PHOTO: Bildbyrån + TT Nyhetsbyrån
Valter Skarsgård plays Börje Salming in the new TV series about his life.
During the recording, they managed to get very close.
– He had humor to the last, Skarsgård tells Sportbibeln about the last meeting with Börje.
Today is exactly one year ago Börje Salming tragically passed away from the effects of ALS. The hockey icon will forever be remembered for his amazing game, incredible psyche, and for his fine personality. Börje was 71 years old.
Salming & Skarsgård
Recently came the TV series about Börje Salming – “Börje: The Journey of a Legend”. During much of the preparatory work for the series, Börje was a big part, for example he was involved in selecting Walter Skarsgård to whoever would portray him. Börje also managed to be there during part of the recording.
The article continues after the picture.
During the preparatory work and the recording of the series, Valter Skarsgård and Börje managed to get close to each other.
– It became a very close relationship, even though we didn’t see each other very often. Because this was so important to him, and it was so important to me. So for me to go and try to live into his life for two years, and for him to portray large parts of his life, it became something, says Skarsgård to Sportbibeln.
Their last meeting
The actor goes on to say:
– So once we met, there was a huge connection between us, it was almost like we were family, even though we didn’t see each other very often. When you hung out, we kind of stuck to each other, and he went around showing me off in Toronto to people and said “this is who’s going to play me, this is going to be me!”. He was very proud, it seemed. And I was even more proud, of course, to be able to do it.
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The last meetings between Valter and Börje were in connection with the Hall of Fame game in Toronto.
– He had a sense of humor right to the end, I remember. He couldn’t talk then, but he wrote notes and kind of joked a little, and was himself. Since he couldn’t say much, there was a lot of hugging. He held us, then he looked at one and hugged, says Skarsgård.
“Completely surreal”
Börje was very proud of the series, and it was also noticeable the last times they met.
– He loosened up a bit when we came in. His daughter said it when we went in to meet him – “why are you never this happy when I come?”. Because he saw one across the room and was tagged. Then he was on set the next day, and it was very nice to have that moment with him. To share it with him, to spend one last time there and to have it one last time. Which of course we didn’t know would be the last time.
– It feels completely surreal that a year has already passed, says Valter Skarsgård.
READ MORE: Nicklas Lidström’s heartbreaking confession about Börje Salming – the words he never got out of his head: “I never told Börje that”
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