PETER STORMARE – A DREAMER
From Hälsingland to Hollywood and now Oh My Eyes. We welcome actor Peter Stormare as an ambassador and co-owner of the brand. After learning to listen to his intuition from iconic Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, he took the next steps and moved to the US in the early 1990s to pursue a career in Hollywood. Although he strongly dislikes fame, he has managed to stay current over three decades, starring in films and series such as Jurassic Park, Fargo and Prison Break. We welcome him to our team!
PETER IN 0H-12
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN OH MY EYES?
Partly because it is a crazy company. I love that Oh My Eyes dares to go out into the world on out-of-the-box missions. My wife is Japanese, and I’ve always been fascinated by Japan. The fact that you are manufacturing sunglasses in Japan feels completely in my line.
The sunglasses also look very cool, and I love the design. Swedes have a lot in common with the Japanese. I love that country and the people. It may be because they migrated across the Cap of the North. I have researched my heritage and found out I have ancestry in Asia, and have worked my way across Russia and Scandinavia. In these times we also need to help each other, and I love what Oh My Eyes stands for. It feels very fitting.
YOU HAD A LIFELONG DREAM OF WORKING IN CALIFORNIA AS AN ACTOR. HOW COME?
I already knew that as a child. When I was 5 years old, I told my parents I would move to the US. They asked what my plans were. My answer was simple: “Live on Disneyland and work in the film industry.” It was like a voice within me saying I had to. I was lucky to get accepted to acting school in Stockholm and meet the director Ingmar Bergman at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, where I was active in the 80s before moving to the US in the early 90s. I wanted to spend time with him and wait for the right time to take the next step.
WHAT IS IT YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT FAME?
I suffer from misphonia which means I can’t take loud sounds. If I am in a restaurant with loud noise, it hurts my soul. I’m shy. Not in my profession, but in person. I can’t go to a movie theatre where people next to me chew on sweets. I lose concentration. I prefer solitude. That’s just the way I am.
PETER IN 0H-11
YOU LIVE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, LA. WHAT DO YOU MOST LIKE ABOUT THE CITY?
For me, West Hollywood is reminiscent of Hälsingland in Sweden where I’m born. It’s quiet, people go to bed at 9 in the evening, and get up at 5 in the morning. Although there is glamour too, I don’t see it. If I’m not working, I enjoy walking and cycling in Runyon Canyon. I can also sit on my stationary bike, outdoors and work out while watching a good movie on Youtube or Netflix. It’s also pretty nice to have sun 300 days a year.
Yes, but surely all people are? I feel that I am here to learn something. I’m curious about life and try to take advantage of it. We all just have one chance, and I want to make the best of it. Even in difficult times I have to get up in the morning and force myself into something positive. I can’t do exactly what I did 30 years ago, but every day is unique and won’t be repeated. It may sound ridiculous, but it’s true. Unfortunately some people throw it away.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR CAREER?
I always hope that the next project will my best so far. I leave the previous one and move on. Actors usually have that attitude, I think. Those who work with something artistic never look back.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
Now in the midst of Corona, it’s a break from everything. I have a production company where I sit and write and wait to get my thumbs up for the next project. I bake even though it is not possible to sell the buns. I get to see them ferment and wait for it to come a day when there will be a normalcy. I hope it won’t lead to anarchy and madness.
TALKING ABOUT CORONA, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE HOLDS?
I’m not sure, it will probably take a while for people to rub shoulders again. But I also think it’s good with some distance. It is positive not to go on short weekends to Berlin or Paris. Mother Earth has said that enough is enough. Or as my 10-year-old daughter just said; “Mother earth needs a holiday too.”
If we are to be this many on earth, we must treat the universe differently. Of course, it is a tragedy what has happened, but I see positive things as well. It gives life more content than just continuing as normal. People here stop in their cars, waving and honking. Right now I meet people on bikes that give peace signs and thumbs up. It’s a cool feeling.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR VISION AS AN ARTIST IS?
I do not know what it is. Just to be happy in the soul. To find something every day that makes the day a kind of miracle. If a leaf falls in front of me on the street when I’m out walking, or I see a bird sitting on a branch, I keep thinking it was not a coincidence. Just imagine that I get to experience this day – that makes me happy! All of us have to leave earth one day. It has never scared me. I am here for a reason and it is my duty not to throw it away. I have been given a free ticket to the world’s amusement park. Sometimes I get ahead of the queue, then it is important not to sabotage with booze, drugs and an unhealthy living. I am not a militant, but I do believe that you should spend twice as much on the inside as on the outside.
PETER IN OH-11
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN SENSE OF STYLE?
I love simplicity. The Japanese have a style that I love. Japanese fashion designer Yoji Yamamoto is a big inspiration. Their mind for everything from poetry to theatre, art, clothing and apparel. My wife and I started the small brand Space Monkey from Outer Space where we make t-shirts. My wife is an illustrator. We were blessed with a daughter 10 years ago after many miscarriages. She was our little space monkey. You will see more of it this autumn.
OH MY EYES LOVES PORTRAYING INTERESTING CHARACTERS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST CRUCIAL PART OF BUILDING ONE AS AN ACTOR?
Imagination. By figuring out how is this man is walking, what he eats, is he a vegetarian? Does he smoke. Does he drink? How does he feel in this scene? It helps me a lot. It’s just like life. You don’t have to do research everything. Bergman said that one has to dare to trust one’s own intuition and imagination. Ever since I was a little boy I have lived in a parallel world. I’ve been more interested in looking up at the star-lit sky than studying for a doctor. When it comes down to it, I’m definitely a dreamer.
