Actor Stellan Skarsgård has joked that he’s a “nepo daddy,” given that six of his eight children have followed him into acting.
But the 74-year-old star admits the so-called “nepo baby” label has had a painful impact on his youngest child.
Speaking to Vulture, the Mamma Mia! and Dune actor said that while he enjoys the goodwill that comes with being a proud father of successful performers, his 13-year-old son Kolbjörn has been hurt by teasing from classmates.
“I consider myself a nepo daddy because I get so much goodwill,” Skarsgård said.
“But my 13-year-old, Kolbjörn, the youngest, suffers from that. When his pals at school call him ‘nepo baby,’ he gets so sad. He doesn’t have any friends at school. He gets isolated. Cruel kids, or cruel and ignorant.”
He added that while social media loves to mock the idea of “nepo babies,” the reality is far less glamorous.
“It is such a bullshit thing,” he said. “Because nobody would hire you, at least not for anything good, if you’re not good enough.”
A famous acting family
Skarsgård’s youngest son recently joined the family trade, landing a role in the upcoming horror series Blood Cruise, following in the footsteps of his older brothers Alexander (True Blood), Bill (It, John Wick: Chapter 4), Gustaf (Vikings), and Valter (Katla).
Stellan’s family has long been one of Scandinavia’s most prominent acting dynasties.
He shares six children (Alexander (1976), Gustaf (1980), Sam (1982), Bill (1990), Eija (1992), and Valter (1995)) with his first wife, Swedish doctor My Skarsgård, whom he married in 1975, per Mail Online.
Following their 2007 divorce, he married Irish screenwriter and producer Megan Everett in 2009.
The couple share two sons: Ossian, 15, and Kolbjörn, 13.
While several of his children have gone on to major Hollywood success, others have pursued different careers; Sam, for instance, became a doctor, and Eija worked as a model before moving into other pursuits.
A grounded approach to parenting
Asked how he maintains such a strong relationship with his large family, Skarsgård said mutual respect is at the heart of it.
“They have no respect for me just because I’m their father. Because that’s bulls***,” he explained.
“You shouldn’t be respected for five minutes of joy. I don’t demand respect for being a father, I demand respect for a good idea or if I do something well or if I create something for them.”
Skarsgård, who became a grandfather in 2022, said he tries to stay connected to each of his children as individuals, rather than through the lens of fame or family legacy.
Awards buzz for the Skarsgårds
The interview comes as Skarsgård earns Oscar buzz for his performance as an aging filmmaker and family patriarch in the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value.
He reflected on the awards season process, saying that while the Oscars can be “good for business,” they also demand immense financial backing.
“The Oscars have their place,” he told Vulture.
“They’re good for independent films because there are many films that wouldn’t be seen at all if it wasn’t for the Oscars. But it costs a lot of money to participate in that race, and fortunately, we have American distributors that are paying for it because no European film company could afford it.”
Meanwhile, Stellan’s son Alexander Skarsgård is also drawing attention for his bold new role in Pillion, a steamy gay romance from debut filmmaker Harry Lighton.
The film, co-starring Harry Melling (Harry Potter), explores an intense relationship between a biker and a parking attendant.
It earned rave reviews and an eight-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, before playing to more acclaim at the BFI London Film Festival.