Puls met Alexander Skarsgård, who is filming in the big city. But he is also current at home.
Alexander Skarsgård is a head taller than everyone else. He looks like an elite soldier in his green pants and his big boots.
Not like someone filming his first movie in USA.
- An exciting adventure, says Alexander Skarsgård.
But not as fun as filming the new "Vingar av glas", which premieres in Sweden today.
It's hard to miss filming of comedy "Zoolander". The crew is 300 people who blocked several streets on the corner of West Broadway and Franklin Street in the hip part of town TriBeCa.
The streets are full of trucks with equipment and and cranes big enough to build sky scrapers.
- Everything is big here in USA, Alexander notes without being very impressed about it.
- They are more people. Higher cranes. Bigger budget.
Even acting is different. When Alexander films in Sweden all the actor have to testfilm themselves to make sure the cameras are positioned correctly.
- Here all these things are handled by body-doubles, Alexander tells. I have three people who look exactly like me, two body doubles and a stuntman. It feel luxurious.
Suspicious
The PR-guy in black sunglasses walks towards us. He wonders who we are since he didn`t approve any interview. To just turn up and talk to one of the actors, makes him nervous. Things aren't done like that in USA where the companies want to controll everything to the smallest detail.
"Zoolander" is a comical satire about the world of male models. Apart from Skarsgård MIlla Jovovich (Fifth element) is in one of the roles. Director Ben Stiller (All about Mary) has the lead himself.
He and Alexander leave to discuss how a sensitive scene is going to be shot. It looks a bit funny because Stiller is more than a head shorter.
Alexander and a few others are going to spray each other with gazonline. Someone lights a match and the whole car explodes. Alexander dies in the scene. The real fireball is fixed by the filmmakers on the computer.
- I wonder what kind of fluid this is, Alexander says and makes a face of disapproval over the yellowgreen fluid he is going to get over him.
His part in "Zoolander' isn't big. I still takes three weeks to film.
Some hours with Alexander makes us realize that actors world is far from glamorous. He waits and waits and waits. When it's his turn he has to be ready and charged.
Isn't getting rich
- It's always like this, he says. Here in New York I got up at six o'clock every morning and haven't stopped filming until six-seven in the evening. Then I just tumble into bed.
He doesn't get rich either.
- It's a bit better paid than in Sweden, but not much.
To Alexander "Zoolander" could be his ticket to the big movies.
- My manager has arranged some meetings during the week, we'll see what they will turn up, Alexander says a bit secretive.
The question if he is walking in daddy Stellans footprints doesn't disturb him the least.
- I don't feel any pressure to be as successful as him. We are two different individuals who happen to be in the same business. I love what I do. I might have been influenced by the fact that I was there on a lot of filming as a child.
Rather than his USA-debut Alexander wants to talk about his new Swedish movie where he has one of the leads, "Vingar av glas" directed by movie debutant Reza Bagher.
Like a family
He just makes it home to the gala premiere in Stockholm.
- Really cool to hear that it has been received so well in advance. The filming was the direct opposite of this here in New York. We were 30 people who spent a few months in Luleå. We became like a family. This is really a way to get to know the others.
Alexander was very impressed with how Reza Bagher took care of filming.
It feels like it became a very warm film about a current topic where he himself has great experience.
The sky scrapers make the sun disappear early. The team hurries to make time for the last scenes.
Alexanders waiting is over for this time.