In an unexpected twist, Prime Video‘s original series Mr. & Mrs. Smith doesn’t open with leads Donald Glover or Maya Erskine. Instead, for the first five minutes of the series, viewers are fully immersed in the mysterious lives (and deaths) of two characters played by Eiza González and Alexander Skarsgård.
From Paul Dano and John Turturro to Sarah Paulson, Sharon Horgan, Michaela Coel, and more, Mr. & Mrs. Smith features no shortage of spectacular guest stars throughout its eight episodes. Skarsgård undeniably spends the shortest amount of time on-screen, yet I’d argue his role is one of the series’ most iconic. Here’s why!
Episode 1, “First Date,” kicks off at a remote cabin on a gray day where a woman (González) — who we later learn is called Jane — twists a wedding ring on her finger and sits on her porch contemplatively. A man (Skarsgård) — who’s called John — exits the cabin carrying two mugs and a bottle of wine, then sits down to join her, explaining, “This is the last bottle.” She says “lets make it count,” and with that, the two clink their glasses, looking exhausted and mentally preoccupied. John sips, exhales, and sits back in his rocking chair, while Jane gazes at him lovingly. Then the stressful mood shifts, all thanks to a squirrel.
“Oh look the little squirrel is back,” Skarsgård’s character coos with all the excitement of 2011 Travis Kelce. “Hey buddy,” he adds with a chuckle. For a moment, this man knows peace again, but after another loaded exhale he and his companion hear incessant beeping, see a black SUV speeding down their road, and sprint inside to start packing.
John tells Jane to grab the money in the bedroom, but as he loads his weapons, her face falls. “I can’t keep doing this,” she says. “I can’t keep running away.” The two share a passionate kiss, and John replies, “Then we stop running.” He hands her a gun, grabs one himself, starts talking her through a plan, then suddenly stops. Jane turns around and sees her man grab his cheek, then turn his head, revealing a bullet passed right through his face leaving a gory mess reminiscent of that one scene in Breaking Bad‘s “Face Off.” After clocking he’s been hit, John drops to the floor with a groan. Jane puts up one hell of a fight, but the two SUV occupants quickly take her out, too.
The opening scene doesn’t fully make sense until the end of the series, but one thing that’s immediately clear is the fact that Alexander Skarsgård — the Emmy-winning Swedish actor from Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi music video, Zoolander, True Blood, Big Little Lies, The Legend of Tarzan, Godzilla vs. Kong, The Northman, and freaking Succession — signed on to appear in Mr. & Mrs. Smith for less than three minutes. With 70+ IMDb credits to his name, one might wonder why in the world this guy would sign on for such a quick, comical guest spot. Because he can! Because he’s having a little fun! Because he believes in Donald Glover’s vision, as shown when he appeared as himself in a Season 3 episode of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith creator’s FX drama, Atlanta.
These two know there are no small parts, only small actors. So no matter how brief the appearance, we’ll never say no to more Skarsgård.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is now streaming on Prime Video.