486: A Conversation With Gustaf Skarsgård ('To Cook A Bear')

·28 min·2 clips

Gustaf Skarsgård explains why villagers blame a bear for a missing girl and how his character cooks a bear's brain for evidence.

Host Christina Jeurling Birro introduces the episode from New York, highlighting her conversation with Gustaf Skarsgård about the series 'To Cook a Bear', based on Mikael Niemi's novel. Skarsgård stars as Pastor Lars Levi Lestadius, a historical figure in 1850s northern Sweden who investigates a missing girl case rumored to involve a bear attack. The host sets up the interview by noting the show's themes of faith, science, misogyny, and class tension. Skarsgård explains the title refers to villagers scapegoating a bear and a scene where his character cooks a bear's brain for evidence. He describes the real pastor as a controversial revivalist who fought liquor oppression while Christianizing the Sami, creating a paradox of saving versus colonizing. Skarsgård details his detective-like character, who is scientifically minded and uses a historically accurate long pipe. He discusses filming challenges, including a real marsh dive and dealing with mosquitoes in Finland. The conversation shifts to societal issues, with Skarsgård analyzing the pastor's moral dilemmas and relationship with his adopted Sami son, Jussi. Skarsgård shares personal insights, contrasting his desire to 'do right' with the character's need to 'be good'. He talks about choosing roles based on character, script, director, co-actors, and money, citing examples like 'Oppenheimer' and 'Wallander'. Skarsgård explains his 'meta-actor' philosophy, using the stress of production to mirror character emotions rather than traditional method acting. He reveals past addiction struggles and how he now uses breath work and nervous system regulation for sustainable acting. The episode concludes with Skarsgård recommending a folk remedy for mosquitoes and the host promoting where to watch the series.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about historical crime, harsh locations, and the women caught inside the story.

Pop Culture Confidential is strongest when it treats To Cook a Bear as a story shaped by place: a remote village in northern Sweden, a missing girl, rumors, and a pastor pulled through the hard weather of an 1850s world.

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Why you'd press play

You want a historical crime conversation with real marsh mud, mosquitoes, and moral unease.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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