How many children does Stellan Skarsgard have? Actor reveals why he refrains from offering kids parenting advice 

According to a report shared by Hello!, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard has eight children across his two marriages, six of whom have followed him into the acting profession. His children are Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, Valter, Sam, Eija, Ossian, and Kolbjörn Skarsgard. Alexander, the eldest, most recently appeared as tech billionaire Lukas Matsson in the final season of Succession, a performance that drew wide acclaim for its cold precision and unsettling charm.

Gustaf gained a dedicated following with his eccentric turn as Floki in Vikings, while Bill achieved global recognition after embodying Pennywise the Clown in It (2017), the adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic. Valter carved his own path with performances in the BBC series Black Lake and the horror biopic Lords of Chaos. Sam, on the other hand, chose a completely different path. A qualified doctor who worked in intensive care, he remained out of the spotlight.

Eija, the only daughter, had once worked as a model but preferred a quieter life, maintaining a close relationship with her siblings, particularly Valter. The youngest two, Ossian and Kolbjörn, have already begun exploring acting. Ossian appeared in Burn All My Letters in 2022, while Kolbjörn portrayed the younger version of Bill’s character in Clark. Recently, Stellan Skarsgard admitted it was “dangerous” to give parenting advice, reflecting on the freedom and individuality he had always encouraged in his family.

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Stellan Skarsgard reflects on fatherhood and the perils of parenting advice:

During the Los Angeles premiere of Sentimental Value on Nov. 5, Stellan Skarsgard reflected on the challenges of parenthood and why, even after raising eight children, he had chosen not to offer them advice. In a conversation with People, the actor admitted that he had deliberately avoided guiding his children’s careers. “I haven’t given them any advice at all because it is very dangerous to do,” he said at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood.

He went on to explain his reasoning.

“Because if they listen to my advice and they’re successful, it’s because of me, and if they listen to my advice and they’re not successful, it’s my fault. So it’s a lose-lose situation.”

Stellan Skarsgard shares six children with his first wife, My Skarsgård. Following their divorce in 2007, he married Megan Everett-Skarsgård two years later. Together, they had two sons, Ossian in 2009 and Kolbjörn in 2012. Now a grandfather, Skarsgård’s family continued to grow. Four of his older children, Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, and Eija, have children of their own.

When reflecting on grandparenthood, Stellan Skarsgard spoke with quiet admiration.

“Watching the characters and seeing how different they are, even if they have the same genes, it’s amazing how different they are. All my eight kids, they’re very different too. There are some things in common, but they all have personalities,” he shared.

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After a stroke, Stellan Skarsgard reflects on work, mortality, and raising eight children:

Stellan Skarsgard shared that he had suffered a stroke three years earlier and that filming had become “considerably more challenging” since the incident. While promoting Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier’s new film, the actor told Vulture that the stroke occurred between the two parts of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and between seasons of Andor.

“It was perfect timing,” he said, noting that his language had weakened and that he needed an earpiece during Dune: Part Two.

“Suddenly, I can’t come up with names, I can’t follow a thought or make an argument that spans several sentences that gets to the point […] That is extremely frustrating. But on the other hand, I’m alive. I can work,” Stellan Skarsgard shared.

He said he was “not afraid of dying, but I am afraid of not being capable of living,” adding,

“I feel a little more like I live under the sword now. Because I’ve lived a naughty life. And I’m 74, which is already on overtime.”

Skarsgard joked that “being boring” still worried him, both for himself and for his eight children.

“With all my eight kids, there’s one thing I’ve been afraid of every time I have a new kid … that they’re boring. Luckily, none of them were.”

Several of his children are actors, though Skarsgård described himself with a grin as “a nepo daddy.”

“I get so much goodwill and maybe jobs because of them,” he said.

The actor recalled attending the Telluride Film Festival in August, where both he and his eldest son had films screening.

“He came out, destroyed in his face, and he hugged me,” Skarsgård shared.

Despite the sudden challenges, Stellan Skarsgard's perspective remained grounded, a reminder that resilience, humor, and a touch of self-awareness can carry even the most seasoned actors through life’s unexpected turns.