more than friends

Alexander Skarsgård brought a male date to the Emmys & it was a bromance for the ages

By · 10 comments · Updated on January 17, 2024
Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images

Last night’s 75th Annual Emmy Awards were full of surprises, from Jennifer Coolidge thanking “the evil gays” in her acceptance speech to Sir Elton John achieving EGOT status.

But, for some, the most shocking part of the ceremony wasn’t anything that happened on the stage—it was in the audience!

As cameras panned across the crowd, it was hard to ignore to cast of Succession front and center, winner of many of the night’s biggest awards, like Best Drama, Best Actor (Kieran Culkin), and Best Actress (Sarah Snook).

However, sitting among the Roy siblings and their many frenemies, there was one face that stood out: Jack McBrayer, the actor best known as 30 Rock‘s eternally optimistic page, Kenneth Parcell. Wait a minute… was Jack McBrayer in Succession, too? It sure would be fun to see Brian Cox’s Logan Roy barking orders at him.

Nope! Instead, McBrayer was at the Emmys in support of another role of his—the role of a lifetime—being Alexander Skarsgård’s BFF.

That’s right, as celebrity obsessives and longtime denizens of the internet know, the Odd Couple pairing have been friends for some time now, frequently arriving at awards shows and other industry events together.

Related:

The absolute gayest moments from last night’s Emmy Awards

From Jennifer Coolidge thanking the “evil gays” to the red carpet goblin, last night’s Emmys were full of unforgettable moments.

So, if you’ve been paying attention, McBrayer accompanying Skarsgård—nominated for his supporting turn as Succession‘s eerie technocrat Lukas Matsson—was actually something of a given. But that doesn’t make the sight of these two pals any less adorable, especially as they continue to play up their “Goofus & Gallant” dynamic.

So, how did this all begin? When was the initial spark of friendship between this unlikely duo?

Well, the pair first made headlines back in 2018 when Skarsgård brought McBrayer as his plus-one to the SAG Awards (he won that year for his dark turn in Big Little Lies). But some report that the two have been close friends as far back 2012, when they allegedly were chatting at an industry event and realized they happened to be neighbors in Los Angeles.

And, a few years ago, when Buzzfeed uncovered the Swedish actor’s secret Instagram profile—with the username @rexdanger, lol—McBrayer was all over it.

Related:

Alexander Skarsgard’s famous male date is all over his secret Instagram account

Unlock the mystery of Max Danger.

They’ve gone to dinners together, vacations, NASCAR events, and were even spotted spending a quiet weekend afternoon together this past fall, strolling side-by-side. Considering Skarsgård spends an awful lot of time in his native Sweden (at the queer night clubs, we might add!), it seems like he and McBrayer make a point to link up whenever he’s back in California.

Here’s just a small gallery of some of their most adorable moments together:

Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images
Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images
Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images
Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images
Alexander Skarsgård and Jack McBrayer
Image Credit: Getty Images

Of course, you can’t have a celebrity bromance without a few gay rumors swirling…

Folks have wondered if there was something deeper going on between Skarsgård and McBrayer since the very beginning, especially as the two seem pretty fond of hugging, kissing, and holding hands at many of their public appearances. But what’s really going on here? Are they just hamming it up for the camera?

Well, Skarsgård’s been linked to fellow Swedish actress Tuva Novotny for a few years now, and the two welcomed their first child together back in 2022. At the very least, he’s a total LGBTQ+ ally, with a history of stanning Drag Race queens and showing support for the kink community by wearing a leather choker collar to the premiere of his movie Infinity Pool at least year’s Sundance.

Related:

Alexander Skarsgård spent his weekend partying & kissing guys at a gay club in Stockholm

Everyone’s losing it over Skarsgård’s big, gay night out.

As for McBrayer, he keeps things a little more private, and there’s not really any solid information out there about his dating history.

Still, that hasn’t stopped Gay Twitter’s™collective imagination from running wild:

Honestly, as long as Skarsgård and McBrayer keep showing up places and being adorable together, we don’t care what sort of arrangement they have. We just ask that someone in Hollywood is paying attention and casts them opposite one another in a gay rom-com stat. Or at least a buddy comedy! Come on, people!

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