(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Alexander Skarsgrd started acting because of the free doughnuts.

The Swedish star began working when he was seven, but didn't really think about what he was getting into. He saw it as a way to have fun away from home.

"I never thought of it as a potential profession. It was just fun to go somewhere with the free doughnuts and a director telling you what to do," he explained.

The star eventually stopped acting when he was 13. The strain of being in the public eye became too much for him as he was still growing up, and his father advised him to quit if he had stopped enjoying it.

Alexander thinks time away from the spotlight served him well. It means he's now able to see through comments which don't have any substance.

"Of course it's flattering [to be called a heartthrob] but I prefer compliments about my acting. There's too much vanity in Hollywood," he complained to the December edition of UK magazine Elle. "Vanity is suicide for an actor. Your creativity will die if you focus on looking good. It's one of the main reasons I don't look at gossip about me online." (C) Cover Media