Stellan Skarsgard had 'no intention' of becoming an actor

Stellan Skarsgard has revealed that a career in acting was never part of his original plan.

The Swedish star has admitted he once dreamed of becoming a diplomat, with ambitions to travel the world and promote peace, before ultimately turning his attention to acting.

Speaking to W Magazine, Skarsgard explained that he only began to prioritise acting after abandoning his initial career goal.

"I had no intention of becoming an actor. I wanted to be a diplomat," he said. "I wanted to travel the world and make peace everywhere."

"When I was 16, I did a television series, but I still wanted to be a diplomat," the 74-year-old continued. "At 18, I gave up and started acting full-time."

Despite his decades-long career, Skarsgard joked that he is still searching for his true calling.

"I still don't know what to do when I grow up," he quipped. "I do this for fun."

The actor is best known internationally for his roles as Bill Anderson in Mamma Mia! and its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Bootstrap Bill Turner in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, Erik Selvig in the Thor and Avengers movies, and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the Dune franchise.

Elsewhere in the interview, the Good Will Hunting star reflected on the differences between working in his native Europe and the United States.

"I like both," he shared. "The difference isn't that big between America and Europe, except that the crews are bigger here."

Skarsgard is currently promoting his latest film, Sentimental Value, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe earlier this month.