Stockland Martel

Alexander Skarsgard, who plays the vampire Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood, recently revealed the truth behind the infamous naked cover that Matthew Rolston shot for the September 2, 2010, issue of Rolling Stone…

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Photo by Matthew Rolston.

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In an interview with British GQ, when asked about being naked onscreen, Alexander said, “It’s about being comfortable and if it makes sense story-wise. … There’s always a reason for it on the show, and it’s always at great moments: fun, crazy, scenes. So I don’t mind at all. “

Here’s what the 34-year-old actor said when they asked him how this compares with doffing his clothes to pose for Matthew Rolston with his castmates:

“The Rolling Stone cover just happened on the day. We showed up and we shot very PG-13 with our clothes on for basically the whole day, for six or seven hours. Then towards the end, [Matthew Rolston] said, ‘I have this, these shots are beautiful and the magazine is going to be happy with them, but I’d like to try something if you guys are game.

“He explained it,” Alexander continues, “and it was just one of those things in the moment where we all looked at each other, we’d spent all day with [Matthew], we felt comfortable with him, we knew that he was great and the atmosphere was right and we were like, ‘Fuck it, let’s do it.’”

He adds, “No one thought the magazine would go for it. They want to sell at Walmart. We thought it was going to be too offensive. But I  guess they did. [Laughs] I’m glad they did! I liked it a lot. It was definitely more interesting than the safe version….”

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