Alexander Skarsgård Jokingly Reveals NSFW Reason He Didn't Move In With 'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes

In a parallel universe, Alexander Skarsgård might have spent his early Hollywood days sharing a kitchen with Miriam Margolyes, casually passing her the salt. In contrast, she would have given him unsolicited life advice or flirted a little. Alas, that universe never came into existence, but according to last Friday’s episode of The Graham Norton Show, it was surprisingly close.

Skarsgård, 49, and Margolyes, 84, found themselves on Norton’s famous red couch last Friday alongside All’s Fair star Glenn Close and Bridgerton breakout Nicola Coughlan. The conversation quickly veered into real estate comedy, queer history, and one baffled Swedish actor trying to remind a beloved British legend that they had met before. It was chaos in its most refined form.

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Norton began by asking Skarsgård about his history with Margolyes. The legendary Harry Potter scene-stealer immediately shut it down with the kind of bluntness only she can deliver: “No, you don’t!”

But Skarsgård persisted, insisting that yes, he truly had met her before:

“I clearly made a strong impression on Miriam when we met… I believe you own, or used to own, a condo in Santa Monica.”

With him wearing a T-shirt that read “Hot Buffet – Available all day – Eat as much as you like,” she seemed the exact type of woman who would remember a tall Nordic stranger.

And according to The Los Angeles Times, she did indeed own an ocean-view apartment in Santa Monica, which she rented out whenever she returned to England for film work, including her time shooting Harry Potter.

“It was an ad. I was looking for a room to rent,” Skarsgård explained. Margolyes interrupted him: “And why didn’t you take it?”

Skarsgård reminisced:

“Well… It’s a gorgeous apartment, and I remember that you were very charming, and I think in hindsight I probably misread the cues. But I felt a strong sexual connection and felt it could potentially get messy if I rent a room in this apartment, if I’m your tenant.”

Despite the comment, Skarsgård has always treated his sexuality with a casual shrug that keeps the internet feral. When Variety once quoted him saying, “I’ve been with men, women…”, fans clocked the moment like it was scripture.

In reality, he’s in a long-term relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny, with whom he shares a young son, proving you can be both a chaotic internet muse and a fully functioning adult.

Margolyes, for her part, immediately grounded the conversation in reality:

“Darling! I’m 84 and gay, and I’ve been with my partner for 58 years. You’re talking through your bottom.”

For context, Margolyes came out as a lesbian in 1966, lived through an era in which her identity was illegal, weathered the AIDS crisis, and has been with her partner, scholar Heather Sutherland, longer than some nations have existed. A Swedish man misinterpreting her vibe does not even crack her top 500 most dramatic experiences.

Skarsgård doubled down anyway, still convinced something had sparkled between them:

“Again, I probably misread the situation. But I remember we had a lovely afternoon, which you obviously don’t remember…”

Norton then joked that Coughlan must have lived with Margolyes, too, because it was apparently less a talk show and more a surprise family reunion.

Coughlan jumped in without missing a beat:

“Yes, Miriam, I am your daughter.”

Leaning over and addressing Coughlan, Skarsgård added: “And I’m your father.” The room exploded as the three actors embraced, fully committing to their new family tree.

You can watch the interview clip below:

- YouTubeThe Graham Norton Show

And somewhere between the confusion and the affection, a complete sitcom family assembled itself on live television.

Margolyes’ confusion aside, she and Skarsgård share more overlap than just one forgotten apartment viewing. Both of them have wandered through decades of iconic screen work.

Margolyes has been part of British film and TV since the ’60s, appearing in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Call the Midwife, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and many others. Her reputation as a national treasure comes from her mix of filthy jokes, blunt opinions, and longtime support for LGBTQ people.

And in true Margolyes fashion, she refused to end the night without delivering one final unhinged anecdote—this one about a health farm, a snowbank, and a regrettably brief run between the two.

She explained:

“Because it was snowing, I ran out of the sauna stark naked and started rolling around and rubbing the snow all over me.”

You can watch more here:

- YouTubeThe Graham Norton Show

Somehow this story made perfect sense in the context of everything else she’d said.

Naturally, the internet immediately spiraled over the almost-roommate revelation between her and Skarsgård:

Skarsgård, meanwhile, has oscillated from playing a Viking vampire in True Blood to a damaged tech mogul in Succession, to a grieving boyfriend in the queer drama Pillion.

He’s also appearing in Charli XCX’s upcoming film The Moment, which he described in Attitude Uncut as:

“It feels incredibly brat. A different definition of brat. Tonally, they're very different. My character in 'The Moment' is very different from Ray. And 'The Moment' is definitely unique in its tone. It’s rare to read something that feels surprising.”

The missed roommate era may be lost to time, but the chaotic, delightful chemistry between these two will live on—at least every time The Graham Norton Show airs another rerun.