Alexander Skarsgard was photographed hands-free on Saturday at a gas station in Hollywood. This hands-free gas pumping thing is like Bigfoot to me. I’ve been driving for 25 years (f-ck me, I’m old) and I’ve never, ever, ever found a hands-free pump. Is it an American thing? Jacek and I talked about it this morning when he was driving me to work. He’s only ever pumped hands-free in the US. It’s like having internet on an airplane, available for probably a decade – or more – now on US flights but still not a standard service in Canada, what the F-CK is taking so long?
You know the downside to hands-free gas though, if you’re a celebrity? If you go hands-free, you have to pose. Like he’s doing here, leaning on his Porsche, one arm crossing the body and the other hand by his chin, like all fake-pensive. At least when you’re not hands-free, you’re actively doing something, holding onto the nozzle, and if you really want to turn it into a movie moment, you can look up and squint, all busy and important.
Anyway, after shooting Tarzan in London for several months immediately after working on True Blood, Skarsgard now has some down time. We’re still 18 months away from the release and so far, he doesn’t have anything else lined up. He also needs to be careful with whatever he lines up. Because Tarzan, opening July 1, 2016 is supposed to be his big Movie Star break. If it doesn’t do well, he doesn’t get to hide behind anyone else on the fall. If it does very well, you don’t want to dilute that success with a sh-tty companion project. But patience is hard on an actor.
If I were him, I’d advise him to sit out the next year, stay out of the spotlight, and really let the major box office momentum build. It’s a huge movie. The studio will invest in getting him at the right time, maybe during award season 2015/16 for presenter duties, magazine covers with his shirt off, etc. But you have to create the hunger first.
