Alexander Skarsgård in GQ Magazine

Shirt, $295 Burberry London. Tie, $98 John Varvatos USA. Chinos, $75 Dockers. Belt, $5 Kaufman’s Army & Navy. Necklace, vintage from Melet Mercantile. Watch, IWC.

Honestly, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about over True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgård…until I saw the latest issue of GQ (June 2011). The star’s Scandinavian good looks are amplified by his effortlessly sexy wardrobe. Props to the stylist, and, guys, take note. 

True Blood returns to HBO in two days (June 26th), but we can also look forward to Alexander in three upcoming films: Melancholia (with his father, Stellan), Straw Dogs (with rumored girlfriend Kate Bosworth), and Battleship (yes, based off the board game).

Here are some photos from the magazine, along with some excerpts from the cover story:
Tank top, Dolce & Gabbana. Pants, Dior Homme.

Difference between LA and Sweden:
“You walk into the coffee shop, and the girl asks how your day is. When I first moved here, I loved that. I know it’s shallow and superficial and she doesn’t give a f*ck about my day, but I still like it. It’s difficult to get to know a Swede. But once you do, you’re in.”

Shirt, Armani Jeans. Jeans, Dior Homme. Shoes, Alden.

On his famous father, Stellan Skarsgård:
“I don’t think I came to acting to compete with my father. But, you know, he wasn’t around as much as normal dads, and seeing his passion…Maybe it was a way to get his attention…I mean, if anything, we’re trying to take care of him. He’s over the hill.”

Stellan’s response:
“Of course I’m threatened. They’re younger, they’re better-looking, and they’re all trying to kill me.”

On joining the military:
“It was my way of going off into the unknown… I didn’t want to just be somebody’s son.”

Shirt, Armani Jeans. Necklace, vintage from Melet Mercantile.

True Blood creator, Alan Ball, on Alexander’s Erick Northman:
“He does this thing with his eyes. It’s like they become slightly unfocused and all of a sudden they’re mirrors to this ancient, 1,000-year-old soul.”

On love scenes with Anna Paquin:
“It’s really clear to Steve (Stephen Moyer, Anna’s real-life husband, and Alexander’s co-star) and to everybody else what the deal is—which is that Anna is like a sister to me. Those love scenes take quite a bit of acting, actually. A lot of acting.”

Henley, Gucci. Pants, Save Khaki.

When asked about his relationship with Kate Bosworth:
“He shuts down, smile disappearing, with a completeness and efficiency that could only come from growing up in the public eye. ‘My father always kept the family out of the press,’ he says later, almost apologetic.

Jacket, Polo Ralph Lauren. Henley, Gucci. Pants, Save Khaki.

On Hollywood: 
“Hollywood can be like kids playing marbles on the schoolyard. Everybody wants the shiny marble until one kid says he doesn’t. Then nobody will touch it. So it’s important that I make good decisions now.”

Sunglasses, Mosley Tribes. Rest of outfit: See cover.

On his variety of acting choices:
“If you’re an actor in Sweden, you do drama, you do comedy, you do action, you do film and live theater. You do whatever there is. Vanity is death to an actor.”

Thank you, True Blood:
“The nice thing is that as long as I’m doing this TV show, I’ve got f*ck-you money. So I can say no to things. I never want to be in a position where I can’t defend why I said yes.”

Outfit: See cover.

Photo Credit: Carter Smith/GQ

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