Alexander Skarsgård’s New Makeup-Heavy Role Sounds Even Wilder Than Dad Stellan’s Pirates Of The Caribbean Transformation

by

The Skarsgård family is known for actors who dramatically change their appearance for roles. Stellan Skarsgård famously spent a lot of time each day getting covered in fake barnacles to play Bootstrap Bill Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Now, it seems his son, Alexander Skarsgård, has gone even further, taking on a role that required him to be completely covered in prosthetic makeup.

Actor Joe Manganiello, known for his role in True Blood (now streaming on HBO Max), recently talked to Variety about his career in a detailed interview. He discussed several projects, including his upcoming film Wicker, where he plays a strange creature made of plants who develops a surprising connection with a character portrayed by Olivia Colman. He explained that the role was both emotionally and physically demanding.

The wicker was stuck to my face, and then they glued my eyelids and lips shut. This caused my eyes to dry out, and I was unable to eat, drink, or even sweat.

During extended filming, Skarsgård was largely confined to embodying the character, needing to express himself through dramatic physicality instead of facial expressions. This limitation made even basic scenes incredibly physically demanding.

It’s not surprising that people compared his work to his father’s. Stellan Skarsgård’s makeup for Pirates of the Caribbean is famous – each barnacle was painstakingly glued on. However, the Northman actor, who enjoys playfully teasing his father, was quick to explain that the two roles presented very different challenges, and said:

This was much faster than when Dad worked on Pirates of the Caribbean. He used to spend seven or eight hours getting his makeup done, but this time, the whole process took just over an hour.

It’s remarkable that the makeup process was reduced to just one hour. However, speeding up the prep didn’t make the day any simpler. Once the actor was fully transformed into Murderbot, there were no breaks or adjustments allowed. They prioritized speed over comfort, and after two weeks of filming, the actor needed an entire week for their skin to recover from the adhesive.

The injury really made me think about how Alexander Skarsgård approached his role in The Legend of Tarzan. Because half his face was paralyzed, he couldn’t use those tiny, nuanced expressions he’s so good at. He had to really go for it – bigger movements, more energy – to make sure the audience could read his performance, especially when acting across from someone as understated as Colman. It was fascinating to see how he adapted!

Bill Skarsgård’s willingness to take on difficult roles makes sense given his recent work. He’s consistently chosen parts – like the unsettling tech CEO in Succession and the boundary-pushing characters in films like Infinity Pool and Pillion – that go against typical Hollywood leading-man roles. It’s clear he’s more interested in interesting work than playing it safe.

It’s hard to miss the family connection: Stellan Skarsgård’s heavily made-up roles, Bill’s iconic transformations into characters like Pennywise and Count Orlok, and now Alexander’s latest part all share a common thread. For the Skarsgårds, elaborate makeup isn’t just about creating a visual effect – it’s about completely becoming the character. Alexander follows suit in this film, though his transformation feels particularly intense and confining.

People won’t truly understand how remarkable this film is until Wicker is released in 2026. It will first premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the USA on January 24, 2026, and will then be shown in theaters more broadly later that year.

Read More

2026-01-22 02:38