in The Hunt for Red October (1990) was supposed to be his biggest part in a Hollywood film, but unfortunately it was edited down. Instead, his breakthrough came with Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) opposite newcomer Emily Watson. He made two more films with Von Trier - Dancer in the Dark (2000) and Dogville (2003).

Following Breaking the Waves, Stellan landed several supporting roles in high profile American films such as Good Will Hunting (1997), Amistad (1997) and Ronin (1998).

He has also taken on leading roles in both American and international cinema, such as Insomnia (1997), Aberdeen (2000), The Glass House (2001) and Exorcist: The Beginning (2004).

Stellan is married to My Skarsgård, a doctor. They have six children - Alexander (b.1976), Gustaf (b.1980), Sam (b.1982), Bill (b.1990), 'Eija (b.1992) and Valter (b.1995). Both Alexander and Gustaf are actors. And, following in his father's footsteps, Gustaf starred in an Oscar-nominated film from Sweden - he played "Otto Silverhielm" in the 2003 film Ondskan.

Filmography

• Mamma Mia! (2008)
• Arn - Tempelriddaren (2007)
• Waz (2007)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
• Goya's Ghosts (2006)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
• Kill Your Darlings (2006)
• 3 & 3 (2005)
• Torte Bluma (2005)
• Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
• Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
• Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
• King Arthur (2004)
• Eiffeltornet (2004)
• Dogville (2003)
• Helen of Troy (2003)
• Att döda ett barn (2003)
• City of Ghosts (2002)
• The House on Turk Street (2002)
• D-dag - Den færdige film (2001)
• The Glass House (2001)
• Taking Sides (2001)
• Powder Keg (2001)
• Aberdeen (2000)
• Harlan County War (2000)
• Dancer in the Dark (2000)
• Timecode (2000)
• Signs & Wonders (2000)
• Passion of Mind (2000)
• D-dag - Lise (2000)
• D-dag (2000)
• Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2000)
• Deep Blue Sea (1999)
• Ronin (1998)
• Savior (1998)
• Glasblåsarns barn (1998)
• Amistad (1997)
• Good Will Hunting (1997)
• My Son the Fanatic (1997)
• "Riget II" (1997)
• Insomnia (1997)
• Breaking the Waves (1996)
• Harry och Sonja (1996)
• Hundarna i Riga (1995)
• Kjærlighetens kjøtere (1995)
• Jönssonligans största kupp (1995)
• "Rapport till himlen" (1994)
• Sista dansen (1993)
• Polis polis potatismos (1993)
• Kådisbellan (1993)
• Wind (1992)
• Demokratiske terroristen, Den (1992)
• Oxen (1991)
• God afton, Herr Wallenberg - En Passionshistoria från verkligheten (1990)
• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• "S*M*A*S*H" (1990)
• Parker Kane (1990)
• Förhöret (1989)
• Kvinnorna på taket (1989)
• Vildanden (1989)
• Täcknamn Coq Rouge (1989)
• S/Y Glädjen (1989)
• The Perfect Murder (1988)
• Friends (1988)
• Vargens tid (1988)
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
• Hip hip hurra! (1987)
• Jim & piraterna Blom (1987)
• Ormens väg på hälleberget (1986)
• Pelle Svanslös i Amerikatt (1985)
• Falsk som vatten (1985)
• "August Strindberg: Ett liv" (1985)
• Tragiska historien om Hamlet - Prins av Danmark, Den (1985)
• Noon Wine (1985)
• Åke och hans värld (1984)
• Hustruskolan (1983)
• P & B (1983)
• "Farmor och vår herre" (1983)
• Enfaldige mördaren, Den (1982)
• Olsson per sekund eller Det finns ingen anledning till oro (1981)
• "Babels hus" (1981)
• "Skärp dig, älskling" (1981)
• Kyssen (1981)
• Hemåt i natten (1977)
• Tabu (1977)
• The Intruders (1974)
• Anita - ur en tonårsflickas dagbok (1973)
• Bröllopet (1973)
• Fem døgn i august (1973)
• Åttonde budet (1973)
• Magnetisören (1972)
• Firmafesten (1972)
• Strandhugg i somras (1972)
• "Bombi Bitt och jag" (5 episodes, 1968)

Awards

• European Film Academy Award Achievement in World Cinema "Amistad" and "Good Will Hunting" 1998
• Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actor "The Simple-Minded Murderer" 1982