Bill Skarsgård has played enough unsettling characters to keep horror fans busy for quite some time. First there was Pennywise in ‘It’, then Count Orlok in ‘Nosferatu’. He’s also appeared as the Marquis in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’, so playing someone with a rather dark side isn’t exactly new territory for him. But the actor seems to be reaching a point where he’d like to be a little more careful about which villains he takes on. He isn’t ruling them out completely, though. In fact, there’s one particular franchise he’d happily make an exception for: James Bond.Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Skarsgård discussed his past roles and what he looks for when choosing a new project. The conversation also turned to James Bond, where he had a rather amusing explanation for why he was never considered for 007.
Bill Skarsgård says he feels ‘spent’ playing villains
Pennywise and Count Orlok are probably two of Bill Skarsgård’s most recognisable roles, but they’re hardly the only dark characters he’s played. His filmography also includes the Marquis in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and Eric Draven in ‘The Crow’.Asked about taking on more villainous characters, the actor explained that he’d need a good reason to return to that territory. Simply playing another bad guy wouldn’t be enough. He’d want to find something that felt new to him.“For a villain, it would have to be something that felt original to me, that was something that I hadn’t done before,” he said.He was quite honest about how he felt after playing so many such characters, adding, “I feel, kind of, spent with those things.”That said, Skarsgård hasn’t lost interest in villains altogether. He mentioned that some characters “could be really fun in different ways”. So, if a role comes along that offers him something different, he’s open to considering it.
Why Bill Skarsgård would consider playing a James Bond villain
James Bond was one of the more interesting parts of the conversation. Bill Skarsgård joked that he had never been approached to play the famous British spy.“They didn’t call me about James Bond. I don’t know what that was about,” he said.He even had a theory about why he might have been overlooked. “Maybe they were like, ‘We can’t do a Swede for this guy.’ I wasn’t even thrown into the mix.”However, playing 007 himself isn’t necessarily what he’s after. Horowitz brought up the lengthy commitment that comes with leading a franchise like Bond, and Skarsgård seemed much happier with the idea of making a one-film appearance.“Just want to go in and do one Mads Mikkelsen villain,” he said.He was referring to Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre in ‘Casino Royale’. Skarsgård also mentioned Javier Bardem, who played Silva in ‘Skyfall’. Both actors had memorable outings as Bond antagonists without having to commit to playing the lead character for years.
Bill Skarsgård wants to be selective about his next projects
Bill Skarsgård also spoke about how he approaches work and whether he’s actively looking for another villainous role. From his answer, it sounds like he doesn’t have a particular kind of character in mind at the moment.“It’s not something that I’m actively looking for, but if I feel compelled to do something, yeah,” he said.He’s also comfortable taking time away between projects instead of constantly moving from one film to another. He would rather wait for a story that genuinely interests him than take on something simply because an opportunity is available.Given the characters he’s played so far, another villain might seem like an obvious choice for his next project. But Skarsgård appears to be more interested in finding a role that gives him something new to work with. A James Bond antagonist is clearly one possibility, although whether the franchise will approach him remains to be seen.
