Jason LaVeris/Getty Images; Mike Marsland/Getty Images Who's your daddy? That's the question True Blood fans are asking about Alexander Skarsgård's Viking vampire this season, as the series plans flashbacks to medieval Scandinavia that explore Eric Northman's origins and roots. Having already introduced (and dispatched with) Eric's vampire progenitor, Godric (Allan Hyde), the series is now casting for Eric's human father, King Ulfrick.
Considering that the role calls for a fluent Swedish speaker who looks like he could be Alexander Skarsgård's father, the part just has to go to Alex's real-life dad, internationally acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård, right? Here's what we're hearing:
We asked reps for papa Skarsgård if he would be playing Ulfrick on True Blood, and they said, "He will not."
OK, so, bah humbug to that, but if Señor Skarsgård isn't down for the role, who else would work? The official character description reads thusly: "In his 40s to 50s, warm, a battle-scarred Swedish Viking king, [Ulfrick] is Eric's father, seen in a flashback to 900 A.D. Though they have a good relationship, there is some tension between father and son, because Ulfrick wants Eric to learn responsibility and behave in a manner befitting royalty...GUEST STAR (47) ACTOR MUST SPEAK FLUENT SWEDISH."
In lieu of Stellan, fans have suggested casting Max von Sydow, Bill Nighy or Viggo Mortensen. Von Sydow and Mortensen both actually speak Swedish, and Nighy has vampire-genre experience from his work on the Underworld franchise. We like any one of those choices, but who appeals to you?
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