Stellan Skarsgard Reminds Us: ‘Cinema Should Be Seen in Cinemas’
by Alex Billington
January 12, 2026
Source: YouTube
“Hopefully you’ll see it in a cinema because they’re an extinguished [sic] species now…” Ha! Obviously he means endangered species. And he’s right! It’s the year of the Skarsgårds! Although I would say ever year is the year of the Skarsgårds… OG Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård, who’s now 74 years old, is a genuine icon – and recently survived a stroke in 2022, before roaring back to the big screen with his recent roles in Dune: Part Two and Sentimental Value. Last night at a big awards ceremony in Hollywood, Skarsgård took home the golden prize for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the wonderful Sentimental Value (one of my Top 10 films of 2025). He gave a short speech just under two minutes that was especially fun and especially rousing. Most importantly this sentiment: “In a cinema, where the lights go down, and eventually you share the pulse with some other people. That’s magic! Cinema should be seen in cinemas.” Yes! FS has always been a home for the theatrical experience – so three cheers for Stellan! Hoorah, hoorah, hoorah.
Stellan Skarsgård gave this speech at the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton. He also won the Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Drama award from the Astra Awards this weekend as well. He has been acting since he was young, taking on his first film roles in the 1970s & 80s after tons of Swedish TV before. While he has won plenty of awards over the years, remarkable Stellan has never been nominated for an Oscar in his entire career. He’s known for roles in movies like Good Evening Mr. Wallenberg, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Hunt for Red October, Good Will Hunting, Ronin, King Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3, Angels & Demons, Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Thor, Mamma Mia!, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series. 2 (of 8!!) of his sons are also famous actors now: Alexander & Bill – both in terrific films this year & last year. We also featured this excellent must watch awards season interview between Stellan & Alexander. One of the best! And what he says is exactly what we should be honoring every day: movie theaters are sacred places always & forever.
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