This past week marked the North American debut of the six-part miniseries Börje—The Journey of a Legend on the Viaplay streaming service. Directed by the talented Amir Chamdin, it focused on the remarkable life of Swedish Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey defenceman Börje Salming.
At the heart of this epic portrayal is a brilliant performance of Valter Skarsgård, who takes on the role of Salming. Working with co-stars Hedda Stiernstedt and Canadian actor Jason Priestley, Skarsgård portrayed Salming’s journey from humble beginnings in a small northern Swedish mining community to his iconic career in Toronto with the Maple Leafs.
Having previewed the series over the past two weeks, I enjoyed learning more about Salming, Skarsgård’s portrayal, and the story of the 1970s and 1980s in Toronto with the team. The series gives Maple Leafs fans an insight into the trials and triumphs that shaped the legendary defenceman’s life.
Interviewing Skarsgård Helped Me Learn More About Salming
Fortunately, through my work with The Hockey Writers, I spent some time face-to-face with Skarsgård via Zoom from his home in Sweden. During our conversation, I learned things about Salming and his profound connection with Toronto and the Maple Leafs that I didn’t know. For example, Salming had a deep, deep loyalty to the team and the city. In his heart, Toronto became his home and held a significant place in his life. During his portrayal of Salming, Skarsgård spent considerable time with Salming and learned many things about his career and life.
Although he was just in his early 20s when he signed on to play Salming, Skarsgård became committed to the project while he worked on it. To prepare to play Salming, he had to completely reshape his body and eating habits to gain the muscle tone, physical strength, and skating ability he needed even to begin the project. It took him over a year to get into the physical shape he needed to portray an NHL player.
Five Takeaways – Things That Skarsgård Learned About Salming
Skarsgård shared several other insights into Salming’s life that helped him understand the character he portrayed on a deeper level. During our talk, the young Swedish actor shared some of these insights from his experience working on a project with Salming. Here are five key takeaways:
First, Skarsgård came to understand Salming’s profound connection with Toronto and the Maple Leafs. In his conversations with the Maple Leafs’ iconic defenceman, Salming shared his unwavering loyalty to the team and the city, highlighting Toronto as his true home. This emotional tie to the team and the fans underscored the character depth Skarsgård aimed to portray. He shared with me Salming’s regret over playing a single season with the Detroit Red Wings at the end of his career. In retrospect, Salming would have chosen differently and ended his career with the Maple Leafs.
Second, Skarsgård described his portrayal of Salming as a life-changing experience. Despite initial doubts about his suitability for the role, he shared that the project became the best time of his life. This transformative journey marked a distinct shift in his identity and perspective. As I noted in my previous post on the Salming project, Skarsgård now separates his life into two sections – before Börje and after Börje.
Third, Skarsgård was honoured to have time to share so many personal reflections with Salming. Through all the specific anecdotes he shared, it became apparent that he gained a deep admiration for Salming. On the last day of filming (by that time, Salming had suddenly passed), the young actor decided to get a tattoo of Salming’s No. 21 on his arm to honour how life-shaping and personally significant it was to portray Salming in this miniseries.
Fourth, Skarsgård came to understand the nature and power of hockey culture. His immersion into that culture taught him about the intense physical demands of the sport and the communal nature of hockey in Toronto. He was overwhelmed by the drive to succeed that the hockey players he met – such as Darryl Sittler – possessed. He gained a newfound appreciation for the historical aspect of hockey, particularly in the 70s, which highlighted the sport’s rich heritage and cultural significance.
Fifth, Skarsgård became an advocate for NHL hockey players. He emphasized their dedication to the sport and the effort they put into their work. He learned that occasional mistakes were part of the game. He also keeps track of the Maple Leafs’ scores but doesn’t get much chance to watch them play because of the time difference between Toronto and Sweden.
Maple Leafs Have a Lifelong Fan In Skarsgård
My interview with Skarsgård was insightful. I learned more about Salming because he spent so much time with the legend, but I also learned more about NHL hockey culture from his experience portraying the Maple Leafs defenceman.
Skarsgård’s personal transformation, both physically and mentally, offers valuable insights into NHL hockey and the profound impact of portraying a hockey icon. He noted that if he ever feels down, he looks at his arm to the No. 21 tattooed there. It gives him encouragement and strength.
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