Quotes

I had an early goal that was just to be an actor, and then I dreamt of a larger context and I have achieved that too. But I haven't yet finished with that dream, so I am keeping that bit to myself, so that the opportunity can be taken if it arises.

I cut my hair as soon as I knew there wouldn't be any additional takes for the production. I would have felt silly walking around with that look afterwards, because people might have thought that I actually thought that I was Björn Borg!

[Isn't it a little frustrating that acting isn't as easy (as tennis), but rather it's about something as abstract as finding the right feeling?] Absolutely! It is abstract! As an actor, I wish I had better control of my skills. I can watch myself afterwards and think "I could have done that better" and when I feel that I've done a good job and everything feels authentic and interesting, I don't know how I did that.

[on his English] It's ok, but I don't know how much of a hindrance it is. In some cases perhaps, but I've made larger sacrifices than that for roles that I've had.

Yes [it was my real hair in "Borg vs. McEnroe"]. I've had long hair before and I always like it but I had to cut it off because I had to leave him behind and do something new. Also, I had been walking the streets of Stockholm and Prague wearing tennis pants and long hair, so now that the movie is out there, I don't want people to think I'm crazy.

I did [resemble Björn Borg] in the end. But I had never heard that before.

What surprised me most was when I met him [Shia LaBeouf]. I've heard a lot of stories about him so I was wondering what he would be like. And he surprised me by being so nice and devoted and helpful and respectful. [...] I mean he is a loose cannon but he's a nice loose cannon.

I wasn't sure at first whether I should do it [Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)] or not. I felt I was so far away from him as a character, as a person. I hadn't worked out in years. I drank beer and ate pizza. I had never been on a tennis court. I didn't play tennis. I didn't watch tennis. Then I started looking at some footage and some photos and I saw something in his eyes that I thought I could do. In small pieces I started piecing it together like a puzzle and it grew. I had to say yes in the end.

[on his strict diet for Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)] I thought I would long for pizza and hamburgers, but I didn't. A couple of times my trainer said I should refuel with energy and then it was fiber pasta with meat sauce, and it was just so good.