Happy Sad Confused - Alexander Skarsgard, Vol. III

Episode Date: May 15, 2025

Sure, Alexander Skarsgard can be the leading man of your dreams but what he really wants to do is play a socially awkward android. And that's what he's doing in MURDERBOT, his new Apple series. He joins Josh at this live taping at the 92nd Street Y to discuss his journey from TRUE BLOOD to BIG LITTLE LIES to THE NORTHMAN to here, plus why he's more competitive with his dad than his brother. UPCOMING EVENTS 28 YEARS LATER Q&A with Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, & Danny Boyle 6/1 in NY -- ⁠tickets here⁠ Gary Oldman in LA 6/3 -- ⁠⁠⁠tickets here⁠⁠ Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Conditions apply, visit your local Volvo retailer or go to explorevolvo.com. Calling all Booklovers. The Toronto International Festival of Authors brings you a world of stories all in one place. Discover five days of readings, talks, workshops and more with over 100 authors from around the world, including Rachel Maddow, Ketouru Isaku and Kieran Desai.

The Toronto International Festival of Authors, October 29th to November 2nd. Details and tickets at Festivalof Authors.ca. Sexier Vampire, Eric from True Blood or Bill Scarsguards, Nesferatu. Nusferatu, that's like, pure sex, right there? Yeah. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now.

Hey, guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused with Mr. Alexander Scarfews. guard on today's episode that tall drink of water who happens to be an amazing actor starring the new apple tv plus series murder bot this is a fun one coming at you in just a moment before we get to alexander though as always a bunch of reminders for some really cool events coming up and opportunities for you guys as always if you like what i'm doing over here hit us up on our patreon that's where we're doing we're actually doing a lot of cool stuff right now we have a new offer that is just out for folks that want to subscribe

and get exclusive autographed posters from the likes of Tom Hiddleston and Austin Butler and I mean, Glenn Powell, it's like there are a dozen, 25 different options there for you guys. So check out patreon.com slash happy, say I confused for some exclusive offers and early access to all the stuff we do here, including discount codes for our live events. And we have a couple of live events that I want to mention quickly. June 1st, New York City, come on out because Jody, Comer, Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Danny Boyle are joining me to talk 28 years later. Maybe my most anticipated film of the year. Top three.

It's certainly one that I've been waiting for for many years. And this cast is stellar. So Happy Danny is back in the fold. Can't wait for this one. And that's an early sneak peek. We're going to show some clips. Have a great chat. Information on how to attend that event is in the show.

Then Los Angeles, hear me out. I'm coming your way. June 3rd with a icon, a legend. Gary Oldman, couldn't be more excited for this one. Gary shaped my love of acting, filmmaking, what he is able to do. He's a chameleon. He's obviously now on slow horses, killing it there, but we're going to talk about his career from Batman, Harry Potter, the professional, true romance, JFK, Sid and Nancy. I mean, I could rattle off a dozen more great Gary Oldman performances. June 3rd, Los Angeles. Tickets are going pretty quickly. Already, I think, our tier one, our front tickets are sold out. So, but it's a small theater. It's a relatively small theater. So get in on that.

Los Angeles, spread the good word. Gary Oldman, live on stage. It's going to be a special night. Okay. Today, we're talking about Alexander Scarsgaard. He is currently starring in a new series. It's really cool. It's called MurderBot.

It's based on a series of novellas. that has, I think, a big following, as I understand it. He plays an android, a adrogynous android, who really doesn't want to have anything to do with human beings. It is satirical, funny, smart, weird, has some action in there. It's a lot of different things. It's a big swing, and it's no surprise that Alexander was attracted to this material because he has such cool, interesting taste as an actor. this is a live recording we did at the 9 2nd Street Y in New York so you're going to hear the excited audience that came out for Alex and they had just seen the first two episodes of Murder Bot which drops on Apple TV Plus May 16th so check it out and this is a great conversation about the show but also of course we talk things like true blood and the Northman which I continue to be obsessed with he's got a really dry fun sense of humor that I always enjoy I think you're gonna dig this one.

Alexander Scarsgard and me taped at the 90 Second Street Y in New York City. Enjoy. Hello. Hi, everybody. Okay, save it for Alex. He needs it more than I do. Thank you guys so much for coming out tonight. I'm Josh Horowitz.

I host a podcast called Happy Set Confused. And this is a live taping of the podcast. Welcome to it, guys. This is going to be a lot of fun. Alexander Scarsguard is a fantastic talent. I don't need to tell you guys that. You've just seen his latest fantastic show for Apple TV Plus. It's called Murder Bot.

This New York audience got a sneak peek. Did you like? Yes, you did. Of course you did. The show premieres May 16th for the rest of the world, but they got a sneak peek because they're special. I don't need to sell you an Alexander Scars guy. This guy can do everything.

He can be a hero in Tarzan. He can be an idiot in Zoolander. He can be a vampire in true blood. He can be a berserkerkerker. be a berserker warrior in the Northman. Big little Y's succession. Let's just bring him on out. Alexander Scarsgaard, everybody.

Here he is. I was supposed to say the greatest living actor. I just remembered that. You didn't say that? Yeah. Do you want to do it again? No, I wrote the notes before here, so. Yeah.

Welcome back. Good to see you. Thanks for having you back. Thank you guys. For the record, I'm not that short. He's just that tall. I just want it clear. When did the growth spurt happen?

Was it like six inches over one summer? Did it all happen? No, I was kind of always pretty, my dad, who's also almost my height. Yes, my dad. He was very short until he was 16, and then he grew like this much of our summer, but I was always quite tall. Do your shorter co-stars resent you?

Are there a lot of Apple boxes involved in kind of just making sure the eyewines work? I mean, that has to be legitimately a source of... Yeah, I've had ditches being dug for myself, so I can walk in a trench. Scarsguard Ditch, the famous Scarsguard Ditch. Yeah, yeah. All right, before we get to murder, Bach,

congratulations, I was telling you, this is a really unusual fun show. I want to show you an image, and I just want you to explain yourself. We've never talked about this. This is your IMDB profile photo. Tell me what this is about. So, do you have power over controlling your own IMDB profile photo? Because you're a powerful Hollywood big shot. Apparently, this is the most powerful.

popular photo of on my I and V page, so it comes up. Is that how it works? I think so. Do we want to explain the context? Do we need to? Right. It's fashion. Okay.

Would you rather do this without your pants on the podcast tonight? It's liberating. No, that was for... I forgot. No, it was for... How often do you show up at events without your pants that you remember... I know why I had that stupid idea. It was because it was like MTV Movie Awards in L.A.

And the year prior to this photo was taken, Zach Ephraim, Zach Ephron had taken a shirt off at that award show. And then I had the stupid idea. I was like, well, I also want to show some skin. Right. But I wouldn't take my shirt off because that's been done, so then I'll take my pants off instead.

I thought it was funny, but now I'm going to live. This is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. We can take it off the screen. And now we... All right. And now that it's off the screen, I can mention that the... Well, you've seen the first two episodes of the show, and my good friend, Mr. Jack McBere, who's on the show.

It's actually his underwear I'm wearing in that photo. So those tidy whitties were Jacks. Love it. Because I was living in New York at the time, and the show was in L.A., and I was saying it's Jack's house, and I wanted to wear crisp, nice, white underwear for that look. And Jack is the go-to guy for me.

Jack provided. I was very happy to see Jack pop up in this. I know you guys are close. When did The Love Affair with Jack McPraer again? You guys clearly have a type of time. We met on, he did a movie called, was it movie 42? Yeah, yeah, that small film. Skits, like, yeah.

Yeah, so he did a scene. for that with my at the time girlfriend. And I came to sit, to visit. And then, six months later, I did not have a girlfriend. But you're still at Jack. 50 years later, I still have Jack. Yeah. Amazing.

Okay, let's spread the good word of this very, very cool show. Murder Bot, I have to admit, when I heard the name, Murder Bot, heard you were cast, I'm like, okay, this is a Robocop kind of thing. Robocop kind of thing. It's going to be a killing machine. I'm down with that. It's going to be fun. That's not the show.

What did you think when you heard the name? I had the same reaction. I was expecting something, yeah, kind of way more of a self-confident protagonist, a strong, tough, self-assured, kind of assertive. So I wasn't familiar with Martha Wells' novels, the novellas, before Chris and Paul White's, the writers reached out. So yeah, I went into it going, all right, sci-fi action adventure, murder bot.

I don't know. And then you meet this socially awkward android who just wants to watch space soap operas. And I was like, I love this character. Most relatable character of your career. Yeah, I really did. And then I went back and I read All Systems read the first novella that the first season,

first season is based on and yeah I was in I just thought it was such a unique weird different character do you do you like to know like why people think of you for something because you know like I could imagine you asking Chris and Paul okay adrogynous a socially awkward robot why me like or do you not even want to know no well and who passed before you came to me Give me the long list of actors that didn't want to do this. That's what goes through my head every time, yeah. Yeah, no, I, no, I don't. I'm too insecure for that.

So what was the opportunity on the page when you read this that excited you in terms, from an acting perspective? Well, I came off the Northman in infinity pool. And to incredible experiences. pretty draining and intense and dark twisted characters and this was just totally so different and I thought it was funny

and irreverent and weird and then I really enjoyed my conversations with Chris and Paul I really I thought they were so smart and lovely and funny and there was an opportunity to do and again the fact that it went in a completely different direction

that I expected and it was big fun action impact sci-fi, but again, centered around this really weird, unexpected protagonist and its relationship with this team of scientists. Is the prep different for something like this? I mean, you know, we've talked about these very physical roles throughout your career, whether it's the Northman and Tarzan and what there's so much about that as the physicality, and the physicality is important here, surely, but I don't know, I would imagine

there's like a different set of assignments for this. You can't write like a back story. You can't do a diary for the murder bot. No, not really. I mean, its memory was wiped, so, like, it was just like, and that was great for a lazy actor. I know. I mean, I'd love to do prep, but my memory was wiped, so.

You made the choice, not me. Yeah. No, and I wanted it to be, I thought about the way Mertabai would communicate. I wanted to be very, A strong contrast between the way it communicates with the team members and the way the inner monologue, the voiceover goes. Like, I wanted that to be a very different cadence in it. And in a sparsity to it, like, that it's a certain economy to the way, like, it only speaks when it absolutely has to.

And it's very transactional. It's giving or receiving orders. It's not, as you can see, it doesn't like chit-chat or like small talk or any, like it's, and that kind of informed the physicality as well. I wanted it to be, there's nothing unnecessary about it. It's all very deliberate, but you only move when you have to move. And in that regard, the space condom helped because it was very rigid. Is that what we call it? Well, it's like, it looks cool, but underneath it's like thick latex.

You know, so it's like, it was rigid. And that helps. So it's like, yeah, with that kind of, for the posture. Do you pre-record the voiceover? Like, how are you playing to that? Because, yes, you are, you have kind of two different stories going. You have the physicality playing off of narration and vice versa. How do you accomplish that?

How do you make sure they sync up? We still haven't cracked that. I'm still trying to figure that. It's not true. But it was kind of trial by error, and it would be, whatever served the scene sometimes we would pause

and someone would read it off camera sometimes I would just like think it in my head and we would and sometimes we wouldn't even take even if it was a long chunk of voiceover we wouldn't

we would just like play through it with the other actors and then like have enough coverage that you in post could make sure that you had enough space for those moments. But it was kind of whatever we needed. Sometimes we tried it without

the voiceover when there was actually because obviously the other characters can't hear it but there were moments where they would be like actually can we have someone the first day you would just read it off camera because it would like it helps us with timing and stuff. Yeah I always think

of like I've been on I've been able to visit a few sets and always makes me laugh when I see like a scene where there's like you're in a club, there's, like, a dance sequence, and there's no music playing. That's always the case, yeah. It's horrifying. It's absolutely, like, that's the acting challenge. Yeah, and they ask you to dance, and there's no music, you're like, it's rough.

Hard enough with the music, taken away, it's torture. I do, as much as I love this show, I just, I think I want a full series of the rise and fall of sanctuary moon. I mean, that's the show. That is the show. That's my show. Yeah, so even if Myrdebot doesn't get picked up for second season, Sanctra Moon will. That does feel like, I don't think it's in the episodes. I don't want to ruin too much, but you like a good crazy wig, I feel like.

You like a nice different one. Yeah. Your sucker for that. Oh, yeah, that's in a later episode. Yeah. Yeah. Tees, coming up, this guy in a weird wig. It's something, yeah, there might be a little cameo moment there.

So, yeah, I mean, you're removed from that. So are you just enjoying that as just like, I mean, you got to see Jack and friends in that. Oh, it was the best. It was, I was very, very excited when Jack wanted, we shot it in Toronto, and he flew up and to do that. And it was just such a fun contrast to the tone of the show, the Murdabot show. So it was, in shooting those little snippets, because it's only like, we never really have a full scene. And it's just like, bits have seen, and I was just like, what happens between, because it's like, the tone is so weird and these characters and these relationships. I want to see, I want to spend a whole, like, half hour with these, with these characters.

So what, okay, what are the shows, what's the show you would sit down on the couch and happily watch and just separate yourself from society for a day or two? What's your show for shows? Kind of a sucker for any of Armandu Yanucci's work, like the thick of it or V. Those are, I think Alan Partridge, one of my all-time favorites, those would be like, that I can just go back and rewatch. Yeah. The writing is so good. It's just phenomenal. It's like one of those where I pause and rewind and just like taste the words.

the words, it's so good. That must have, succession must have fit into that for you. Well, Jesse Armstrong, who created succession, obviously, has worked with Armando. It's like that school of, yeah, that was a real treat when you had an opportunity to kind of work on text that was so phenomenal. So, because that's the classy route. You're obviously shielding us from your guilty pleasures, from your real housewives, or your, there's something else that you're not saying.

that you're not saying, that you would watch. Open your heart, open your heart. Well, I don't, I mean, and I would. You would say. I would say if I, I don't watch any reality. No reality shows. Okay. Okay.

So in terms of like guilty pleasure, I kind of got into biathlon. Like a triathlon, but a biathlon? Well, it's like they ski, and then they... It's marksmanship, and they shoot. Okay. And then they keep skiing. I'm sorry I asked.

And it was, and I don't, I'm not particularly interested in weapons nor skiing. But the combo. But the combo, guys. It was kind of fascinating, and it was like, yeah, because some of them are great skiers, and some are, but they can't shoot that well. So then, like, they're ahead, and you think they're going to win, and then they blow it, you know, they miss the target,

and then someone else is, like, not as fast, but bullseye, and then they end up winning. It's like an Olympic sport. I'm not making this up, like, you know, like, that's right, biathlon. I'm just, my internal modelogue is doing the edit point of cutting this out of the podcast. It's okay.

There are a lot of biathlon fans out there. So what would your biathlon sports be? What would your two... Well, I'm focused on this now. Skiing and shooting. Rifle. But you're not interested in actually shooting

or you're a good skier? No, but the combination, my friend. Okay. Again. Can't have one without the other. Stream regrets. When your investors, customers, and workers demand more from your business, make it happen with SAP. The AI-powered capabilities of SAP can help you streamline costs, connect with new suppliers, and manage payroll, even when your business is being pulled in different directions.

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advice do you relate to the socially awkward part about murder body you're I don't know why they're laughing obviously but your business is predicated on being charming in a room on the set at award shows when does the socially awkward side of you kick in if at all I'm not murder body is definitely more of an introvert than I am but I can 100% relate to the feeling of like Marta Bot's first scene with the whole team when the helmet is off of trying to figure out how you fit in to the room what the vibe is

the dynamic and like and it was just like like tapping into that and then really leaning into it hard like and then just like all right I've felt that but then this is an extreme version of that of like eye contact is a nightmare and like all that kind of on so like with most things like if you have one point of connection like one thread or something at least and they're like all right I can I can I got something to build on here like and then on steroids a little and then on steroids then you have like the murder about reaction to it so how are you small talk with like an actor you admire at a party

Is that something where, like, you try to initiate and then, like, you have deep regrets? I'm just, I'm saying my own problems right now. That's how I feel. Do you have that kind of thing, or you feel like you're clearly more comfortable in your own skin than I am in mind? Well, I just, like, I get filled with self-loathing if I start to... Yes, this is what I want. Yes. Like, if I start to talk about something I'm really not interested in, and I know that it's boring, but I'm doing it because,

I don't want it to be like an void of like conversation. Then I'm like, God, I've been talking about the weather for five minutes now. We're like comparing L.A. to New York again. This forced me. And then, yeah, then I can relate to Mertibot, feeling like, get me out here. Got it. You know? This character from the books, I haven't read the books.

I'll confess to that. but I know that the character doesn't mean a lot to the neurodivergent community. Is that something that's been discussed on set? It's rare to see that kind of character in the center of a story. We didn't discuss it on set or try to emphasize it necessarily on set.

I was fascinated by a character that was relatable to a lot of people who... maybe not maybe wouldn't relate to like your stereotypical action hero like again that like confident swagger of being like someone who like just own any room they walked into yeah I thought it was really refreshing to um to have a story with a protagonist that was really uncomfortable in social situations and and and I do think and hopeful a lot of people can relate to would you say you have a is your opinion of humanity in line with murder

bots opinion I mean on bad days for sure today yeah yeah yeah okay I can relate so you've shot the this first season 10 episodes you've obviously done series work in the past I mean when you sign on at something like this, you immediately see the opportunity to, I presume you'd like to do more of this. Like there's opportunity there, there's excitement there to continue with this character. Yeah, I mean, if the stars align,

if it's, we have a wealth of, Martha's written several novellas, and so there's definitely potential for other adventures. But yeah, at the same time, we gotta, like it's like one step at a time, focus on this. And then we'll see what happened.

You kind of alluded to this. I'm curious, like, how much do you find in your career, like, one role is reactive to the other? Because the last time we chatted was the Northman. The Northman. Right. So coming off of that, infinity, and then, like, these kinds of roles that couldn't be more diametrically opposed to this one. Do you find often you're like, as soon as you're done with the one thing, like, get me to the other side? Yeah, I mean, there are definitely moments where I think it's, I find it difficult to pinpoint what it is.

I think it's like an amalgamation of many different things. And where you're at in life, what goes on in your head, what you've recently worked on. In this case, it was, yeah, I think I needed a palette cleanser after a lot of psychologically disturbing characters. Even though I don't, I'm not very, I can switch off. It doesn't, like, it's not like I, right, I'm constantly, like, while shooting in the Northman,

I wasn't, like, living as a Viking berserker for a full year, like, in that head space, or pretending to be a clone for six months when we did Infinity Pool. Like, I can definitely switch on and off, or I think that's, or I have to in order to function. But, by that said, creatively, it, it made me, um, excited to kind of do something going in a different direction and discover something else and do something tonally different and this is definitely tonally different and a character that was just like sardonic and dry and all but like really kind of sweet and likable and yeah I thought that could be nice saying the Northman wasn't sweet and likable

as a sweetheart yeah he needs a hug It doesn't sound like a berserker that needs a hug. We'll do a little bit of greatest hits. We've chatted about your amazing career throughout our times together. But going back, we all know, son of the great Stellan Scarsguard, of course. When you read about your growing up with him and your mom and your brothers, I often feel like it comes up a bohemian lifestyle,

dinner parties, dad walking around naked. Are all of these three things true? and is it all a combo at the same time? Yeah. Separate things. Are there dinner parties where he's walking around naked? 100%. Okay.

Have you carried on that tradition? No, it was a lot of caffedans or preferably nude. Right. He was not a fan of clothes in his home. Right. I mean, occasionally outside as well. But yeah, no, it was all true. Your perspective in recent years, like I keep having the quote-unquote, you know, nepotism conversation, right?

Especially in recent years where it became like the New York Magazine cover story, the whole thing. And suddenly it was like, Nepo babies are the worst thing ever. I mean, you made your bones, like you established yourself through a series of really cool choices throughout your career. But I'm curious, like, your perspective on that discussion in recent years. Because you've also talked about, like, Zoolander doesn't happen unless you're in the right place at the right time. You've said that. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, I got Zoolander because my father was working on a movie in L.A.

And I was visiting. I was on vacation. I just started acting. And I didn't have representation. And my dad's manager was like, hey, I'll send you out if you're interested to an audition. I was like, oh, that sounds fun. And it happened to be for Zoolander. 100%.

So I guess my question... 100% Nepo Baby. Like, that was all like... That had not been for my dad. Got it tattooed on his back. Proud Nepo Baby. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But do you feel like, did you...

Was there a period of time where you felt you had something to prove that, like, you could stand on your own? Obviously, by now you've established yourself ten times over. But was there a period of time early in the career where you were like, I need to prove that I'm my own person as opposed to my dad's son? I think I, even though I got all those jobs because of my dad, I was adamant about not taking his advice or asking him for advice or him guiding me in my career. like I would never be like hey dad this script can you read it is this good or not should I do this or I was

to my own detriment I probably should have done that more but I was like no like I want to make those choices and even if they're terrible I want to make my own terrible choices I want to make my own terrible I'm a big boy I can make my own terrible So in that regard, I think it was to kind of like clear my own path and find my footing in a way. And should be said, we've talked about this before, it wasn't like it was smooth sailing. There was like after Zoolander, there was years of unemployment.

Yeah, I thought it would be smooth sailing because that was my first audition. Yeah, like it was easy. And it was Zoolander, Ben Stiller, like shooting here in Manhattan was amazing, amazing. And I thought it was like, this is a walk in the park. It's so easy. And like, you just walk in and go like, hey, Ryan, what's up? I'm still, I'm Stellans, kid. What's up?

Put me a job. Pour some gasoline on you and then light you on fire. That's the dream. Yeah. It's a dream. But then, yeah, after that, it was like six years of crickets. Yeah, nothing. Things started to pick up, Generation Kill, and then really.

Yeah. And then True Blood, which really is a good. Were you ready for it? I was stealing myself. How immediately did, what do you recall the early days of when that started to be broadcast? Do you remember like a palpable change in how you were perceived in public in the industry? Was it kind of a quick thing? No.

It was, so Generation Kill came out in 2008. and no one recognized me after that. It was I love that show. I'm incredibly honored and proud of being part of that. It was but it was a small, limited

series that I mean you can't compare to True Blood in terms of like it was and even after the first season of True Blood, I was, I don't know if you remember but like the first season I had a long blonde wig yep yep I remember so the show was picking up steam and was getting very popular but I would yeah I still

didn't get recognized I because my hair was short and people like that and I was only in like I think six or seven episodes the first right I noticed a difference when season two started and I Looked more like myself. And I was shooting something in Shreveport, Louisiana when, oh, ironically, where True Blood takes place. I just realized that. So we shot True Blood in L.A., but it takes place in Shreveport.

I was shooting something else in Shreveport when season 2 aired. And then, yeah, that's when I noticed that, like, What were you noticing? Like, what did you... I'm famous. Yeah, that's how I felt. Just stares, just people whispering. Yeah, yeah, were people coming to...

Because there's only one hotel in town, really, and so people would come and wait in the lobby. Is there something you wish you knew about handling fame back then that you know now? You've had time to figure out. I've learned nothing over these past 50 years. Really? Really, no, I'm like, it's just like, I don't think so.

It does seem like there are people, are they born to kind of like take it in and just enjoy it? And then I feel like it's unhealthy to enjoy it too much. Like I don't trust the celebrities that are like, this is awesome, all this attention. Right. It's awesome. Okay. Real? No.

I don't trust you. I don't know, you never got that crazy where I was like, where it was like, I was, I was really, um, it never got that bad where I, where it became a real issue. Like it was just like, um, for someone who for quite a few years hadn't worked at all, I was like, I'm on a show that I'm having a great time on. And wait, people really like it. Yeah. Like, they drove to Shreveport to say hi and take a selfie at our hotel. I was like, this is kind of cool. It would have been different if, like, they broke into my hotel room, but that was the case.

Like, you know. Now we know our boundaries, everybody. Yeah. Selfie of the lobby, good. Breaking into hotel room, not good. Yeah. Sexier vampire. Eric from True Blood or Bill Scars Guards, Nosferatu.

Nospheratu, that's like, pure sex, right? Yeah. Yeah. There's poll Nostferatu nudity. He really went from it? 100%. Wow.

Yeah. What's your unbiased review of what Bill did? The voice, the physicality. It's a pretty amazing performance. I thought it was okay. Okay. That's fair. That's fair.

Spoken like a true brother. Yeah. When I spoke to Bill a few months back, he says you guys have never gone up for the same role. It's never happened. Is that true as far as you can recall? Yeah, no, we haven't. Yeah. In Gus, our other brother, Gustav, I don't think we've been up for the same role either.

That's what keeps us together, I think. I think we're hard if it's... Yeah. Yeah, so in that regard, I don't know. I don't feel there's we're not in that regard competitive I think it would have been harder had we'd all been like vying for the same roles in like oh you're close to getting something because the thing is like if you don't get some a role that you really want you never want to hear about that project again like you don't like you don't want to be reminded at every family dinner like how amazing right oh it was It was good for you. Great. Congratulations on Pennywise. Yeah. Yeah.

You really want it. And then for the next two years, you're going to be reminded, like, you know, how amazing it was, how fun it was. So fortunately, we don't have to deal with that. He claims that the reports that came out about a year or two ago that you guys were both up for Lex Luthor were totally untrue. He said you guys actually talked about it and said, have you heard this? No. Like, do you remember when the rumors were going around that you and Bill were both up for

and Bill were both up for Alex Luther? Did Bill and I talk about this? He claims that his story to me was... Maybe we did. I just have a terrible memory. Well, you set the record straight. Were you up for Alex Luther? 100% not. Okay. Like, I... I don't...

Like, no one told me, at least. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Your relationship with the superhero genre, we talked about Thor way back when you did an audition, like many actors did way back then. Yeah. You also went up for Captain America?

Is that true? No. That's not true. Okay, we're setting the internet. Yeah. Rumors straight. It's somewhat surprising that it never, hasn't happened yet for you. Is that because you didn't chase it?

You actively went away in the other direction. It just, the timing didn't work out that the right role didn't come. What was your attitude about the superhero thing? Um, well, in, was it 2008, nine when Thor, when that all happened? I did auditioned like half of Hollywood. for that um but i haven't no i haven't i don't know i don't know i i haven't audition or for anything since i haven't chased anything in that universe since then i don't know like i i've read a couple of things like that are slightly with like a superhero theme and i'm not i'm i'm i'm it's not

that I don't like the genre, but the stuff that's come my way hasn't, I guess I haven't responded really to the characters. Well, it's also, like, I mean, Tarzan, obviously, its own kind of superhero in a way, and that was kind of like, I feel like the one time where you really leaned into that kind of classical kind of like, leading man, I'm just going to go for it. Yeah. Right? Yeah, yeah.

Was that, I don't know, what did you learn from that experience? I mean, that's a huge physical role. I know you talked about, like, that was as extreme as it got for you. Yeah. In some ways, are you happy you're not, like, making Tarzan 4 right now? Like, you could have... I mean, yeah, I mean, it was an extraordinary experience, and I'm so grateful for having had that,

but it was also a full year of my life in where I was completely isolated from friends and family, and I loved it to be away from friends and family. Please get me another one. But I think I'm creatively the happiest when I get to jump between, when I find myself on set going like, this is weird and wild, and this is very different from what I've done before. And ever since, like those seven years on Troubleau were fantastic.

and it was like the most fun character. But even though it was Eric Northman and working with incredible people and like, again, great script and it ticked all the boxes, towards the end of it, there were moments where I was like, it didn't feel repetitive

because the storyline was so crazy, but I was still playing the same character. It was a part of me was like, I'm the happiest when I get to jump from something like infinity pool to this weird Android and you know like succession to like it's just like so what's the question I'm trying to answer superheroes I get I mean this is self-evident in your career like when I look at your body of work I yes there are some kind of classical heroes but more it's really the weird, the morally questionable.

Like, you gravitate towards you have a mixed bag in the best possible way of characters. Well, thank you. You're 100% right. No, but I think part of, and then that's probably also why I got exciting when something like Tarzan came up because that was like very much like a big tent pole, Warner Brothers, you know, action, big budget thing.

And I was like, I haven't done that before. That sounds awesome. That was a weird role for you. Then that was weird and different. And then after that, it was fun going back to, like, weird little indie movies to go back to that. And then Northman. And, you know, so, like, if I can jump around like that, then I'm thrilled. I'm very happy.

We haven't mentioned a lot of key performances in your career. Big Little Lies is obviously one that has to be special for you. Thank you. I've talked to a lot of the actors. from that series, they all loved working with the late great Jean-Marc Ballet, who was clearly an actor's director. Yeah.

You've worked with Nicole a couple times. What are the first things that come to mind for you in terms of why that experience remains, I would imagine, put on the pedestal for you? I mean, it was just such a dream job. It was to, the way John Mark trusted the actors and just kind of clear the space. And it's like, all right, here's your dance floor, go for it.

And we'll, lots of, we weren't confined to like lighting or tape marks. It was just like, this is the space, natural lighting, and go do your thing and we'll follow you around. And the writing was so good. It was so twisted and interesting this relationship. interesting this relationship and to have the privilege of diving into that with someone like Nicole Kidman is like, yeah, one of the highlights of my career for sure. It was extraordinary.

Very difficult and challenging, but wow, what an experience. Northman's come up a couple times here, I'm going to keep talking about it because I'm obsessed with that movie. It's so fantastic. Speaking of Nostratu, Robert Eggers, is that the hardest film you've had to make in your career? Yeah. It sounds like that was a tough one on many levels.

Yeah. Rob. Are you going back to it in your mind right now? Are you like in your head? PTSD? Rob is a goddamn nightmare. He's very meticulous. He's a meticulous filmmaker.

Yeah, yeah. I love that man and he's incredibly talented. But it's challenging because... Yeah. It's all, almost every single scene is shot as a oneer, like there are no cuts. And that's fine if you're doing like a small character-driven drama in an apartment. But when you try to do a big epic Viking movie with 30 Vikings fighting and 200 extras, and you're still doing it with just one camera shot, you know.

Couldn't we try it a different way, Rob? Couldn't we just break it up a little bit? It was, but I try to kind of approach it with excitement and be like, this shouldn't be possible and it's going to be really hard and frustrating and exhausting. But again, I knew going into it that this was Rob's way of working and we'd worked on the project for several years before we got to it. So it wasn't like, I was shocked on set. just like, so I had time to kind of mentally prepare for it. Like, all right, this is going to be with, with Jared, his DP is incredible. But I knew that this is quite unconventional way to shoot an action, epic adventure movie.

Like, it's, it's, because you know that you can have to do the whole fight maybe 30 times on. And it's a weird feeling when you do it and every bit of the scene works and you're like, you're completely depleted by the end of it. But then it was like a goat in the background and you're like, can we cut around? Oh, God, no, we can't cut around it because there's no coverage. So it's, yeah, it was physically and mentally the tough.

Because it was also, we shot it during lockdown. Right, right. We were one of the first big productions up after. So this was like in 2020 before the vaccine was out. So it was like, we were completely isolated for a year. And I was on a weird diet, just training, eating meat, and like didn't really see my friends and family. So another great year for me.

Send him to a far remote place. Yeah, never been out of here. But the sense of satisfaction, it sounds like, it's like the way you talk about it is the way I've talked to actors who have like worked with David Fincher, for instance, have talked, where it's like the actual experience, is rough. Like it's, it's grueling, it's taxing, you're depleted, and then you see the finished product and you're like, it was worth it. Like that, I mean, this is, this is art that's going to

laugh. Yeah. And that's why you do it. You don't do it to have fun. You do it to make something great. And actually, I didn't have to wait a full year for that gratification, even when, it's like winning the Super Bowl, when you finally, on take 32, when you finally, on take 32, when you finally get it and that goat is not doing something weird in the background and and rob and jerry are happy it's the greatest feeling ever because it's not like all right well we got more coverage we'll work it's like it worked and then it's an extraordinary feeling so it almost made it worth it Free-sale tickets can score you a spot trackside. So being a fan for life turns into the trip of a lifetime.

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for the tragic murder of Meredith Kircher and the relentless media storm that followed. The twisted tale of Amanda Knox is now streaming only on Disney Plus. We've kind of alluded to this before, but I look at the resume in recent years. My sense is like you like doing the small bits too, for friends, for weird things.

Like you show up, you show up for your buddy Michael Shannon, for Eric Leroux. you show up in Atlanta, you show up for documentary now, small part in Lee. It feels like you're down for a little mini weird adventure, if a friend calls you up. Is that fair to say? Oh, 100%.

I mean, in each of those, they were all like, you know, Michael Shannon was a dear friend or is a dear friend, and when he's like, do you want to come in work? Of course you, I'll do that. The documentary now, John Mulaney wrote that script, and it's like the Bernard Herzog, Klaus Kinski spoof thing. It was one of the funniest things I've ever read.

So, like, it's like a small thing, but, like, it was incredible. It was so hilarious. Kate Winslet calls, I'm like, do you want to play my husband? I'm going to say no. Does it take me to an isolated place away from friends and family? Yeah. No, so it's like, it's just about finding those collaborations that you get excited about. That's also the reward as the career continues.

You accumulate these amazing relationships and then they come back around in different ways. This is a question from one of our happy second-fused listeners of a fan of yours. Tricia wants to know. Asking about a movie that appeared that was announced a few years back, the pack, you were going to direct a movie? Is that still on the list? Do you want to direct a movie, whether it's that or something else? It's hard to get a movie made. I've realized that. So we'll see what happens in the future. But potentially, it's never been, I don't, it's not like, oh, I'm acting, but I'm going to transition out of acting to direct now.

I think if it's, if, if it's the right place. project and the right timing and potential to be down for you were as I recall a massive Star Wars fan as a kid like we all were do you resent that your dad got into Star Wars before you a little bit I'm trying to create as much family fractions as possible yes I mean yeah because there was between us siblings no competition or what but the old man He's going down. Yeah.

Gets to work with Denisville Move. Yeah. It's Star Wars. Yeah. Retire already. No, it's fair. It's fair. So when are we going to get you in Star Wars?

What do you want to play? You would be a great Jedi. Anything. I'll do anything. Like, baby Yoda. A little tall. Get into that wookie costume very easily. Papa Yoda.

Toyota. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. Stormtrooper number is 67. That classic character, yeah. All right, we're going to end with this. The happy, say I can confuse profoundly random questions. Are you ready, Alex?

Profound. Profoundly random questions? Yeah. Yeah. You got this? I'm nervous. It's going to be okay. Okay.

Have a drink of water. All right. Dogs or cats? Dogs. Dogs. Come on. Bill had a really vociferous argument for cats. It was one of the most tense exchanges of my career.

Bill did? Yeah. Like, he, like, laid into me about cats, just so you know. He doesn't even like cats. Just gonna tell you. We grew up with dogs. Like, we've had dogs. I don't know what he was doing, but he was...

Our whole child was just, like, surrounded by big dogs. Okay. Mom has two big dogs. Thank you. You were always my favorite. Scars, Gards. He's lying. He doesn't like cats. I think he also said he related to being a cat more.

It's bullshit. Yeah, thank you. What do you collect, if anything? Um... Was it Summer Olympics? I mean, that's in events. All I remember is like this is like... Yeah.

You had to kind of, when you ran, you did this, you rubbed the little button. Yeah. Thanks for that gif that will go all. It's going to be great for your podcast. Someone out there can help me with this, because it's real. Okay. And you could cheat by, like, turning it upside down. Be careful. Whatever you're doing.

Okay. And it was like high jump and sprint. No, I remember this game. I really do, which, admittedly. That? Okay. It's the greatest game of all time. Yeah.

Getting hot in here. This is the Dakota Johnson Memorial question. She asked me this once. Would you rather have a mouthful of bees or one B in your butt? One B in the butt. Right? I think that's the right call. Yeah.

What's the wallpaper on your phone? It's just black. Kielion Murphy has a black home screen as well. You two share that. Last actor you were mistaken for? Not mistaken for, but a lot of people have worked with my brother, Peter Sarskard. Don't spread that. Great actor, not a blood relation for the record.

No, but that's something that happens a lot. Yeah. Yeah. With your brother, Peter. So close. Yes, so close. What's the worst noted director has ever given you? Um.

Oh. Oh. So many bad ones. Yeah. Give me five if you want, whatever. We're here for you. What do you got? What jumps to mind?

You don't have to name the director, but you could. Sometimes when they're, I've gotten notes like, I need to feel more. I'm not feeling it. I need to feel more. And I don't really know what to do with that. Yeah. It's like, all right, I'll act better.

Because that's like, all right, now I feel like, I feel terrible. Like, I'm acting all the time. Like, I'm definitely ready for another take now. That's a good one. Okay, finally, in the spirit of happy, second fuse, who's an actor who always makes you happy. You see them on screen. You're automatically in a better mood.

He jumps out. Oh. Was that a question? Yeah. Actor you love. Makes you happy always. Well, I, as a child of the 80s, like in 80s comedy, I would say, It was like Steve Martin was, yeah, I mean, I was going to say Chevy Chase as well,

but like those, like, but yeah, I'd say probably Steve Martin. There's just more volume of great Steve Martin. What's the Steve Martin 80s comedy of choice? I mean, the jerk probably. Yeah, but I mean, Fledch is also up there as much. I mean, if you want to quote Fletch back and forth, I can do that. I will not. And a food that makes you confused.

You don't get it. Why do people eat that? That's a weird food. Do you sense the anticipation in the room? How people are waiting. It's a good one. Well, it's Swedish, but I, but Sue Struming, I've never really gotten.

Remind me what that is? Well, you know, Sue Strumming. Classic. Classic. Yeah. That confused, because it's, I've, it's fermented herring. Oh, okay. Not to be confused with pickled herring.

Okay. Delicious. Yep. But, Sue Stramming is fermented, so it has like, yeah, it's a little rotten. Yep. But I'm, I want to try it. Okay. Because it smells awful.

Right. but I hear that if you have a small piece of it on a flat bread with some potatoes and some sour cream It's incredibly salty But apparently in a small, just tiny amount of it As you can tell, I'm confused, but I'm willing to try it It's a good sign of a food where... No? No!

I get a thumbs up from the audience Okay, we'll try it. You know what, next time, I'll bring a can of sewer-storming. There you go. You're not in Sweden. You're not allowed to open it in your apartment. Because it's just so strong. It reached.

The whole house. They'll evacuate the whole house. So you have to eat it outdoors. You can't do it inside. Get your tickets now for our next really smelly event. We have a little sewer-storming feast. There you go. Thank you guys so much for coming out.

Murder Bot, as you know, it premiered. this Friday on Apple TV Plus spread the good word. Good luck with the showman. Always good to see you. Everybody, Alexander Scars, guys. All right. There we is.

And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely He wasn't pressured to do this by Josh. Simons

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