Alexander Skarsgård Goes Full Leather Daddy at Cannes

We are blessed to have Alexander Skarsgård, an actor who is ridiculously talented, super-charming, and looks like that. Really, we’d hate him for it if he weren’t so lovely. It helps that he has a chaotic weirdo streak a mile wide, and in times as tough as this, it’s good to know that we can receive a few treats now and then. Like Alexander Skarsgård in full leather gear.

Skarsgård is currently in attendance at the Cannes Film Festival for his new movie Pillion. Based on the excellent novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, the film is about the unconventional relationship that develops between a meek traffic warden and the dominant leather-wearing biker who demands total submission. Can you guess which one Skarsgård is playing? Pillion, which also stars Harry Melling from The Queen’s Gambit, has received strong reviews and a reported seven-minute standing ovation at its premiere. Of course, at Cannes, there are only two modes of response to any movie: sixteen minutes of uninterrupted clapping or a cacophony of boos.

To promote the movie, Skarsgård has embraced the style of his character. We deserve this.

Harry Lighton, Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård at the ‘PILLION’ premiere in #Cannes

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— Film Updates (@thefilmupdates.bsky.social) May 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM

Alexander Skarsgård knows his audience #Cannes

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— Philip Bagnall (@cynicalfilm.bsky.social) May 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM

27. Alexander Skarsgård in Saint Laurent Fall 2025 at the ‘Pillion’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere

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— slubieniecka.bsky.social (@slubieniecka.bsky.social) May 19, 2025 at 4:03 AM

Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling at the Caanes Film Festival awards for their S/M love story PILLION. 💞

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— Mark Knight (@markmeblue.bsky.social) May 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM

Honestly, bless this man for wearing leather trousers in Cannes in May. He suffers for his art. I hope he sent pics of his looks to his BFF Jack McBrayer beforehand.

One of the many (many) reasons I love our new Murderbot is that he has zero desire to take himself seriously in situations like this, but he’s also not going for a cheap joke. The reviews for Pillion emphasize how the film takes a queer BDSM relationship seriously and that the lead actors have an innate understanding of that dynamic and why it works. Cinema doesn’t do kink well, as three 50 Shades movies can attest to. This seems like a welcome change of pace.

Am I trying to find deeper meaning to this situation so that I can justify all of these photos of Skarsgård in leather? Hey, I’m a professional and I won’t stand for such scurrilous accusations.

Also look, here he is embracing Pedro Pascal at the premiere!

Imagínate estar en Cannes y ver a Alexander Skarsgård y Pedro Pascal así. #Cannes2025. Yo me caigo del palco haciendo el maximo zoom in 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #Cannes2025 #CannesFilmFestival

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— Pau Brunet (@pauboxoffice.bsky.social) May 18, 2025 at 9:22 PM