My Skarsgård is often introduced to the world through someone else’s name. As the first wife of actor Stellan Skarsgård and the mother of Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, and Valter Skarsgård, she’s usually mentioned as a footnote in stories about Hollywood’s most famous acting family. But My Skarsgård’s own life — as a trained physician, an addiction therapist, and a cervical cancer and alcoholism survivor — stands entirely on its own.
This guide covers everything publicly known about My Skarsgård in 2026: her early life in Sweden, her decades-long path into medicine, her marriage and divorce, her health struggles and recovery, her six children, and what she’s doing today.
Quick Facts Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | My Sonja Marie Agnes Skarsgård |
| Date of Birth | July 3, 1956 |
| Age (2026) | 70 years old |
| Birthplace | Kalmar, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation | Physician, alcohol-and-drug therapist, former actress |
| Medical Graduation | 1998 |
| Spouse | Stellan Skarsgård (m. mid-1970s, div. 2007) |
| Children | Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, Valter |
| Sobriety | Publicly reported since 2006 |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
Who Is My Skarsgård?
My Skarsgård is a Swedish doctor and alcohol-and-drug therapist best known internationally as the former wife of actor Stellan Skarsgård and mother of six children, four of whom became working actors. While her family connections drive most search interest in her name, her own career has centered on medicine, addiction treatment, and recovery education — work she continues to be recognized for in Sweden.
Early Life and Background
Born in Kalmar, Sweden
My Skarsgård was born on July 3, 1956, in Kalmar, a quiet coastal town in southeastern Sweden. Unlike many details of her adult life, her childhood has never been widely documented, and she has generally kept that period of her life private.
Involvement with Nationaltemplarorden (NTO)
As a young person, she connected with Nationaltemplarorden, a Swedish organization tied to the country’s temperance movement, and trained there as a youth leader. She has said that alcohol’s presence in her early environment left her disliking it as a child — a detail that reads very differently in hindsight, given what she would go through decades later.
Moving to Stockholm at 18
Everything changed for My at age 18. In 1974, she left Kalmar for Stockholm to be with Stellan Skarsgård, a decision that set the course for the rest of her personal and professional life.
Education and Medical Career
Early Career as a Recreational Educator
Before medicine, My worked as a recreational educator. Her original ambition was actually veterinary medicine, not human medicine.
The Long Road to Medical School
That plan didn’t survive real life. Veterinary training would have meant regular travel to Uppsala — impractical for a young mother already raising three children while Stellan worked unpredictable acting hours. Medical school became the more workable path, though “workable” didn’t mean easy.
Balancing Medical Studies With Raising Six Children
My’s medical education stretched across many years, interrupted repeatedly by family responsibilities. She gave birth to three more of her six children while still studying — meaning her entire medical training overlapped with raising a growing household.
Graduating in 1998
She finally completed her medical qualification in 1998, a milestone that arrived after roughly two decades of balancing coursework against motherhood — the same year one of the hardest chapters of her life would begin.
Marriage to Stellan Skarsgård
How They Met and Married
My and Stellan Skarsgård married in the mid-1970s, not long after she moved to Stockholm to be with him. At the time, Stellan was still an up-and-coming Swedish actor, years away from the international recognition he’d later earn through films like Good Will Hunting, Mamma Mia!, and the Marvel and Chernobyl projects.
Life Together as Stellan’s Career Grew
Their marriage lasted more than three decades. As Stellan’s acting career expanded from Swedish television into major international productions, My continued building her own path in medicine — a deliberate contrast that gave the household two very different professional identities.
Raising a Family in the Public Eye
Stellan has described their parenting approach as fairly simple: he never pushed his children toward specific careers, only toward becoming decent people. That relaxed philosophy is often cited as part of why the Skarsgård children pursued such different paths despite growing up in an increasingly famous household.
Cervical Cancer, Alcohol Dependence, and Recovery
The 1998 Cancer Diagnosis
The same year My completed medical school, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer. The diagnosis brought intense fear at a moment that should have been a professional triumph.
How Alcohol Became a Coping Mechanism
My has spoken candidly about how alcohol initially offered short-term relief from that fear. She’s been careful to note that cancer alone didn’t cause her addiction, but it was a significant contributing factor in how her drinking escalated.
Reaching a Breaking Point
Over time, what started as occasional drinking to manage anxiety developed into full dependence, bringing physical, emotional, and relational damage — including, by her own account, growing distance in her marriage.
Treatment and Sobriety Since 2006
My entered treatment in December 2006 and later attended a rehabilitation program in Skåne. She has publicly stated she has remained sober since that year, a fact she’s discussed openly rather than kept hidden.
Career in Addiction Treatment
Becoming an Alcohol-and-Drug Therapist
Recovery reshaped My’s professional direction. She trained formally as an alcohol-and-drug therapist, adding specialized addiction expertise to her existing medical background — a rare combination of clinical training and lived experience.
The “My Life” Program Explained
Her therapeutic approach, called My Life, drew partly on Prime for Life, an established prevention model addressing alcohol and drug risk. My’s version combined education about how dependence develops with ongoing group discussion, giving participants space to reflect on their own patterns over time.
Teaching at Myggebo in the Stockholm Archipelago
By the early 2020s, Swedish reporting described My running educational courses from Myggebo, her home in the Stockholm archipelago.
Helping Families, Not Just Individuals
Her courses weren’t limited to people worried about their own drinking. She also worked with relatives, employers, and others affected by someone else’s alcohol use — reflecting her broader view that addiction impacts entire support systems, not just the individual.
Did My Skarsgård Have an Acting Career?
Jim & Piraterna Blom (1987)
My has a handful of screen credits, most notably the 1987 Swedish film Jim & Piraterna Blom, where she played a mother. Interestingly, both Stellan and their son Sam also appeared in the same production.
Television Appearances
She’s also made occasional Swedish television appearances, generally as an interview subject rather than a performer, including spots on Efter tio and TV4 Nyhetsmorgon. Acting was never her primary career.
Why Did My and Stellan Skarsgård Separate?
My’s Own Account of the Breakup
My has said publicly that her alcohol dependence created growing distance in the marriage, and that Stellan wanted to separate in 2006 — the same year she entered treatment.
Divorce Timeline
The couple’s separation in 2006 was followed by a formal divorce in 2007, closing a marriage that had lasted more than 30 years.
Stellan’s Second Marriage
Stellan later married Irish producer and writer Megan Everett in 2009. They have two sons together, Ossian and Kolbjörn, who are half-siblings to My’s six children.
My Skarsgård’s Six Children
- Alexander Skarsgård (b. 1976) — international star of True Blood, Big Little Lies, and The Northman
- Gustaf Skarsgård (b. 1980) — known for playing Floki in Vikings and for a role in Oppenheimer
- Sam Skarsgård (b. 1982) — followed My into medicine and works as an ICU doctor in Stockholm
- Bill Skarsgård (b. 1990) — globally recognized for playing Pennywise in It
- Eija Skarsgård (b. 1992) — the only daughter, works in casting for Swedish television
- Valter Skarsgård (b. 1995) — known for the crime series Beck and for portraying hockey legend Börje Salming
Did My Skarsgård Shape Her Children’s Success?
It’s tempting to credit one parent for a family’s success, but the evidence points to something more balanced. The Skarsgård children grew up with acting as a familiar presence through Stellan, but also with medicine, education, and independence modeled daily by My. That dual influence likely gave the children room to choose different paths — as seen in Sam’s medical career and Eija’s behind-the-scenes work — rather than pushing all six toward one profession.
Life After the Marriage
Building an Independent Identity
Following her divorce, My continued developing her career as a physician and therapist rather than stepping back from public-facing work. By the early 2010s, Swedish sources described her as a doctor, entrepreneur, and addiction specialist.
Where She Lives Today (Södermalm)
My currently lives in Södermalm, a neighborhood in southern Stockholm, staying close to several of her children while largely avoiding interviews and social media.
My Skarsgård’s Net Worth: What’s Actually Known
Despite frequent searches for a specific figure, there’s no reliable public documentation of My Skarsgård’s personal net worth. Estimates circulating on celebrity websites aren’t backed by verifiable financial records. The most accurate description is that her net worth remains publicly unverified.
My Skarsgård in 2026
My turned 70 on July 3, 2026. She remains professionally active in addiction education, though detailed recent updates about her daily life are limited by design — she has consistently chosen privacy over public visibility, even as her children’s fame has grown.
Timeline: My Skarsgård’s Life at a Glance
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Born in Kalmar, Sweden |
| 1974 | Moves to Stockholm at age 18 |
| Mid-1970s | Marries Stellan Skarsgård |
| 1976–1995 | Six children born |
| 1987 | Appears in Jim & Piraterna Blom |
| 1998 | Completes medical degree; diagnosed with cervical cancer |
| 2006 | Enters treatment for alcohol dependence; separates from Stellan |
| 2007 | Divorce finalized |
| 2009 | Stellan remarries |
| 2020s | Runs addiction courses at Myggebo |
| 2026 | Turns 70; continues addiction education work |
Final Thoughts
My Skarsgård’s story is far bigger than her famous surname suggests. She built a medical career while raising six children, survived cervical cancer, faced and overcame alcohol dependence, and turned that experience into work helping others do the same. Behind one of the world’s most recognizable acting families is a woman who chose steady, private work over the spotlight — and whose own resilience deserves recognition on its own terms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How old is My Skarsgård?
My Skarsgård was born July 3, 1956, making her 70 years old as of 2026.
Is My Skarsgård a real doctor?
Yes. She completed her medical degree in 1998 and later trained as an alcohol-and-drug therapist.
How many children does My Skarsgård have?
Six: Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, Bill, Eija, and Valter Skarsgård.
Was My Skarsgård an actress?
She had limited screen credits, most notably in the 1987 film Jim & Piraterna Blom, but acting was never her main career.
Why did My and Stellan Skarsgård divorce?
My has said her alcohol dependence created distance in the marriage, and the couple separated in 2006 before divorcing in 2007.
What is My Skarsgård’s net worth?
There’s no verified public figure for her net worth; existing online estimates aren’t backed by reliable sources.
Where does My Skarsgård live now?
She lives in Södermalm, a neighborhood in southern Stockholm.
Is My Skarsgård on social media?
No, she avoids social media and keeps a low public profile.
