Swedish Actor Stellan Skarsgård Wins His First Golden Globe

Stellan Skarsgård just won his first Golden Globe!

The Swedish actor, 68, took home the Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a series, miniseries or TV film at Sunday’s 2020 Golden Globes for his role in Chernobyl. 

After accepting the award, Skarsgård joked, “I was so sure I wouldn’t win, so I already thanked everybody.”

He beat out fellow nominees Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Andrew Scott (Fleabag) and Henry Winkler (Barry).

Skarsgård also poked fun at himself, saying:  “I should thank one person, and that is Milos Forman, who said to me a couple of years ago, ‘Stellan, I’ve seen so many films with you, but I never remember your face!’” he said.

“And I realize it was because I don’t have any eyebrows. Nobody could tell if I’m angry or surprised, it’s not like Colin Farrell. You can tell if he’s angry 20 miles away.”

Skarsgård comes from a long line of actors, including his own sons: Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood; Gustaf Skarsgård, who plays Karl Strand in Westworld; and Bill Skarsgård, who played in the horror films It and It Chapter Two. 

This was the first Golden Globe nomination (and subsequent win) for Skarsgård, who was recognized for his role as Boris Shcherbina in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. In the original incident, Boris was the deputy chairman of the council of ministers and head of the bureau for fuel and energy. He started as a deputy prime minister to prime minister Nikolai Tikhonov in 1984 and subsequently became the chairman of the Gorbachev-ordered state commission during Chernobyl. Shcherbina was ultimately the person who ordered the evacuation of Pripyat after the explosion.

“It’s interesting to play a character who is representative of a faulty system, and has spent his life defending it, and then has to look back at his life and admit that he’s been wrong. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that he has to stand up for something else,” Skarsgård’s told of his work on the show.

Along with Skarsgård’s win, Chernobyl also received nominations for best miniseries or television film, best actor in a miniseries or television film (Jared Harris), and best-supporting actress in a series, miniseries or television film (Emily Watson).

The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will air live on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 5. Don’t forget to catch Skarsgård, along with your other favorite actors, as they win big!