Stellan Skarsgard Biography (2)

Stellan Skarsgård became a familiar figure to audiences around the world after playing opposite Emily Watson in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves, although American audiences may know him best for his roles in such films as Good Will Hunting (as Professor Lambeau), Steven Spielberg's Amistad and The Hunt for Red October (as Captain Tupolev).

As a native of Sweden, Skarsgård is considered one of the country's top stage and film actors. He began his career with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm where he spent sixteen years working with such leading directors as Alf Sjoberg and Ingmar Bergman. His breakthrough role came in the 1982 Swedish film The Simpleminded Murderer, for which he received the Best Actor award at the Berlin Film Festival. He later received his second Best Actor award for his role as Swedish super-agent Carl Hamilton in Code Name Coq Rouge.

Since then Skarsgård has starred in such films as My Son the Fanatic, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Ronin and Timecode as well as the original Insomnia. Skarsgård was most recently seen in City of Ghosts, starring Matt Dillon, James Caan and Gerard Depardieu; and starring in Dogville, which re-teamed him with director Lars von Trier in a film co-starring Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany with Lauren Becall. He will next star in Jerry Bruckheimer's legendary King Arthur as Cedric for director Antoine Fuqua alongside Clive Owen and Keira Knightley.

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