"It’s completely disproportionate" - When Bill Skarsgård spoke out about the immense amount of money actors get in Hollywood

Bill Skarsgård belongs to a royalty of a kind, with four of the Skarsgård siblings firmly in the industry along with their father, Stellan Skarsgård. However, the young actor, who has most recently worked in Robert Eggers' adaptation of Nosferatu, once claimed that actors and their jobs are quite disproportionate to the amount of money and attention they get.

Going back to 2017, this interview was conducted by Bill's brother and fellow actor, Alexander Skarsgård, for the Interview Magazine. Among the many things that Bill Skarsgård discussed, he did mention that he felt the amount of money actors make is not at all proportionate to the work they do. He further pointed out to other jobs that people in his family do, citing the importance of roles that go beyond just entertaining.

Speaking about this to Alexander Skarsgård, Bill Skarsgård said:

"Yeah, of course. It’s not fair. I’m constantly embarrassed at the level of attention actors get and the level of money that we get. It’s completely disproportionate. I think you have to feel guilty about it. I think it makes you a better person to keep reminding yourself."

This was in response to Alexander asking whether Bill has some sense of guilt because one of their brothers worked in the ICU and literally saved lives every day, only to earn less and be recognized less than his brothers in the industry.

This goes on to show that Bill Skarsgård always had a sense of awareness that was beyond his age, and his choices in Hollywood have consistently proved the same.

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"There’s definitely a sense of embarrassment about what it is artists really do" - Bill Skarsgård about the job of artists

In the 2017 interview with The Interview Magazine, things got rather interesting as Bill and Alexander were discussing things, which inadvertently brought forth some discussions about the family. This is when the actors first got into the debate about whether actors should be making this much money or getting the amount of attention that they do.

When Alexander mentioned in the interview that their mother and brother were doctors while most of the rest of the family were artists in different forms, Bill said he felt a sense of embarrassment about his job, even though he was a renowned Hollywood name by then.

Bill said:

"There’s definitely a sense of embarrassment about what it is artists really do, at least for me in terms of acting. We have a mom and a brother who literally save lives."

This is a topic that has been in debate for years but it is undeniable that those in the fields of Entertainment will always reach more people and will hence generate more attention. This usually also comes with more money. This is something that is inseparable from the mainstream industry.

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Since this interview, Bill Skarsgård has gone on an upward curve in his career, appearing in many, many memorable roles that have cemented his place in this industry for good.

He has most recently taken on the challenging role of Count Orlok in Robert Eggers' acclaimed horror remake Nosferatu. The film premiered in theatres on December 25, 2024, and has been greeted with universal acclaim.

Catch Nosferatu in theatres near you.