GUSTAF SKARSGÅRD
An audience with Cursed’s Merlin. How utterly wizard.
Ever wished you could vanish from the face of the Earth after putting your foot in it? For journalists, it’s an occupational hazard. You might, for example, ask an actor if they did any research in order to play an alcoholic, then press further when they wryly remark, “I’ve done my research…”, not picking up on the hint. Thankfully, Gustaf Skarsgård has the good grace to clarify: “I am myself a sober addict – since six years ago. So I have that experience.” At this point, your SFX hack could use a stiff drink himself…
If you don’t watch Vikings you may not know his face, but you’ll surely recognise the surname: Skarsgård’s part of a Swedish acting dynasty that’s already racked up fantastical roles such as SHIELD astrophysicist Erik Selvig (dad Stellan), vampire Eric Northman (older brother Alexander), and Pennywise the clown (younger brother Bill). Now he’s snagged another, donning wine-stained robes to play a soused Merlin for Cursed, Netflix’s female-centric take on Arthurian lore.
The Swedish actor talks conjuring up a drunken Merlin for Cursed
Is it intimidating playing a mythic character like this, that has been portrayed by so many people before?
I wouldn’t say it’s more intimidating than normally. It’s such a different take on the character and the whole story, so I don’t feel like I’ll be compared to Sam Neill or whoever. A good thing about Merlin, as well, is that there’s no fixed idea about who he was and what he was like.
How would you sum up this Merlin?
We pick him up as an alcoholic who’s lost his magic. He’s been around for a few hundred years, and he’s quite jaded. But there’s definitely a longing to do the right thing, to improve himself. Then, through the season, there’s a transition where all of a sudden he has something to lose, and he’s discovering what it means to love another person. Will he get his magic back? He’s definitely struggling not having his magic. He has to find another way – he has to use his wits and his charm and his manipulative skills instead.
Does having experience of addiction help when developing a character like this?
To an extent, yeah, sure – having been through hardship and wanting to change, and heal, and improve. Though I’ve come further than Merlin in this process, because he’s still active in it. He’s given up everything. He needs a reason to take himself out of that misery.
As someone who’s sober, is it discomforting playing a drunk? Or can you separate the two things?
As an actor I always have to separate it, to some degree, but I can only take from myself, my own experience. I can only use what I have, and what I am, and what I’ve been. But while this happens to be two things that are connected between me and that character, it doesn’t even necessarily have to be that source I’m using – it could be something else. Maybe it’s something from my childhood; maybe it’s something that I’ve seen in a film. I’m not interested in analysing my choices, because I don’t want it to be a conscious choice. It has to be a subconscious process in order for it to come alive, because if it’s too deliberately thought-up and contrived then it won’t come across as real life. And this is not the story of my addiction. This is an ancient wizard who just happens to be stuck in a dark place!
When it comes to preparation for a role, how do you know when you’re ready to play it?
It’s in the schedule! It’s like, “Thursday 05.30 pickup”. And then, “Action!” The character comes alive there and then. There comes a point where I can only do so much. What it’s all about is that moment when they say, “Action!” – the interaction with the other actors; the interaction with the environment; the interaction with the director’s vision. The process is incomplete on my end until I actually do it.
What surprised you most about this series?
When we’ve shot certain scenes I’ve been surprised at how dark they are, or emotional. You read the script, and since it has that Young Adult tone, it seems kind of light sometimes. But when you’re actually there playing these situations you’re like, “Fuck, this is intense!” So it’s creating that balance, because it is Young Adult, but it’s also thematically quite dark, and deals with problematic issues. I hope that it manages to strike that balance. Kids nowadays want the darker themes; they want real. You want your own emotional reality to be reflected back on you. If it’s devoid of all complexity and darkness then it might not come across as real, because we all have our own struggles – no matter what age you are, we all go through things.
Cursed is streaming on Netflix from 17 July.