Jason Momoa has professed his love for Dune and its director Denis Villeneuve in a number of interviews. The actor plays Duncan Idaho, a brave sword master and loyal right-hand man to House Atreides in Frank Herbert’s Dune series.
Momoa was so happy when Villeneuve cast him for the role of the warrior. In fact, he has frequently raved about how amazing and brilliant the director is and that he just loves to bring him a cup of coffee every morning.
Jason Momoa Is Grateful For Denis Villeneuve’s Casting Of Him In Dune
In a video clip posted by Cineverse on YouTube, Aquaman star Jason Momoa shared his sentiment on being a part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movie. He gushed about the set and the way the director treated him as an actor:
“Every moment on set with Denis is amazing. I’m blown. My mind’s blown. The visuals, the lighting… Greg [Frasier]’s unbelievable. It’s just an honor. I can’t believe I’m in this movie. I love just to bring him coffee.”
Momoa further shared how the Canadian filmmaker saw him as the perfect actor to play Duncan Idaho as if he was born for that part:
“He was so giving, and his eyes were very loving, and it’s almost like he was looking at me, analyzing and looking, seeing me as Duncan… You see his passion, you see him looking and going like, ‘You’re Duncan, I know Jason.’”
In another conversation with Slash Film, Momoa described what kind of director Villeneuve is. He also revealed his experience working with the Blade Runner 2049 helmer:
“He’s a very intimate director. Nothing cold about him. There were tons of advice. Some that are so good that I’d like to keep personal that I use in my own filmmaking. It’s just getting reassured, like it’s a reassuring feeling. I wish I could do everything with him. It’s amazing, man. I’ve never quite experienced direction like that.”
Finally, Momoa confessed what an honor it was to be able to collaborate with someone like Villeneuve, who knows exactly the vision for his project yet trusts the abilities of his actors:
“I just feel like there’s a massive safety net that’s there, and it’s an honor to be able to do the things that he asks. You feel so trusted that you don’t clam up and get fear, where I was definitely scared doing scenes because there are a lot of heavy hitters in these scenes. I definitely had fear. It keeps you alive, and it just feels good.”
Apart from Momoa, other actors from Dune, such as Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac, were also in awe of Villeneuve’s creative direction and knowledge of the material.
How Did Jason Momoa Land The Role Of Duncan Idaho?
Jason Momoa is very thankful to Villeneuve for offering him to star in Dune. According to the actor, he did not expect the call, and he thought it was sort of a joke (via IndieWire):
“I got a call from my agent literally on top of a mountain, and I was shocked, and he was like, ‘Denis Villeneuve wants to talk to you right now.’ I thought it was a prank. He said, ‘He wants to talk to you right now. He wants you for a role. He won’t tell anyone what it is.’ Me and my best friend, who loves Denis, ran down the mountain, into the room, FaceTimed him, and he had everything laid out.”
Momoa is no stranger to extreme physical training as he did so in the past for his role in Aquaman. He also went under rigorous drill in Dune, learning new martial arts moves and incorporating them into the fight scenes.
