He has been arthouse cinema's most melancholy groom, the lord of the jungle, the guide of an expedition to the centre of the Earth and a Viking prince consumed by revenge. Alexander Skarsgård, the 6'4" Swedish giant crowned with an Emmy and a Golden Globe for “Big Little Lies”, carries his quiet intensity from landscape to landscape. Alongside Dakota Johnson, he is the face of Vendetta, Valentino's new fragrance duo — and of Vendetta Uomo in particular, a spicy woody built on ginger and signed by perfumer Marie Salamagne. A portrait of an actor of the great outdoors, and a dive into the masculine Valentino wardrobe at Olara perfumery.
1“Melancholia”: the end of the world with Lars von Trier
In 2011, Lars von Trier invited him into “Melancholia”, presented in competition at Cannes: Alexander Skarsgård plays Michael, the young groom of Justine — Kirsten Dunst, who won Best Actress on the Croisette — whose sumptuous wedding unravels as a blue planet grows in the sky. The cast also features a certain Stellan Skarsgård: his own father. Facing the most painterly end of the world in contemporary cinema, the actor already shows his signature: a massive gentleness, ready to crack. An elegance under tension that our men's fragrances cultivate too.
2“The Legend of Tarzan”: lord of the jungle
In 2016, David Yates gave him the title role of “The Legend of Tarzan”: Alexander Skarsgård plays John Clayton III, a polished English lord called back to his primal nature by Africa, alongside Margot Robbie and opposite a Machiavellian Christoph Waltz. Months of training and a drastic regimen sculpted the most talked-about physique of the year, and the Congolese jungle — mists, vines, rivers — became a character in its own right. The civilised man letting instinct rise: there is no better introduction to a fragrance built on the contrast between polished citrus and untamed spices, waiting among our men's eaux de parfum.
3“Godzilla vs. Kong”: the vertigo of titans
In 2021, in Adam Wingard's “Godzilla vs. Kong”, he plays Dr Nathan Lind, the scientist who guides Kong to the Hollow Earth before a clash of titans in neon-lit Hong Kong. The film, one of the great worldwide successes of the return to cinemas, reveals an unexpected Skarsgård: the ordinary man overwhelmed by the gigantic, a human compass among walking mountains. After the jungle, the inverted canyons of the Earth's core — extreme landscapes clearly follow him around.
4“The Northman”: the fury of the North
In 2022, Robert Eggers gave him the role of a lifetime, which he also produced: Amleth, a Viking prince who witnesses his father's murder, becomes a berserker and is devoured by revenge, in “The Northman”, opposite Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy and Björk. Shot between Northern Ireland and Iceland, the film unleashes volcanoes, lava plains and wind-battered coasts — the spirit of our banner — around a physical performance of rare intensity. The Swede reconnects with his Nordic roots and delivers one of the greatest Viking films ever made. The circle of fire and ice was complete — all that was missing was a fragrance to match.
5Face of Vendetta Uomo: ginger, cinnamon liqueur, patchouli
Since August 2026, Alexander Skarsgård has been — alongside Dakota Johnson, whose portrait we recently drew — the face of Vendetta Uomo, the masculine eau de parfum of Valentino's new Vendetta duo. The campaign, filmed by Romain Gavras and photographed by the duo Inez & Vinoodh, follows two lovers on a magnetic escape along the California coast. The composition is signed by Marie Salamagne — the perfumer who co-created Yves Saint Laurent's Libre, among others. Her idea: a Peruvian ginger extract captured with CO2, electrified by Italian citrus, a heart of cinnamon liqueur lifted by spices, and a base of earthy, enveloping patchouli. Vibrant, woody, magnetic — discover it in our Valentino collection. For her, Vendetta Donna answers with a solar tuberose and blood orange.
Did you know?
Alexander is the eldest of Stellan Skarsgård's eight children — the Bootstrap Bill of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the Baron Harkonnen of “Dune”. His brothers Bill (the Pennywise of “It”, the vampire of “Nosferatu”) and Gustaf (the Floki of the series “Vikings”) complete one of the most fascinating acting dynasties in contemporary cinema.
6Which Valentino should he choose?
Vendetta Uomo, the 2026 newcomer, plays the spicy woody as an eau de parfum, in 50 ml or the larger 90 ml. Facing it, the Roman line: Uomo Born in Roma, the bestseller of retro vanilla and smoky vetiver, available up to 150 ml, which the eau de parfum intense steers towards the night — an amber fougère with lavandin — and the Extradose parfum condenses to the extreme. In a fresher register, Green Stravaganza Uomo brings a luminous greenness, while Purple Melancholia Uomo explores the melancholy Roman night and Uomo Yellow Dream looks towards the sun. The classics hold their own: Valentino Uomo, the resolutely Roman eau de toilette of 2014, remains a safe bet. For gifting, the Uomo Born in Roma gift set — eau de toilette, shower gel and travel size — is an obvious choice. To understand what these concentrations change — eau de toilette, eau de parfum intense, Extradose — our guide to fragrance intensities breaks it down. And if ambassadors fascinate you, our portrait of Dakota Johnson, face of Vendetta Donna, completes this duo on the feminine side.
Your questions, answered
Which perfume does Alexander Skarsgård represent?
Alexander Skarsgård is, alongside Dakota Johnson, the face of Valentino's Vendetta, launched in August 2026. He embodies Vendetta Uomo, the masculine eau de parfum of the duo, in a campaign filmed by Romain Gavras and photographed by Inez & Vinoodh on the California coast.
Which films does Alexander Skarsgård appear in?
He stars in Lars von Trier's “Melancholia” (Michael), David Yates's “The Legend of Tarzan” (John Clayton III), Adam Wingard's “Godzilla vs. Kong” (Dr Nathan Lind) and Robert Eggers's “The Northman” (Amleth), which he also produced.
What does Vendetta Uomo smell like?
A vibrant spicy woody: a Peruvian ginger extract and Italian citrus in the top notes, a cinnamon liqueur accord lifted by spices at the heart, and an earthy, enveloping patchouli in the base. A masculine eau de parfum at once fresh, warm and magnetic.
Who created Vendetta Uomo?
Perfumer Marie Salamagne, co-creator of Yves Saint Laurent's Libre, among others. For the feminine counterpart, Vendetta Donna, Valentino turned to Dominique Ropion and Andrew Everett.
What is the difference between Vendetta Uomo and Uomo Born in Roma?
Uomo Born in Roma, the house bestseller, plays on roundness: retro vanilla over smoky vetiver, as an eau de toilette. Vendetta Uomo, launched in 2026, is a livelier, spicier eau de parfum: ginger, cinnamon liqueur and patchouli. The first envelops, the second electrifies.
