Alexander Skarsgård talks Murderbot, bad reviews, and the art of not taking himself too seriously

Alexander Skarsgård has played a Viking prince, a bloodthirsty vampire, and an abusive husband. Intense roles, heavy roles, the kind that win awards and leave audiences shaken.

Now, with Murderbot, he takes a hard left turn into something entirely different: an antisocial android with a love of cheap space soap operas and zero interest in human connection.

Apparently, Skarsgård liked the idea of playing a machine who wants everyone to shut up and leave it alone. Can’t blame him.

Murderbot: an android unlike any other

From the very first episode, it’s obvious that Murderbot doesn’t care about being likable, noble, or inspirational. It cares about getting through the mission with minimal human interference and maximum time left over to binge-watch its shows.

Speaking with his usual dry humor, Alexander Skarsgård said that what drew him into Murderbot was just how much the character rejected every expected narrative.

“I didn’t expect the protagonist to be so socially awkward and appalled by humanity, in a way. I just thought it was a really delicious character to approach,” he explained.

For an actor who spent years playing intense, brooding figures, whether as the imposing Eric Northman in True Blood or the brutal husband Perry Wright in Big Little Lies, stepping into the shoes (or rather, synthetic skin) of a character who actively resists emotional growth was a refreshing shift.

“I found the character disturbingly relatable,” Skarsgård admitted, half-laughing.

And why not? Murderbot isn’t about redemption arcs or human connection. It’s about efficiency, survival, and finding ways to avoid awkward social interactions.

Skarsgård’s performance leans into the character’s bone-dry sarcasm, delivering lines with such matter-of-fact detachment that even the funniest moments feel like accidental humor. Murderbot’s personality isn’t a glitch or a malfunction. It’s deliberate. And Skarsgård was keen to respect that.

Fans familiar with the books have noticed and appreciated that the show hasn’t tried to soften or humanize Murderbot beyond recognition. Instead, it embraces the character’s internal voice, its sharp observations, and its reluctant fondness (if you can call it that) for the humans it’s stuck protecting.

Finding humor in the hate: Alexander Skarsgård’s ASMR stunt

If you’ve seen the viral Entertainment Weekly video, you know what’s coming. Alexander Skarsgård, sitting in front of a microphone, whispering his way through some of the most brutal critiques of his career.

Reviews call him a “dull brooder,” mock his fight scenes as “statue-like,” and poke at his famously stoic screen presence. Instead of defending himself or brushing it off, he leans into it. Soft-spoken, deadpan, and occasionally raising an eyebrow, he makes the whole thing into an awkwardly funny moment.

It’s the kind of publicity stunt that, for another actor, might have come across as forced or cringeworthy. But here, it fits. Skarsgård has a talent for disarming self-awareness, and watching him whisper sharp barbs at himself is the kind of moment Murderbot itself might quietly enjoy, if it had time to care about human absurdities.

In fact, the ASMR video shows off the same qualities that make his Murderbot performance work: the dry delivery, the refusal to overdramatize, and the underlying sense that maybe, just maybe, he’s in on the joke.

On set, Skarsgård says the tone stayed playful too.

“The other actors were incredibly funny and would surprise me with lots of weird little things and different things in each take,” he shared.

That kind of improvisational energy helped shape the final dynamic on screen. Murderbot isn’t exactly a killing machine. It’s a reluctant protector, a slightly annoyed observer of human messiness, and Skarsgård brings all of that out with perfect and quiet precision.

From vampire to android: a career shaped by reinvention

Looking over Alexander Skarsgård’s career, one thing stands out. He doesn’t settle. Sure, many people still associate him with the dangerously magnetic vampire Eric Northman from True Blood, but that was only the beginning.

Since then, he’s thrown himself into projects as varied as the dark domestic drama of Big Little Lies, the historical intensity of The Northman, and now the sarcastic and emotionally unavailable android of Murderbot.

This isn’t an actor chasing one formula. Alexander Skarsgård seems drawn to characters who challenge audience expectations, sometimes even poking fun at them. Murderbot, in many ways, flips the idea of what a sci-fi lead is supposed to be.

There’s no tortured search for humanity here, no heroic quest to understand emotions. Murderbot isn’t trying to be more human, and Skarsgård isn’t trying to make it more likable. That’s the brilliance of the performance. It’s sharp, dry, and defiantly unsentimental.

“It was sometimes hard to keep a straight face,” said Alexander Skarsgård, reflecting on the experience.

That playful atmosphere gave him the freedom to experiment, to layer deadpan humor over action beats, and to lean into the comedy of a character who simply wants to finish the mission and be left alone.

For an actor used to playing characters wrapped up in emotional tension, Murderbot offered something else entirely. The chance to explore detachment without losing depth.

Alexander Skarsgård: an off-screen show of his own

That attitude, that refusal to overexplain or smooth out the rough edges, isn’t something that Alexander Skarsgård leaves behind when the cameras stop rolling. Whether he’s on set, in a press interview, or facing a room full of photographers, he carries the same mix of dry humor and quiet defiance. It’s no surprise, then, that his recent appearances offscreen have sparked as much conversation as his performance itself.

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, he took some of his characters' ethos to the red carpet. When promoting his film Pillion, where he portrays a dominant biker in a BDSM relationship, he embraced "method dressing" by donning outfits that echoed his on-screen persona.

For the premiere of The Phoenician Scheme, he wore a Saint Laurent tuxedo paired with thigh-high leather boots, a bold choice that sparked widespread discussion and highlighted his commitment to challenging red carpet norms. It seems that Alexander Skarsgård, like Murderbot, prefers being authentic over being palatable. And much like Murderbot, who’d rather binge soap operas than justify its existence, Skarsgård offered no apologies for the thigh-high boots. The message was clear: take it or leave it.

How Murderbot fits into today’s sci-fi landscape

In today’s crowded field of sci-fi television, Murderbot stands out because it refuses to play by the usual emotional rules. So many series aim for grand moral arcs or sweeping, interconnected universes. Murderbot stays small, sharp, and darkly funny. It doesn’t ask viewers to root for its protagonist’s redemption or evolution. It asks them to sit with a character who’s functional, sarcastic, and perfectly content being left alone.

Critics have been split on the show’s approach. Some praise its tight pacing and humor, calling it a refreshing break from the overblown melodrama of many current sci-fi hits. Others wish it would dig deeper into its philosophical or emotional themes, exploring more of what it means to be a machine with agency. Either way, one thing is clear. Alexander Skarsgård’s performance is what keeps the series grounded.

“I think we’re quite true to the book,” said Alexander Skarsgård when asked about the adaptation.

Fans have noticed, particularly appreciating that the show kept Murderbot’s internal voice intact. The scripts capture the dry wit and sharp observations that define the character in Martha Wells’s books, and Skarsgård leans into that with precision. He’s not trying to turn Murderbot into a tragic figure or a sentimental hero but playing the character as it was meant to be.

Final thoughts

Alexander Skarsgård’s take on Murderbot isn’t just another entry on his acting resume. It’s a performance that lets him tap into something we don’t always get to see from him. Not just physical presence or intense brooding, but razor-sharp comedic timing and a gift for deadpan delivery. Onscreen, he brings Murderbot to life without ever overplaying it, holding back just enough to let the character’s sarcasm and reluctant heroism shine through.

Offscreen, he’s sitting in ASMR videos, softly whispering his worst reviews and making fun of himself. That combination says a lot. It’s not about projecting a flawless, larger-than-life image. It’s about showing that he knows exactly what kind of work he’s doing and isn’t afraid to enjoy the absurdity of it. Maybe that’s what makes this role such a good fit. Murderbot doesn’t want to be human, doesn’t want to be “fixed,” and certainly doesn’t want to explain itself. And, to be honest, neither does Alexander Skarsgård.

In the end, maybe the real appeal of both the actor and his character in Murderbot comes down to the same thing. They do the job. They survive the chaos. And when it’s all over, they just want to be left alone to enjoy their entertainment in peace. Really, can you blame them?