Renowned for his immersive approach to character portrayal, Stellan Skarsgard has delved deep into the psyche of his roles. And taking on the role of the sinister Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the Dune film series was not any different as he underwent a remarkable transformation to bring the character to life on-screen. The film needed him to endure eight-hour-long sessions in the makeup chair, leading to Skarsgård’s hesitation towards reprising his role in Dune 2.
Stellan Skarsgard Was Not Too Thrilled About His Return in Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two brings back the cast of the 2021 film, including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Stellan Skarsgard, among others. While other actors have expressed enthusiasm about reprising their roles, Skarsgard had a different perspective.
Portraying the antagonist, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the actor underwent a demanding transformation process, enduring eight hours of immobility to achieve the character’s appearance. It included wearing a cooling vest and over 80 pounds of rubber suiting, making movement difficult and bathroom breaks impossible.
“I wasn’t that thrilled by it,” the 72-year-old actor shared before adding, “Because I thought about those hours in makeup.” Despite the challenges that came with extensive makeup sessions, he remained committed to portraying the character authentically.
Skarsgard further expressed his appreciation not only for the character’s psychological depth but also for the imposing presence it brings to the film. “He is used in very few scenes, but he will still hover over the entire film as a dangerous, dangerous thing,” he shared.
Skarsgard has also highlighted that his character has evolved significantly since the first installment. Wounded and dependent on life support due to poisonous gas exposure, he is depicted as seeking a successor while grappling with his diminished physical state.
Stellan Skarsgard Prefers Practical Effects Rather Than CGI
Despite the hours-long transformation process required for his portrayal of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Stellan Skarsgard still prefers practical effects over CGI. In an interview with Business Insider, the Good Will Hunting actor expressed satisfaction with the results.
“It was painful, but it was worth it,” he said, as he explained that Baron’s striking physicality was one of the reasons he found the role very interesting. He said,
“We wanted him to be so well defined as an image that he made an imprint on people just by showing up on the screen—And that imprint should last throughout the film without having him show up all the time.”
Skarsgard also recalled a similar commitment to practical effects during his portrayal of Bootstrap Bill in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. “I was the only one on set with real prosthetics on,” he said. He also shared that while he spent hours getting ready for his looks, others showed up on set just minutes before filming with facial tracking dots.
Dune is available to stream on Max, while Dune: Part Two is currently playing in theatres.
