Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård has been captivating audiences for decades after starting his career on Swedish television at a young age. Transitioning to films and eventually Hollywood projects, he’s earned a reputation as a highly talented actor with a diverse filmography. Currently, he’s receiving praise for his portrayal of the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two.
Skarsgård is known for his dedication to his craft, fully immersing himself in each character he plays. This commitment was no exception when he took on the complex role of Baron Harkonnen. The transformation he underwent to physically embody the character left a lasting impression on viewers. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actor talked about one particular movie he did with late actor Robin Willaims.
Stellan Skarsgård Talks About Working with Late Robin Williams
In the late 1990s, during his mid-forties, Stellan Skarsgård had a remarkable opportunity that would leave a lasting impact on his career. The offer was to portray Prof. Gerald Lambeau in the cinematic masterpiece, Good Will Hunting. What drew Skarsgård to this project was the undeniable quality of the script, which he described as “very good.” Intrigued by the story and the potential of the film, he gladly accepted the role
Talking about the late Robin Willaims, who played Sean Maguire, a psychology teacher at Bunker Hill Community College, Skarsgård called him a “fantastic man.” In the interview with Vanity Fair, he said:
“Robin Williams is a fantastic man. He’s like he has three brains working high speed at the same time.”
Speaking about Williams’ comic sense, Skarsgård stated that he is not funny when someone sits alone with him,
“And there are funny things coming out all the time. I think it’s a sort of security thing because he is not that funny when you are alone with him, and then when the more people comes, he become more funny.“
He went on to say,
“He improvised a lot. You didn’t know exactly what was gonna happen in the scene, and I liked that, all actors told, but suddenly he was sounded like another actor, like a director he knew or something. It was something weird going on all the time. And we had a lot of fun so we laughed a lot, but eventually, of course, we had to retake many of those scenes.”
The legendary comedian and actor won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in Good Will Hunting. His portrayal of Dr. Sean Maguire, in the movie, is generally considered to be a very accurate depiction of a therapist.
Stellan Skarsgård Was Pretty Much Enchanted by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Stellan Skarsgård wasn’t just drawn to the captivating script of Good Will Hunting. He was also impressed by the young talent behind it: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Expressing his admiration for the duo and acknowledging their pivotal roles in the success of the 1997 Oscar-winning masterpiece, Skarsgård shared:
“I liked them very much,” revealed Skarsgård. “It was obvious that they were very talented and it made me very happy later on that when the film was such a success, it gave them more possibilities to work.”
Skarsgård’s ability to recognize talent and appreciate good work speaks volumes about his own legendary status in the entertainment industry.
You can stream Good Will Hunting on Netflix.
