As one of the most prominent film actors to have emerged from the frosty tundra of Sweden, Stellan Skarsgard drew favorable comparisons to the likes of fellow Swedish thespians Max von Sydow and Erland Josephson. Though relatively unknown in the United States for the first half of his career, Skarsgard introduced himself to American audiences with a memorable performance in Philip Kaufman’s erotic drama, “The Unbearable Likeness of Being” (1988). But it was his performance in fellow countryman Lars von Trier’s art house hit “Breaking the Waves” (1996) that propelled him into stardom. From
