Where were you when Taylor Swift dropped “Wildest Dreams” in 2014 and single-handedly ruined our expectations for romance forever? I was in high school, aggressively projecting myself onto the smoldering couple in the music video. Alexander Skarsgård, however? He might’ve been shaking in his boots — probably whispering anxiously in Swedish — as the internet spiraled into conspiracy theories that the song was about him.
Yep, the tall drink of vampire from True Blood has a surprising connection to Miss Americana herself, and for years, Swifties have speculated that this not-so-subtle breakup anthem was inspired by his cheekbones, his smize, and his, well, general existence.
Now, nearly a decade and a Taylor’s Version later, we finally have an answer. Kind of. Maybe. (Look, it’s more than we usually get.) Skarsgård was recently asked if “Wildest Dreams” was about him, and what he said just might fuel this theory even more.
Why Do People Think “Wildest Dreams” Is About Alexander Skarsgård?
Let’s start with the receipts. Taylor is not only the most successful solo artist on Spotify ever (smirk), but she’s an actress. Before she joined the fever-nightmare of Cats or stood up as Elaine in New Girl, she appeared in the YA dystopian film The Giver. A project that also starred, you guessed it, Alexander Skarsgård. That’s one year before “Wildest Dreams” came out in 2014 on her 1989 album. Suspicious timing? Possibly.
In The Giver, Taylor had dark hair — just like in the “Wildest Dreams” music video. The video depicts a steamy, tragic love affair between two movie costars. Oh, and it was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, which happens to be where The Giver was shot. Coincidence? Girl, please.
To make matters juicier, the two were rumored to be spending time together off-set. Like, spotted-hanging-out-alone level rumors.
Now let’s talk lyrics:
“He’s so tall and handsome as hell / He’s so bad but he does it so well.”
Alexander Skarsgård is 6’4″. He literally played a seductive vampire. Next.
“And his voice is a familiar sound.”
You know his voice. Deep. Smooth. Distinctive. Frequently featured in my bedtime fantasies, not to overshare.
Here’s What Alexander Actually Said
Skarsgård was recently a guest on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert, where Dax brought up the theory, joking that for years he told his daughters “Wildest Dreams” was written about him. But then — plot twist — he found an article claiming the song was actually about Skarsgård.
“This one’s gonna be tough for you,” Dax said, teasing him about the theory.
Alexander’s response? He immediately laughed and deflected, joking that the song really is about Dax. But when Dax asked if he’s hesitant to confirm or deny it because the Swiftie wrath is so real, Alexander replied simply:
“Yeah.”
A wise man.
And while it sounds like we won’t be getting any confirmation from Alexander about what could’ve inspired the song, he did clarify that it’s all love, saying: “We’re all Swifties.”
Okay, maybe that sounds vague, but hear me out:
- He knew exactly what Dax was referring to — no “wait, what song?” deflection.
- He didn’t ask for context, which means he’s fully aware of the theory.
- He gets why Swifties think it’s about him — and he didn’t deny it.
- And most importantly, we know from history: Taylor’s exes fear the Swiftie army. Just ask Jake Gyllenhaal and the scarf emoji.
Oh, and then he leaned into the bit even harder: “Well, I’m gonna be honest,” he said. “I wrote the lyrics to that song and sent it to Taylor.”
Specifically: “He’s so bad, but he does it so well,” which Dax deemed “the line” of the song. As Alexander put it: “A lot of people can be bad, but can you do it well? You cannot do it well.”
If I were Taylor, I’d write a song about that alone.
We don’t have a direct confirmation, but we do have a knowing smirk, some suspicious timeline overlaps, an extremely on-brand lyric match, and a very tall, very attractive man refusing to deny it. Which, in Swiftie world, is as close to canon as it gets.
Until Taylor tells us otherwise (which she won’t), I’m going to go ahead and say yes. This song is about Alexander Skarsgård. And honestly? That’s what my wildest dreams are made of.
