"Stellan Skarsgård does his homework!" says the actor's teacher Bo Widerberg laconically Skarsgård gives his entire being to the characters he plays. Over the last 20 years and in more than 70 motion pictures, the actor has preserved his versatility and avoided type-casting. He plays both heroes and demons, effortlessly making the transition from Scandinavia to Hollywood, from the intimate drama to the big-budget blockbuster. His acting is defined by enormous discipline, passion and a breathtaking spectrum. Stellan Skarsgård´s unpredictability and superior acting make him an actor to be reckoned with internationally.

Skarsgård was born in 1951 in Göteborg, Sweden and by the age of 10 had already begun his acting career in Swedish television. From 1977 to 1988, he worked at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, where he appeared in Strindbergs' "Ett drömpsel, Mäster Olof" and "Vita rum" among others.

In addition to his career in the theatre, he has also been seen in exceptional motion picture roles. He received the "Silver Bear" at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Guldbagge Award for "Best Actor" for his performance in the drama "The simple minded murder". In 1988 he won a "Best Actor" award at the Rouen Film Festival and the following year he received his second Guldbagge Award, again as "Best Actor". Italy honoured him in 1990 with the "Prix Italia" and the following year he received the "Silver Hugo" at the Chicago Film Festival in the "Best Actor in a lead role" category. In 1992 he was again honoured at the Rouen Film Festival with the award for "Best Male Actor" and in 1995 he won the special jury prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Three years later in 1998 he was honoured for his role in "Amistad" with the award "Best European Achievement in World Cinema". Winning of the "Palme d"Or" in Cannes for his role in Lars von Trier´s "Breaking the Waves" marks a highlight in his career thus far.

Most recently, Stellan Skarsgård has appeared in "Good Will Hunting" (1998), "Ronin" (1999) and "Deep Blue Sea" (1999). His current productions in 2000 are "Passion of Mind", "Signs and Wonders", "Aberdeen", "Timecode", "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "The
Glass House".

In TAKING SIDES he plays Wilhelm Furtwängler.