Alexander Skarsgård addresses comments he made about his sexuality while promoting his new BDSM movie, Pillion.
Skarsgård, 49, was asked at the 2025 Zurich Film Festival what he brings from his own life to the upcoming film, which follows the shy Colin (Henry Melling) when he meets unsuspecting biker Ray (Skarsgård), who initiates him into a submissive relationship.
“I mean, I have a son, but what I’ve done in the past, who I’ve been with, men, women…” Skarsgård explained at the time. “For me, the important thing was that this felt like an opportunity to tell a story about a subculture that I hadn’t seen represented in this way, with such authenticity.”
Some fans took the actor’s explanation as confirmation of his alleged bisexuality. However, when asked in an interview with Variety Posted on Tuesday, January 20, Skarsgård clarified that he was simply trying to decenter his own personal experience when explaining the film’s premise.
Alexander Skarsgård brought an added touch to his latest red carpet appearance. Skarsgård, 49, attended the premiere of his film Pillion at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday, October 18, showing off his rather impressive physique. Skarsgård donned a halter-style sleeveless shirt that flaunted her toned biceps, which she wore with a pair of […]
“Oh. That resonated with my past? That was definitely not an intentional statement,” said the Big little lies the star told the outlet when asked about his previous comments. “I don’t know what he was talking about. Maybe it has to do with… sometimes there’s a lot of focus on me as an actor. Maybe it was trying to shift the focus more toward the story and these characters. And the importance of telling the story this way.”
This isn’t the first time Skarsgård has made headlines for his comments on the film. He true blood The alum previously spoke about why he was “excited” to film Pillion’s graphic sex scenes with co-star Melling, noting that the film deviates from the typical construction of how intimate moments are typically seen on screen.
“I was excited because [the sex scenes] they are interesting [in Pillion]”, said The Hollywood Reporter in September 2025. “And that’s pretty rare. Most sex scenes on screen are pretty boring and sanitized.”
Skarsgård added that the sex scenes do not shy away from the “awkwardness” of many intimate situations, which he appreciates.
“We really leaned into the authenticity, the awkwardness of sex, which I thought was really fun and sweet,” she explained. “It’s pretty rare to have a sex scene that actually has an emotional journey. There are things happening and they’re erotic and sexy, but then they’re awkward and then they’re funny. I think [director Harry Lighton] He gave us a lot of confidence. We feel very comfortable. There was no concern upon entering. Quite the opposite. “We were excited to participate.”
When asked if any sex scenes were deemed too explicit for the final cut of Pillion, Skarsgård said with a laugh: “Oh yeah, we have some extra scenes that we’ve saved for the special Christmas edition, a triple-X version for the kids.”
Pillion is based on the author. Adam Mars-Jones’ Novel winner of the Ediciones Fitzcarraldo Novel Prize 2020 Box Hill. The book was also shortlisted by the Royal Society of Literature as one of the best British novels of 2021.
Alexander Skarsgård revealed that he is “very excited” to film “graphic” sex scenes. The Big Little Lies alum, 49, and his co-star Harry Melling have multiple intimate scenes in their critically acclaimed romantic drama Pillion, which chronicles a BDSM relationship between a motorcycle gang leader (Skarsgård) and a shy young man (Melling) who lives with his terminal. […]
In his months promoting the film, Skarsgård has been praised for his methodical fashion choices, often appearing on red carpets wearing bondage-themed outfits. while talking to Variety On Monday, he admitted that clothing isn’t his usual forte, but something he’s been playing with more recently.
“I never buy clothes. If you saw my closet, my wardrobe is very limited,” she confessed. “I’m not a big fashion consumer. I don’t spend money on expensive brands. I really enjoy their creativity, but it’s not like I’m buying these outfits. I guess it’s something I’ve leaned into a little more lately.”
Pillion hits theaters on February 6.
