Actor Alexander Skarsgard has said the script for his latest film Pillion, “stood out” among a number of others.
The movie, which is director Harry Lighton’s first feature film, follows Colin (Harry Melling), a timid man, who meets Ray (Skarsgard), a confident biker gang leader, who leads him into a submissive relationship.
Speaking at a screening of the film at the BFI London Film Festival, Skarsgard told the PA news agency: “I was quite intrigued, even when I read the little log line, I didn’t know anything about our beloved director Harry, this is obviously his first feature film, and I wasn’t familiar with the short film.
“So it was sent to me in an email with a bunch of other scripts, but there was something about this that stood out, the title piqued my curiosity, and the log line, the one little sentence about it said something about Colin, this wallflower who meets a biker and is swept off his feet…
“I was a bit curious after that, and then I started reading it. I just thought it was an incredible script, and a really fascinating, enigmatic character, that’s all it took.
“I said I wanted to talk to whoever wrote this, and I was so impressed by Harry’s vision for this, and so it was an easy choice.”
The 49-year-old said he had a motorcycle licence and had ridden motorcycles in his personal life, but added: “I wouldn’t call myself a biker.”
He also spoke about his on-screen relationship with co-star Melling.
Skarsgard added: “I just didn’t really feel the need to sit and talk to him, before shooting, about the relationship.
“So much of the story is Ray showing Colin the ropes, and Colin being unsure about what to do and what this game is, and trying to figure out what the rules are.
“So it was quite nice to not really over analyse it, or sit and discuss it, and just kind of have that exploration happen on set in front of the camera instead.”
Pillion, which also features Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears, will be released in UK cinemas on November 28.
