Quotes from Stellan Skarsgard

I know how to cut meat, yeah. I know how to cook, basically.

I can say yes to some directors without even reading a script. But the first-time directors I've worked with, the scripts have not been perfect, but they had something that I liked.

When Lars Von Trier calls me, I say yes without reading the script because often the script hasn't been written yet, and if Fincher called me again, I'd say yes without reading the script, too.

Lars von Trier is a very good storyteller. He's like an H. C. Andersen for adults.

The first time I saw Istvan Szabo's 'Mephisto,' I came out and I was in shock. I was shaking.

We have to know that the bad guys are not different from us in the world.

The biggest enemy of any actor is fear.

I did a guest appearance on 'Entourage.' That was horrible, because I'm used to analysing the characters, working with all the details... and they said, 'No no no, walk and talk, walk and talk! It's energy energy energy!' - so it didn't quite suit me.

The Sermon on the Mount is a very nice piece about being good, but most of the Bible is a very revengeful, childish, brutal God.

Rupert Murdoch is in bed with Cameron. Of course they want to kill the BBC... anybody who is in the way.

Even if you're the President of the United States, you still act like a little child and think like a little child sometimes. Childish behavior is what I look for in all of my characters because that is what makes them human.

if a real God were actually so vain as to constantly demand worship, then he would not be worth it.

I'm in Stockholm in my office. I just got here after seeing my eighth child on an ultrasound, so I'm in a good mood. It's beautiful: an energetic little skeleton.

Norwegian kids, they grow up well educated in film. So they have a lot of good directors there.

I'm not always happy when Hollywood does remakes of films, but that's usually, when they have a very, very, very good film and they take away anything controversial from it and make flatter.

When we did 'Breaking the Waves,' he had a sign on the wall that said, 'Make mistakes.'

I am not a nationalist in any way, and I hate flag waving, and I don't think much good has come out of nationalism. I am proud of Scandinavia in the sense that we have actually managed to create a very tolerant and human society, which is very livable.

I don't feel ashamed or humiliated when I am naked, but I definitely feel it when I am playing games.

I still live in Sweden. That's my base. When I'm not working, I'm there.

I grew up in a family where you were allowed to say anything; you were allowed to show weakness... I have no problems talking about anything, basically. But at the same time, I know I'm different than a woman.

I've got a lot of weaknesses. One of them is that I often get scared and tense when I'm working - and fear is one of the big threats to any good performance, because it closes you down and makes it harder for you to produce life in front of the camera.

All directors have their strengths and weaknesses, as all actors have, and all artists. What you try to do is complete the relationship and take care of the stuff that the director won't take care of.

Man is such an amazing animal, and the possibilities are infinite for each person.

The way I look at humanity, I don't think there's good guys or bad guys. We're all potentially bad and potentially good.