If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Murderbot is "more relatable than most characters I’ve ever played," says the star of Apple TV+'s upcoming adaptation, Alexander Skarsgård
Between a Viking Hamlet, a southern vampire, and a robot who basically just wants to watch TV all day, Murderbot's Alexander Skarsgård knows who he'd most want to get a beer with
Popverse's top stories of the day
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps Silver Surfer follows the example of 1999 comic book series Earth X in giving new life to a longstanding Marvel character
- MEMBERS ONLY: V.E. Schwab, Ella McLeod, & Veronica Roth face off in Celebrity Author Trivia at London's MCM x EGX
- WATCH NOW: From Starship Troopers to Batgirl & SAW, Dina Meyer dishes on her favorite roles - and her favorite song to dance to
Look, none of us like working. Even if your job is cool like, say, being a movie star, or alternatively, being a cybernetic creation that spends much of the day blasting away at spacebugs, you're gonna want to sit back and binge your favorite shows more than you want to show up to the proverbial office. But that isn't the entire reason that Alexander Skarsgård relates to Murderbot, the titular android in Apple TV's upcoming scifi show.
Although according to the Northman actor, that blasting bot is actually one of the most relatable he's ever played.
Speaking to Empire Online in an interview published April 25, Skarsgård was asked about how he approached playing the self-titled Murderbot. In case you haven't read the Martha Wells book series on which the series is based, Murderbot is a security droid that has become self-aware. And even though he retains his incredible space warrior abilities, he'd rather stay back on the ship and watch TV.
"Ironically," the True Blood star said of the role, "I found Murderbot more relatable than most characters I’ve ever played."
Why? Well, "there’s a social awkwardness," to the character, Skarsgård says, "just trying to figure out how to fit into a group... It’s that feeling of walking into a room of strangers and you’re trying to read the situation in the room," he continues, "I don’t have social anxiety, but I can definitely relate to the feeling where everything is slightly elevated when you’re surrounded by strangers, or you’re in a room with a lot of people, and you’re trying to figure out what’s going on. You’re desperately trying to leave the room, but you can’t, because you’re told to be here.
"Sometimes I feel like an android in those moments," laughs the star.
But awkwardness around people isn't the only thing that puts man and machine on the same page in this case, the actor explains. "Murderbot talks about having all these cool, fucking awesome adventures and badass stuff," he says, "but then… You might be dreaming about that, but then when you finally have a moment where it’s presented to you, it’s a big step to actually take the first step into that and start executing [it]."
Yes, the other thing that links Skarsgård to his character is good, old-fashioned procratination.
You and me and Murderbot makes three, Alexander.
Murderbot comes to AppleTV+ May 16.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.