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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 theDunefilm 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 inDune 2.
Stellan Skarsgard Was Not Too Thrilled About His Return inDune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’sDune: Part Twobrings back the cast of the 2021 film, including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, andStellan Skarsgard, among others. While other actors have expressed enthusiasm about reprising their roles, Skarsgard had a different perspective.
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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 actorsharedbefore 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 alsohighlightedthat 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.
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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 withBusiness Insider, theGood Will Huntingactor 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 thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise.“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.
Duneis available to stream on Max, whileDune: Part Twois currently playing in theatres.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3447
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
