How Alexander Skarsgård found himself ‘naked on top of an erupting volcano’ in The Northman

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård opened up about how he found himself “naked on top of an erupting volcano” in the hit movie, The Northman.

In the movie, Alexander stars as a viking prince determined to avenge his father’s murder.

According to the press release, it was not easy for Alexander to bring his character to life as it had many physical demands, including hand-to-hand fighting, leaping across rooftops, mounting a fortress wall during a viking raid, and participating in the brutal lacrosse-like ball game known as Knattleikr.

“The closing fight sequence was the [wildest] thing I’ve ever shot. We’re naked on top of an erupting volcano,” Alexander said.

The movie director, Robert Eggers, said they wanted to make The Northman the most historically accurate and grounded viking film of all time.

“I wanted to capture, without judgment, the inner world of the viking mind, their beliefs, mythology, and ritual life. That would mean the supernatural would be as realistic as the ordinary in this film for so it was for them,” Robert said, as quoted in a press release.

Speaking about the vikings’ beliefs, Alexander explained: “The vikings believed that some people had a spirit of animals living within them that would manifest itself… in different ways… In Amleth’s case, it’s both wolf and bear — Beowulf, if you will. Before the [film’s] big raid on the Slav village, we watch him take on the strength and ferocity of a bear combined with the agility and nimbleness of a wolf.”

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About ‘The Northman’

The statement shares that the Swedish actor spent ten years developing a viking project before having lunch with director Robert to discuss what would become The Northman.

Robert said Alexander was smart to develop a viking movie for himself because he’s the perfect person for it, physically.

“He’s a 6-foot-4 Nordic actor who can transform his body into this ferocious machine. Alex was totally fearless as he was bringing Amleth to life, and through hard work he became a viking,” he added.

This year, The Northman was nominated for Best Fantasy Movie at the Critics’ Choice Super Awards, where Alexander was also nominated for Best Actor.

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