Alexander Skarsgård Talks Authenticity in New Film About Kinky Biker Love

Zurich, Switzerland – Alexander Skarsgård expressed excitement for his latest role in the film “Pillion,” directed by Harry Lighton. The movie tells the story of Colin, a young gay man played by Skarsgård, who enters a dominant/submissive relationship with Ray, the charismatic leader of a biker gang.

In an interview, Skarsgård emphasized the importance of authenticity in portraying the subculture. “I found that in this case, it’s not really relevant what my background is… To me, what was important was that this felt like an opportunity to tell a story about a subculture I hadn’t seen portrayed this way – with so much authenticity,” he stated.

Skarsgård reflected on past portrayals of similar themes in film, notably Al Pacino‘s “Cruising,” calling it a dark depiction of New York’s leather scene. “Leather gays are scary. I’m no Ray, but I have a little bit of experience from that world and I know that’s not the truthful depiction,” he said.

The film’s intimacy coordinator, Robbie Taylor Hunt, added insights into shooting the more intimate scenes. “There’s a dramatic narrative in these scenes… We wanted it to be clumsy and weird. On screen, it often looks like a ballet, but sex can be awkward and funny,” he explained.

Hunt shared that the film features more explicit scenes that were not included in the final cut. “We shot way more graphic stuff than you’ve seen just now,” he remarked. “Harry did a beautiful job of calibrating it. You don’t shy away from it because ‘Oh, we can’t show men having sex,’ but you also don’t show a closeup of a dick just because you can.”

Skarsgård admitted he was unfamiliar with Lighton’s work before joining the project, but the premise intrigued him. “It felt so original, and that’s quite rare. I was invited into this world with so much love and compassion,” he shared.

The film portrays the Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club, with club members attending the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. “The bikers in the movie are members of GBMCC. Five of them drove from London to be there. We had the most extraordinary day and night celebrating together,” Skarsgård said.

Overall, the film has been welcomed by the subculture it represents. Skarsgård affirmed, “If you’re not a professional actor, even if you’re proud of the end result, it can be really weird to sit in a movie theater with thousands of people… and watch yourself running around naked on screen. That they were just loving it and felt proud meant the world to me.”