Is Alexander Skarsgård gay? A queer timeline ahead of Pillion

The first teaser of Pillion sent the gays into overdrive upon seeing Hollywood heartthrob Alexander Skarsgård developing a dominant/submissive BDSM relationship with costar Harry Melling.

“I have an aptitude for devotion,” Melling (Colin) says in the teaser when asked about his relationship with Ray (Skarsgård).

“And buy yourself a butt plug,” Ray tells Colin in an instantly viral scene from the teaser. “You’re too tight.”

Yet, beyond the eroticism in Skarsgård’s new queer film — written and directed by Harry Lighton — the gays flooded social media feeds with even more thoughts and thirst over the Swedish actor supposedly coming out of the closet in a new interview.

Even though Skarsgård’s quote in that particular interview has seemingly been misinterpreted, the actor does have a long history with the LGBTQ+ community. Ahead, check out some of the Pillion actor’s most memorable moments and statements involving queer people, culture, aesthetics, and experiences — including his latest red carpet stint

What’s the story of Alexander Skarsgård’s gay uncle?

Alexander Skarsgård in Pillion.A24

Skarsgård was interviewed by Pride Source in 2016 as he promoted the live-action film The Legend of Tarzan for Warner Bros. Pictures. In the interview, he discussed having a gay uncle (who also happened to be his godfather).

“I don’t know if you know this, but gay men love you,” the Pride Source reporter said.

Skarsgård replied, “Oh, really?”

“They do,” the reporter teased. “Is that surprising to hear?”

Skarsgård said, “I don’t know how to answer that question, but thank you. That's very flattering to hear. It's always been the most natural thing to me because my uncle and godfather is a gay man. So, growing up — even as a little toddler — it was just as natural as being straight.”

“My aunt would show up with her husband, and my uncle would show up with his husband,” the actor added. “He was, by far, out of my father’s four siblings, the most fashionable and the most trendy, cool guy. So, when I was a kid, he was the one I looked up to. I thought he was really badass: Fit and awesome and cool, and obviously not just because he was gay. When I became a teenager and the kids made fun of other teenagers who were gay, I never really understood that.”

Skarsgård concluded, “It just baffled me because my idol, my godfather, was gay… And he was the coolest guy I knew. I just couldn’t understand how that could be an insult.”

What was Alexander Skarsgård’s sexuality on HBO’s True Blood?

Ryan Kwanten and Alexander Skarsgård on True Blood.HBO

Skarsgård reached new heights in his career and became a certified Hollywood sex symbol while playing pansexual vampire Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood. At the time, some critics argued that the series was too gay — a criticism that Skarsgård felt was “ridiculous.”

“What was so interesting about the show was that it wasn’t on the nose,” Skarsgård told Pride Source. “It’s obviously a cultural reference and a metaphor… A lot of the storylines are metaphors for the strife people in the LGBT community experience, but it's done in a very subtle way, where people who have never met anyone who's gay or who have prejudice toward that community would still embrace the show and would still come up (to me) and be super excited about it.”

“They also would love Lafayette — I mean, a Black gay man. What [creator] Alan [Ball] did was beautiful and it was groundbreaking…In this instance, a lot of people who didn’t have anyone close to them in the LGBT community suddenly had someone in their living room every Sunday night that they loved.”

What’s Alexander Skarsgård’s advice for straight actors doing gay sex scenes?

Alexander Skarsgård at the premiere screening of Infinity Pool at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023 in Park City, Utah.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Skarsgård was also not concerned, when asked in 2016, about doing gay sex scenes on True Blood. In fact, he even shared some advice with straight actors who might feel tense and/or uncertain.

“You just have to embrace it. I had two gay sex scenes on the show; they’re incredible scenes,” the actor recalled. “I remember talking to Theo [Alexander], who played the Greek lover of Russell Edgington [played by Denis O’Hare], and that was the first gay sex scene I had on True Blood. He’s also a straight guy and he was nervous; he had never kissed a guy before. I just said, ‘Look at the scene. It’s this nemesis. When he comes in, it gets seductive.’”

Skarsgård elaborated, “If we commit to this, it’s going to be an amazing scene, and we're going to be very happy with it forever. If we hold back, that’s when it gets awkward.”

Lady Gaga’s poisoned lover in the ‘Paparazzi’ music video (2009) was played by Alexander Skarsgård.

Alexander Skarsgård starring in Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’ music video.Interscope Records

Skarsgård also discussed the idea that his gay following might’ve grown even more after he starred in Lady Gaga’s 2009’s music video of “Paparazzi.”

“I wasn’t famous at all. I wore a wig in the first season of True Blood, so no one ever recognized me,” Skarsgård told Pride Source. “But my friend Jonas Åkerlund is a tremendous music video director and called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m directing this video for an artist. Her name is Lady Gaga.’ I’d heard her name, but didn't know much about her.”

Åkerlund’s pitch, according to Skarsgård? “You throw her off the balcony and then she comes back and she poisons you.” The actor added, “It sounded like a fun love story, so of course I said yes. I had a super fun day.”

For context, “Paparazzi” was the first installment of Gaga’s planned trilogy of music videos that have “Telephone” (featuring Beyoncé) as part two. Fans have been eagerly anticipating a third video to conclude the trilogy — which would probably involve Åkerlund as director, and perhaps even flashbacks with Skarsgård? One can dream!TK

Alexander Skarsgård attended a movie premiere in full glamazon drag.

Actors Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgård, alongside director Marielle Heller, at the premiere screening of The Diary Of a Teenage Girl in August 2015.Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images

Picture it: Castro Theatre, San Francisco, 2015.

Skarsgård and his full height of 6’4” walked the red carpet for his latest movie, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, in full glamazon drag… And even looked gorge, one could say.

When was Alexander Skarsgård spotted at a gay nightclub?

Yes, Skarsgård — seemingly out of nowhere — appeared at a gay venue in Sweden named Club Backdoor in September 2023.

As a 6’4” man who also happens to be a big Hollywood star, let’s just say that it wasn’t entirely difficult for people at the club to spot him. Throughout the night, the actor was seen in several pictures and videos that showed him dancing and having a great time.

In one particular photo, Skarsgård was seen posing alongside out-of-drag Vanity Vain — a drag artist who competed on Drag Race Sverige season 1 and subsequently returned to Mama Ru’s queendom for RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars. In the picture, the actor was even seen wearing Vanity Vain merch.

“Hollywood kissed me and wore my merch,” the Drag Race alum wrote in the caption. In a report from that wild night from Gayety, Club Backdoor was described as “Scandinavia’s biggest” gay club.

Alexander Skarsgård and Pedro Pascal kissed at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Pillion premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and received a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience.

As Skarsgård felt all the love that he and the film received from the festivalgoers, Skarsgård “returned it two-fold with a warm embrace and by planting a wet one on the cheek of a smiling Pedro Pascal who was on his feet,” as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.

The concept of two Hollywood heartthrobs kissing each other at a film festival to celebrate that a new project has been well-received… A beautiful concept, honestly.

How did Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer become such close friends?

Another intense discourse regarding Skarsgård’s sexuality involves fellow actor Jack McBrayer, best known for playing Kenneth “The Page” Parcell on 30 Rock (the hit NBC series created by Tina Fey after she left Saturday Night Live).

Let’s circle back to what we do know for a fact. Skarsgård and McBrayer have been friends since 2012 as they attended the same Hollywood events and found out that they happened to be neighbors (per Cracked).

The publication outlined that the two actors have “been to NASCAR races together, coffee shop dates, and Skarsgård even took McBrayer as his date to the 2018 SAG Awards during his Big Little Lies stint.” Otherwise, the duo starred together in a Funny or Die video.

They’re two Hollywood stars who have known each other for 13 years and bonded during a period when they were neighbors. The comedy bit of McBrayer being taken to award shows by Skarsgård is hilarious, too, but that’s really all there is to it.

Did Alexander Skarsgård come out in an interview for Pillion?

Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling in Pillion.A24

Thousands of fans have taken to social media to gleefully comment on and/or react to Skarsgård seemingly coming out in an interview with Variety. While it’s totally possible for a person to come out at any stage in life, it’s important to note that this particular new statement from Skarsgård was not a coming-out story.

When asked if his real-life experiences played a factor in this performance as a biker gang leader who develops a dominant/submissive relationship with a younger man (played by Melling) in Pillion, Skarsgård noted that “it’s not really relevant what my background is.”

The actor added, “What I’ve done in the past, who I’ve been with, men, women… To me, what was important was that this felt like an opportunity to tell a story about a subculture I hadn’t seen portrayed this way — with so much authenticity.”

Mikelle Street perfectly articulated the misunderstanding that is happening here. “What he said is that it’s not relevant whether he’s been with men or women,” he wrote on X/Twitter. “He didn’t say ‘I’ve been with men and women.’ A comma, used in a list can be used as and or it can be used as or. In this sentence, context says or!”

The first comma in Skarsgård’s answer is also worth paying attention to. The actor essentially said that playing this character had nothing to do with “who he has been with.” So, it doesn’t matter if he had been with men, or with women, in the past. He still approached the performance in the same way.

Alexander Skarsgård brings ‘leather daddy energy’ to the BFI red carpet.

Alexander Skarsgård in an interview with the British Film Institute at the 69th BFI London Film Festival.Instagram (@britishfilminstitute)

Skarsgård made headlines once again at the Headline Gala screening of Pillion during the 69th BFI London Film Festival held on Saturday, October 18. While it made sense for the actor to reference the theme/aesthetic of the film itself while attending this screening, he certainly wasn’t obligated to do any of that. (Thankfully, he did.)

“Styled by Harry Lambert, Skarsgård wore a full look from Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s fall 2025 collection,” Anna Cafolla wrote for Vogue. “A white, backless halter-neck shirt with a skinny leather tie, with tight, lace-up leather pants, and chunky round-toe Jimmy Choo boots.”

Skarsgård went even more viral while raising his left arm during an interview with the British Film Institute, showing off his strong arms and armpit hair seemingly by accident.

Who is Alexander Skarsgård’s wife?

Alexander Skarsgård and Tuva Novotny — alongside Christos Nikou — at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema in Venice, Italy.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Lexus

Skarsgård isn’t legally married — and thus doesn’t have a wife — but has been in a relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny since 2022, as reported by numerous publications like Elle.

In 2023, Skarsgård confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he and Novotny had just welcomed their first child. Despite being in the film industry for more than two decades, Novotny has famously kept a private life.

Pillion is coming to theaters in 2026