Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd Reveals Why He Never Gives His Kids Parenting Advice and Why âIt's a Lose-Lose Situationâ (Exclusive)
- - Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd Reveals Why He Never Gives His Kids Parenting Advice and Why âIt's a Lose-Lose Situationâ (Exclusive)
Brian Anthony Hernandez, Abby SternNovember 10, 2025 at 3:00 AM
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Stellan SkarsgÄrd on Nov. 5, 2025; his sons Alexander, Bill and Gustaf SkarsgÄrd in 2019 -
Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd explained to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview why he doesnât give parenting advice to his children
The actor, 74, is a father to eight children, most of whom have followed in his footsteps and become actors themselves
Stellan is dad to Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter, Ossian and Kolbjörn, six of whom are actors
Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd is admitting itâs âdangerousâ to give parenting advice.
Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the Los Angeles premiere of Sentimental Value on Nov. 5, the 74-year-old actor explained why he doesnât give parenting advice to his children, most of whom are also actors.
âI havenât given them any advice at all because it is very dangerous to do,â the father of eight says at West Hollywoodâs Directors Guild of America.
He continues with his reasoning, âBecause if they listen to my advice and theyâre successful, itâs because of me, and if they listen to my advice and theyâre not successful, itâs my fault. So itâs a lose-lose situation.â
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Gustaf, Bill and Alexander SkarsgÄrd in 2017
Stellan is dad to Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter, Ossian and Kolbjörn, six of whom are also in the acting industry.
The Swedish actor welcomed six of his kids with his first wife, My SkarsgÄrd. After his divorce in 2007, Stellan married Megan Everett-SkarsgÄrd in 2009, and together they welcomed Ossian in 2009 and Kolbjörn in 2012.
At least four of Stellanâs children have kids of their own â with Alexander, 49, Gustaf, 44, Bill, 35, and Eija, 33, making him a granddad.
Elaborating on his favorite part of grandfatherhood, Stellan tells PEOPLE, âWatching the characters and seeing how different they are.â
He adds, âEven if they have the same genes, itâs amazing how different they are. All my eight kids, theyâre very different too. There are some things in common, but they all have personalities.â
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Stellan SkarsgÄrd (second from right) with Alexander SkarsgÄrd (from left) Scott Cooper, Harry Melling and Adam Sandler in August 2025
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In Neonâs Sentimental Value, Stellan plays Gustav Borg. The filmâs synopsis reads: âSisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film.â
âWhen Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star,â the synopsis continues. âSuddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father â and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics.â
Sentimental Value is in theaters now.
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