Alexander Skarsgard did The Little Drummer Girl due to Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard. Pics/AFP

Alexander Skarsgard says his Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman persuaded him to do "The Little Drummer Girl". He will be seen as Becker in the spy thriller, which is spearheaded by prolific South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook.

In an interview with Radio Times, Skarsgard said that it was Kidman who persuaded him to accept the part, as she had previously worked with the director on his "Stoker" English-language debut, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"I was dying to work with Park -- I loved the Oldboy trilogy and The Handmaiden. I was shooting 'Big Little Lies' when I read the script and Nicole said, 'Don't even think about it - you have to do this. He's amazing amazing amazing'. And the fact that it was a John le Carré story, and a character like Becker... I couldn't have been more excited."

Based on Carre's similarly titled novel, the plot, set in 1979, sees actress Charlie (Florence Pugh), meet Becker (Skarsgard) while on holiday in Greece.

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