Pillion star Alexander Skarsgård opens up about being with ‘men and women’ and whether it influenced queer BDSM film
In the movie, Skarsgård plays Ray, the dominant leader of a leather biker gang, opposite Harry Potter actor Harry Melling
By Aaron Sugg
Alexander Skarsgård has opened up about his role in Pillion, the upcoming queer BDSM film, confessing that his own history with men and women did not influence his performance.
In the movie, Skarsgård plays Ray, the dominant leader of a leather biker gang, opposite Harry Potter actor Harry Melling, who stars as Colin, a shy traffic warden and barbershop quartet singer.
The film’s trailer, released on 1 October, teased explicit scenes, including one where Ray stands completely naked in front of Colin, and another where he hands Colin a shopping list, bluntly telling him: “Buy yourself a butt plug. You’re too tight.”
“I’ve been with, men, women” – Alexander Skarsgård on his personal background not impacting his queer role in pillion
Speaking to Variety at the Zurich Film Festival, Skarsgård emphasised that his personal background was “not really relevant” to shaping Ray. Instead, he focused on portraying the leather subculture with authenticity.
The 49-year-old actor said: “I found that in this case, it’s not really relevant what my background is. I mean, I do have a kid, but what I’ve done in the past, who I’ve been with, men, women…”
He continued: “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.”
Skarsgård also explained that he looked to Al Pacino’s 1980 film Cruising as a reference point but wanted to avoid its portrayal of gay leather culture as threatening or dangerous.
“Sex can be awkward and funny” – Skarsgård on acting in sex scenes
He highlighted the film’s orgy scene, saying he wanted the sex to feel authentic rather than a fake adaptation. “We wanted it to be clumsy and weird. On screen, it often looks like a ballet, but sex can be awkward and funny,” he said.
Pillion had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Skarsgård shared a kiss on the cheek with Pedro Pascal during a seven-minute standing ovation.
Outside of acting, Skarsgård is in a long-term relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny, with whom he shares a child.
The film is set to be released in UK cinemas on 28 November and will also screen at the London Film Festival this month.