The Skarsgård Family: Meet Stellan and His Famous Acting Children

If you’ve turned on a movie or binged a prestige TV show in the last 20 years, chances are high you’ve watched at least one Skarsgård.

From Swedish arthouse cinema to massive Hollywood franchises like Dune, IT, Succession and Vikings, the Skarsgård family has built one of the most successful acting dynasties in entertainment. Headed by legendary patriarch Stellan Skarsgård, this Swedish family counts eight children, multiple Golden Globe wins and a surprisingly supportive sibling dynamic despite working in the same cutthroat industry.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Skarsgård family tree, including who acts, who chose a completely different career path and how they all stay so close.

Related: Alexander Skarsgård Reveals What Is ‘Intimidating’ About New Role

Who is Stellan Skarsgård?

Before his kids started landing superhero blockbusters and HBO series, Stellan Skarsgård was already a household name in Sweden and a sought-after actor internationally. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1951, Stellan began his career as a teen star in Swedish television before making a major leap into American films.

Moviegoers know him best as Dr. Erik Selvig in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bootstrap Bill Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, Bill Anderson in Mamma Mia!, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune series and Luthen Rael in Disney’s Andor. He also won a Golden Globe for his role in HBO’s critically acclaimed miniseries Chernobyl.

Despite his global fame, Stellan kept his family grounded in Stockholm, raising his children with an open-door policy that emphasized creativity and independent thinking over strict Hollywood rules.

Who are Stellan Skarsgård’s wives?

Stellan has been married twice. He married his first wife, My Skarsgård, a physician, in 1975. The couple had six children together before divorcing in 2007 after 32 years of marriage.

In 2009, Stellan married producer and screenwriter Megan Everett. The couple resides primarily in Sweden and has two children together, bringing Stellan’s total count to eight kids.

Related: Stellan Skarsgård Sparks Debate With Controversial Take on Why He Avoids TV Roles

How many children does Stellan Skarsgård have?

Stellan has eight children across his two marriages. In order of age, they are:

• Alexander Skarsgård (born 1976)

• Gustaf Skarsgård (born 1980)

• Sam Skarsgård (born 1982)

• Bill Skarsgård (born 1990)

• Eija Skarsgård (born 1992)

• Valter Skarsgård (born 1995)

• Ossian Skarsgård (born 2009)

• Kolbjörn Skarsgård (born 2012)

Which Skarsgård siblings are actors?

Six of Stellan’s eight children have followed him into the family business.

Alexander Skarsgård

The eldest of the Skarsgård kids, Alexander started acting as a child in Sweden before quitting at age 13 due to intense public attention. After serving in the Swedish Navy and attending college, he returned to acting and broke out globally as the brooding vampire Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood.

Since then, Alexander has become an A-list leading man. He’s won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Perry Wright in Big Little Lies, starred in The Northman, played tech mogul Lukas Matsson in Succession and appeared in Godzilla vs. Kong.

Gustaf Skarsgård

The second-oldest brother, Gustaf, studied at the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts and built a strong reputation on the Swedish stage and screen before expanding internationally.

Historical drama fans recognize Gustaf for his long-running role as the eccentric shipbuilder Floki on the History Channel’s Vikings. He also played Karl Strand in Season 2 of HBO’s Westworld and appeared as physicist Hans Bethe in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer.

Bill Skarsgård

Bill has carved out a distinct niche as one of Hollywood’s go-to actors for unsettling and complex roles. He gained worldwide fame for playing Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the blockbuster film adaptations of Stephen King‘s IT and IT Chapter Two.

Bill has built an impressive resume across genres, starring in Barbarian, John Wick: Chapter 4, the 2024 reboot of The Crow and Robert Eggers‘ Gothic horror film Nosferatu.

Related: Bill Skarsgård’s Full-Body ‘Nosferatu’ Prosthetics Left Him Afraid He Might Die (Exclusive)

Valter Skarsgård

The youngest son from Stellan’s first marriage, Valter is a well-established actor in Sweden. He’s starred in numerous Scandinavian films and television shows, including Lords of Chaos, Funhouse and the Swedish thriller series Beck.

Ossian and Kolbjörn Skarsgård

Stellan’s two youngest sons with Megan Everett are already following the family tradition. Ossian starred in the Swedish film Burn All My Letters alongside his older brother Bill, while Kolbjörn appeared in the Netflix crime series Clark as a young version of the title character, who was also played by older brother Bill.

Which Skarsgård children do not act?

Two of Stellan’s children chose paths outside the spotlight:

• Sam Skarsgård: Followed in his mother My’s footsteps to become a medical doctor, working in an intensive care unit in Stockholm. The family has joked in interviews that Sam is the only child who provides a genuinely essential service to society.

• Eija Skarsgård: The only daughter in the family, Eija worked as a professional model for several years, starting at age 14, before transitioning to a career as a nightclub manager, event organizer and casting director.

Are the Skarsgård siblings competitive with each other?

With four adult brothers working as internationally recognized actors, fans often wonder if sibling rivalry runs high at Skarsgård family dinners. According to the family, the opposite is true.

The siblings have noted in interviews that while there’s healthy ribbing among the brothers, their father set a standard early on that encouraged mutual support rather than competition. And because each brother gravitated toward distinct roles—from Alexander’s dramatic leading roles to Bill’s transformative genre work and Gustaf’s character studies—they rarely compete for the same parts.

“It’s inevitable that you compare yourself to your siblings,” Gustaf told Fox News in 2017. “But we take it kind of lightly. We can laugh about it. And we can jokingly check who’s the highest ranking on IMDB at the moment.”

“We are a very tight-knit family,” Bill explained to Café (in Swedish). “And it is largely thanks to Dad that we have a very strong family core.”

During major awards shows, family holidays or red carpet premieres in Stockholm and Los Angeles, the siblings are frequently spotted supporting one another’s projects, keeping Hollywood’s most talent-packed family remarkably grounded.

Related: Who Is Alexander Skarsgård Dating? All About His Actress-Director Girlfriend

This article was drafted with the assistance of AI and thoroughly reviewed, edited and fact-checked by Parade editors. See our complete AI Policy.

This story was originally published by Parade on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.