Stellan Skarsgård graciously accepted a reduced salary to take on the role of executive producer for Joachim Trier's acclaimed film "Sentimental Value," which triumphantly won the Grand Prix at Cannes this year. His motivation? Ensuring that the crew enjoyed sumptuous lunches. "Initially, I wasn't slated to be an executive producer, but I insisted, 'I'd never shoot in Norway without a special arrangement,'" he revealed during a roundtable discussion at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where he was honored with the Crystal Globe for his outstanding artistic contributions to world cinema.
Recalling his experience on the 1997 thriller "Insomnia" directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg (later remade by Christopher Nolan), he said, "After wrapping up 'Insomnia,' I gathered the entire crew and declared, 'I won't film in this country again unless we get proper lunches.'" He elaborated, "I lost eight kilos on that shoot; our meals consisted of pre-sliced bread and plastic-wrapped salami – that was it!"
Since then, Skarsgård made sure his contracts stipulated that everyone on set should receive lunches of the highest European standard. "It's costly," he noted, "but Norway is one of the richest countries, yet they're stingy when it comes to spending on food." He continued, "I took a pay cut of half a million kroner to cover the cost of these gourmet meals. The producer said, 'You'll get credit for it.' And not just any plates – real china, no plastic or paper. Everyone sits down to eat, no standing in line. It boosts morale and enhances the film's quality. I haven't made a single bad film in Norway since."
Variety reached out to the Norwegian producers of both "Insomnia" and "Sentimental Value" for comment. When asked about the food quality on "Insomnia," Petter Borgli, one of the producers, responded with a lighthearted, "No comment (it's been 29 years) ;)."
Skarsgård's performance as Gustav Borg, an aging director striving to reconnect with his daughters, including an actress portrayed by Renate Reinsve, in "Sentimental Value" has garnered immense praise. "Renate's portrayal in 'The Worst Person in the World,' where she's dashing through Oslo, is playful. But Joachim Trier is subtly brilliant, which I admire greatly. He introduces problems in the film without resolving them – and that's a good thing. This family has grown closer, and that's wonderful," he said.
Contrasting himself with Gustav, who lacks the ability to untangle emotional knots, Skarsgård shared, "The beauty of my parenting is that I openly displayed my flaws, being human, not perched on a pedestal with special privileges as a father. I didn't make decisions for my children or censor them. They could speak their minds with respect for others. I have eight kids, and they're wonderful. I don't know the extent of the damage I've done, but they had the freedom to forge their own paths."
Skarsgård is unconstrained, especially when it comes to his culinary and cinematic tastes. "Many people restrict their diets, saying, 'I don't eat meat,' but I indulge in everything," he chuckled. "I have an insatiable appetite for life. Genre doesn't make a film bad; laziness does. The American films I've done were helmed by杰出的directors – 'Ronin' with John Frankenheimer, 'Dune' with Denis Villeneuve, and my first Marvel film, albeit reluctantly signed up for four. But the first one was directed by Kenneth Branagh!"
He added, "These projects are valid despite being part of the big system. What's detrimental is our neo-capitalistic society where investment firms own everything. Like when AT&T, a telephone company, acquired Time Warner. Imagine a telephone company telling HBO to scrap artistic content for lighter fare to boost their 15% returns. Horrifying."
Moving to the U.S. doesn't appeal to him. "With eight kids, I'd be broke before disembarking. School, college, healthcare? Not to mention the wives," he joked. While mid-level films have unfortunately disappeared – "They featured top actors, writers, and directors. I miss them deeply. We all do" – he believes indie films are still thriving. "I still derive immense joy from them. Being on set is where I'm happiest. And in my younger days, all-night drinking was quite the thrill too."
