Actor Austin Butler has received rave reviews for his performance as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the sci-fi drama film Dune: Part Two. The much-awaited sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sees Butler deliver a truly menacing and scary antagonistic performance that not only elevates the source material but also adds a new dimension to the film.
In a recent interview, Butler discussed his work in the film. The Elvis actor revealed how he drew inspiration for the role and which actors inspired his performance the most. While Butler’s performance in the film has been compared to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, there was another actor from the iconic superhero film who inspired Butler.
Austin Butler Reveals How Two The Dark Knight Actors Inspired His Dune 2 Performance
Dune: Part Two has received critical acclaim and managed to gross over $211 million at the global box office. While promoting their work in the film, actors Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet sat down for a brief interview with NME. During the interview, Butler was asked about the inspiration behind his performance in the film.
Butler revealed that he has always been inspired by actor Gary Oldman, who played James “Jim” Gordon in The Dark Knight. Butler made the following statement explaining how Oldman’s performance helped shape his own in Dune: Part Two.
“I’ve always been inspired by Gary Oldman in many of his roles. Léon: The Professional, or True Romance, or The Fifth Element.”
At the same time, Butler also admitted to drawing some inspiration from the late Heath Ledger‘s turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Butler added:
“And you know, we’ve talked about Heath Ledger a lot, the sense of play that he had. And like I say, it’s not the specific things, but it’s more general inspiration.”
From Butler’s words, it is evident that both Oldman and Ledger have been key figures in his acting career, and he admires their work. As a result, it is no surprise that Butler based elements of his performance in Dune 2 on Oldman and Ledger’s iconic roles.
Austin Butler Also Talks Drawing Inspiration From Co-star Stellan Skarsgård
During the same interview, Butler also shed some light on additional inspiration for his role in Dune 2. Butler expressed that some of his performance was based on actor Stellan Skarsgård, who plays the role of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the head of House Harkonnen.
Butler explained that since his and Skarsgård’s characters in the film are related by blood, he felt they needed to have some synergy between their performances.
“I grew up with him almost as my father figure and also as the vision of ultimate power. So there were many things that I imagined I would have through osmosis sort of brought from him.”
Butler made the above statement referencing the uncle and nephew bond between his and Skarsgård’s character in the movie. Given the nuance Butler put into preparation and performance as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, it is no surprise that the actor has been lauded by fans and critics alike for his role.
Dune: Part Two is playing in theaters near you.
