Alexander Skarsgård Talks About Being Typecast As 'Sexy Hunk': 'People Didn't Take Me Seriously'

Alexander Skarsgård got candid about his struggles in the film industry due to his good looks.

Skarsgård is among the sexiest actors in Hollywood. However, his appearance did not help his career for some time because he got typecast as a "sexy hunk." Skarsgård detailed the experience in his recent interview with The Sunday Times when asked if he agreed with what Charlize Theron said "pretty people get turned away first" when "meaty roles come through."

He understood Theron's point of view "as a good looking blonde woman" because he "can relate."

Skarsgård paused before sharing how he got typecast in Hollywood.

"I don't really know if that was the reason I wasn't getting roles," said the Swedish actor who starred in "The Legend of Tarzan." "Starting out in Sweden, there was stuff about being tall and blond. But most people here are tall and blond."

He continued, "Still, after my first job I was on a stupid 'sexy hunky hot list,' and then people didn't take me seriously. If you want characters with depth but have been labeled 'a dude who takes his shirt off,' you're not going to get those offers."

Skarsgård is not the only celebrity who experienced being typecast. Jennifer Aniston, who was loved by many as Rachel Green from "Friends," shared how it became both a blessing and a curse.

"So, I just fought with myself and who I was in this industry forever, and it was constantly about trying to prove that I was more than that person [Rachel]. But there is such a freedom in getting older because you just stop giving a crap," Aniston told Rose Byrne in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

According to Aniston, when an actor plays comedy, the audience would start thinking they couldn't do drama. However, people would start thinking they couldn't do comedy when they do drama.

"They forget that we're actors, and we actually have it all in there. It's just about finding it and accessing it and getting the material," Aniston shared.

Skarsgård only became a household name when he starred in HBO's vampire drama "True Blood." He appeared shirtless as the vampire Eric Northman and played the character for 76 episodes.

He will appear on screen again for his upcoming role as the Viking prince in Robert Eggers' 10th-century epic "The Northman."

"The amount of discipline that Alex put into this role is crazy. He transformed his body more wildly than he did in 'Tarzan,'" Eggers told Variety about the actor's preparation for the role.

"The Northman" opens in theaters on April 22.