It’s not every day you hear an A-list actor casually touch on their sexual history in a way that makes the entire internet hit the pause button. But Alexander Skarsgård, the Swedish heartthrob famous for sinking his fangs into True Blood’s Eric Northman, did just that during a recent appearance at the Zurich Film Festival. And yes, fans are absolutely losing it.
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So, what happened? Skarsgård is in the midst of promoting Pillion, a new film in which he plays a leather-clad, kinky gay biker named—wait for it—Pillion, who embarks on a D/s relationship with an awkward but endearing wallflower named Colin (played by Harry Melling). A dynamic that, for many, makes True Blood’s vampire drama look downright tame.
When Skarsgård sat down for a chat about his role, he made a rather offhand remark that immediately had everyone leaning in. In response to a question about what drew him to the project, he said, “I found that in this case, it’s not really relevant what my background is. I mean, I do have a kid, but what I’ve done in the past, who I’ve been with, men, women… To me, what was important was that this felt like an opportunity to tell a story about a subculture I hadn’t seen portrayed this way — with so much authenticity.” (Yep, you read that right—men, women… hmm.)
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At first glance, the statement seems pretty chill, right? He’s saying that his past is irrelevant to the role, which, on the surface, is a pretty standard actor response. But it’s the way he phrased it—“who I’ve been with, men, women”—that had fans rushing to Twitter to make one very loud assumption: Did Alexander Skarsgård just casually come out?
Now, to be fair, there’s another way to interpret this. It’s entirely possible he just meant to convey that his past relationships, regardless of gender, don’t matter for the role. But let’s be real, sometimes in life you have to make a choice, and when a gorgeous, accomplished actor says something like that, well… people are gonna choose the interpretation that sparks joy (and a lot of gossip).
But wait, the story doesn’t end there. Skarsgård kept the flames of speculation burning when he casually dropped a bombshell later on in the conversation. When asked about his familiarity with the world of leather gays, he admitted, “I have a little bit of experience from that world”—cue the collective queer gasp. That was followed by a sharp rebuttal to the notion that kink communities are inherently “dark” or “scary,” which, given his openness, felt like a subtle but important message.
Still, it was his off-the-cuff remark about “a joint after-party with a Nigerian film where homosexuality is illegal” that really caught everyone’s attention. With a grin, he continued, “It was the first Nigerian film ever to play at Cannes Film Festival, so there were ambassadors and politicians from Nigeria—we had our kinky gay bikers in leather harnesses and Paul in his pup mask. It was pretty beautiful to watch.” If nothing else, Skarsgård’s storytelling here was a mic-drop moment that left fans both impressed and in awe of his unapologetic approach to discussing sexuality.
So, what’s really going on here? Did Skarsgård just “accidentally” come out? Probably not. But was there an unintentional wink in his comments, enough to get the LGBTQ+ community buzzing? Absolutely. It’s not about the label, but rather the freedom to live and love as we please, a message Skarsgård seems more than happy to let slip during a conversation about kink, leather, and authenticity.
And, let’s face it, with the internet buzzing over this moment, Skarsgård might just become the latest addition to the ever-growing list of celebrities who “accidentally” open the door a little wider for the queer community. As far as the rest of us are concerned, it’s a welcome entry, and honestly, we’re all here for it.
Will this fuel more speculation about his sexuality? Probably. But isn’t it refreshing to see an actor just… exist without all the boxes? Let’s all take a collective breath and embrace the beauty of ambiguity. Because, ultimately, isn’t it time we let people just be?
Source: Variety