Dia Dipasupil/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Alexander Skarsgård says he was "intimidated" to play a "good-hearted" character in his new movie, Wicker
The actor plays a man weaved from wicker in the fantasy romance, which also stars Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki
Skarsgård spoke about his experience during a Q&A following the film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24
Alexander Skarsgårdwas "intimidated" by his role in theWicker.
Skarsgård shared his thoughts on the romantic fantasy film — which also starsOlivia Colman,Elizabeth DebickiandPeter Dinklage— during a Q&A following theWicker's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 24.
"I was quite intimidated when I read [the script] because I tend to be drawn toward more conflicted characters with more internal turmoil and darkness," Skarsgård, 49, explained. "And to play this good-hearted, good-natured, sweet, morally righteous character was scary to me."
He continued, "I'm not really comfortable doing that. I don't have anything to tap into when it comes to that. So it was a stretch as an actor."
Skarsgård is widely recognized for tackling dark and complex characters with nuance and authenticity, like the conflicted, abusive husband in HBO'sBig Little Liesand the power-hungry tech mogul inSuccession.
Hbo/Kobal/Shutterstock
The upcomingWicker,however, reveals a more whimsical side of the actor.
Wicker, set in a medieval-inspired village with magical elements, tells the story of a lonely woman (Colman) who asks the local basket weaver (Dinklage) to weave her a husband (Skarsgård).
Skarsgård says he was immediately drawn to the project.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"I thought it was an incredible script and I thought it was — it is a fable — but it's also an allegory. It's a story about our society, but without being heavy handed or didactic or preachy," he said.
He added, "It was so funny and sweet, and obviously a very interesting character to play."
TheMurderbotstar went on to admit that he sometimes felt "ridiculous" on set due to the wicker prosthetics which masked most of his face, noting that it meant he had to exaggerate "everything" about his performance during filming.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
"And that kind of contradictsyour instinct as an actor… but it was just about trusting [the creatives] ... and when they came up [and were like] … 'Can you just give us a bit more eyebrow action?' I'm like, okay," he said.
"It was definitely a new, different experience for me," he added.
Read the original article onPeople