{"id":46739,"date":"2024-02-28T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T07:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1999335"},"modified":"2024-02-28T08:54:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T07:54:35","slug":"stellan-skarsgard-says-reading-dune-was-useless-for-his-baron-harkonnen-portrayal","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/stellan-skarsgard-says-reading-dune-was-useless-for-his-baron-harkonnen-portrayal\/","title":{"rendered":"Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd says reading Dune was \u201cuseless\u201d for his Baron Harkonnen portrayal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The actor went for a different approach for Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi adaptation. <\/p>

By Lidia Molina-Whyte\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 28 February 2024 at 07:00 AM<\/p>

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It won\u2019t be long before Dune: Part Two<\/a> lands in cinemas. The sequel to Denis Villeneuve\u2019s 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert\u2019s novel has been hailed as a \u201cspectacular return to Arrakis\u201d<\/a>, with its cast<\/a> in top form.<\/p>\n

Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd is back as villain Baron Harkonnen, and recently spoke to RadioTimes.com<\/a> about how the book influenced his portrayal of the imposing villain. Or, rather, how it didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care about [the lore],\u201d he said. \u201cI read the book. And of course [Baron Harkonnen] was, as he is, in the book, he was useless to me, because he talks a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you don\u2019t want a talker, you want someone who\u2019s threatening and silent and very dangerous. So having played him like he was in the book would have defied the purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Baron certainly has an imposing presence, and requires Skarsg\u00e5rd to don extensive prosthetics. After surviving an assassination attempt in the first film, he appears just as determined to continue establishing House Harkonnen\u2019s power and influence.<\/p>\n

Both elements could, in the hands of a less capable actor and director, make for a cartoonishly evil character that falls flat.<\/p>\n

Skarsg\u00e5rd is aware of this, and leant into it for his performance.<\/p>\n

\"Stellan\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen suspended in the air in Dune: Part One.<\/span><\/figcaption> Warner Bros<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cI have done a couple of bad guys in Hollywood movies. And as they are, they are clich\u00e9s and they are the bad guys and they\u2019re the good guys and it\u2019s a binary world they live in which is not resembling our world at all,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you have to see your character as a function as well. And how much do you have to see of the guy? You don\u2019t have to see the Baron being sort of mistreated as a child for him to function in the film. And also you can have the joy of doing sort of a caricature almost of a bad guy.\u201d<\/p>

He went on to compare the Baron to Martin Vanger, his Girl with the Dragon Tattoo villain.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look [at Vanger], that was a human being. I mean, he was pathological he feels really dangerous, but you can\u2019t grasp him. The Baron is larger than life,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he\u2019s excused for being evil, because he\u2019s a cartoon character in a way. But he\u2019s not completely cartoon character because it\u2019s my eyes and it\u2019s my mouth. And you can follow a human being in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n