True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård is interviewed below about his just released film, “The Giver” and working on his upcoming film, “Tarzan” which has been shooting for the last two months in the UK. In the interview, Alex discusses his character in “The Giver” and reveals how his “Tarzan” focuses on the character after eight years of living in civilization. 
So, you’re shooting Tarzan, True Blood is ending, and The Giver hits theaters, all at once.
Yeah. [Laughs] That’s why, unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the premiere [of The Giver] in New York a couple of days ago. I really tried to make it over there. It would have been so much fun, but we’re shooting nonstop here, so the schedule is pretty hectic. I’m stuck in the jungle.
At least you’re not stuck wearing a loincloth, at least at first, because your version is already at the point where he’d gone back to civilization, and then he goes back to the jungle?
Exactly! Yeah. The movie begins in London in the late 1800s, and he’s already there, he’s been there for about eight years with Jane, and then he goes back to the Congo where he was born and raised with Jane, so at least in the beginning, he’s dressed as a British lord. And then a lot of things happen in Africa, obviously. But no loincloth, no. [Laughs]
What was it like being the baby whisperer on the set of The Giver?
In a way, it was difficult, but not because of the babies, who were adorable. Emotionally getting to that place, knowing what I had to do, it was difficult but it was also kind of what I found fascinating about the character, what drew me to the project. Obviously working with Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep was pretty exciting as well, but in terms of the character, I thought it was really interesting to play someone who does what he does in the film — horrible things, but without being a bad guy. If you don’t know what you’re doing, what is the morality? Where does that come from? If you don’t understand the concept of death, is what he doing wrong? Of course it is, in a way, but at the same time, he doesn’t know — he thinks they’re going to a better place. He doesn’t know what “elsewhere” is, what that means. It was also a challenge to play someone who embodies “sameness,” as Father does in the movie. He’s a perfect citizen, in a way. But you also have to, as an actor, find something to not make him a robot. You just want to find a little spark, somewhere in the story beneath that, where there is a connection, where you kind of understand him. So when I first read the script, I thought, “Wow, to play someone who does what he does, but to try to find some sort of empathy from the audience …”
Because he seems like a caring, loving guy, but he doesn’t even know what love is.
Exactly! And how, under different circumstances, he would have been a fantastic dad. I think his instinct is to kind of take care of baby Gabriel and all the other babies at the Nurturing Center, but he doesn’t understand the concepts of love or what real feelings are. Being so sedated just takes the edge off of everything. But I do feel like toward the end of it, you do see a little something, at least.
To read the entire interview with Alex, go here: vulture.com
