Stellan Skarsgård will receive the Montecito Award at the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February, the fest announced on Thursday.
The Swedish acting legend has more than 100 credits in a career that has spanned from Ingmar Bergman to the “Star Wars” franchise. His latest role as a reclusive filmmaker and father in Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” has been generating awards buzz since the movie’s premiere at Cannes in May.
“I’ve been a big fan of Stellan since his work in Lars von Trier’s ‘Breaking the Waves.’ From that point on, I was drawn to his performances because of his versatility and his deep emotional delivery. He makes it look easy to embody both complex protagonists and nuanced villains with gravitas and an ability to convey profound emotional depth,” said SBIFF’s executive director Roger Durling.
In addition to “Breaking the Waves,” Skarsgård’s film and TV credits include “Good Will Hunting,” “Chernobyl,” “Melancholia,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and roles in the “Avengers,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Dune” franchises. He recently received praise for his main role in “Andor,” which wrapped this year.
Skarsgård, 74, is also the patriarch of an acting family, with six of his eight children active in the industry, including Emmy-winner Alexander (“Big Little Lies,” “True Blood”), Bill (“It,” “Nosferatu”) and Gustaf (“Oppenheimer”).
“Sentimental Value,” also starring Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, is Norway’s official selection for the Best International Feature Oscar.
Past recipients of Santa Barbara’s Montecito Award include Colman Domingo, Jeffrey Wright, Angela Bassett, Penélope Cruz, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Sylvester Stallone, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts and Javier Bardem.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place Feb. 4-14, 2026. Skarsgård’s tribute will be on Feb. 11.
