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NEED TO KNOW
- Stellan Skarsgård explained to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview why he doesn’t give parenting advice to his children
- The actor, 74, is a father to eight children, most of whom have followed in his footsteps and become actors themselves
- Stellan is dad to Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter, Ossian and Kolbjörn, six of whom are actors
Stellan Skarsgård is admitting it’s “dangerous” to give parenting advice.
Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the Los Angeles premiere of Sentimental Value on Nov. 5, the 74-year-old actor explained why he doesn’t give parenting advice to his children, most of whom are also actors.
“I haven’t given them any advice at all because it is very dangerous to do,” the father of eight says at West Hollywood’s Directors Guild of America.
He continues with 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.”
Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
Stellan is dad to Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter, Ossian and Kolbjörn, six of whom are also in the acting industry.
The Swedish actor welcomed six of his kids with his first wife, My Skarsgård. After his divorce in 2007, Stellan married Megan Everett-Skarsgård in 2009, and together they welcomed Ossian in 2009 and Kolbjörn in 2012.
At least four of Stellan’s children have kids of their own — with Alexander, 49, Gustaf, 44, Bill, 35, and Eija, 33, making him a granddad.
Elaborating on his favorite part of grandfatherhood, Stellan tells PEOPLE, “Watching the characters and seeing how different they are.”
He adds, “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.”
Vivien Killilea/Getty
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In Neon’s Sentimental Value, Stellan plays Gustav Borg. The film’s synopsis reads: “Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film.”
“When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star,” the synopsis continues. “Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father — and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics.”
Sentimental Value is in theaters now.