Ensemble Exploration- Dune: Part Two
Continuing our series of breaking down actors who make up our ensemble, we will look into the best film to come out of 2024 and explore the actors of Arrakis in ‘Dune: Part Two.’
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides- AKA Lisan Al-Gaib AKA Muad-Dib AKA Usul, Chalamet brilliantly plays the protagonist of the ‘Dune’ franchise. He transitions really well from an eager young ducal heir to an emerging tyrant leader while bringing the audience with him. Chalamet’s first appearance in a major film was a supporting role in ‘Interstellar,’ and he earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2017 for ‘Call Me By Your Name.’ Other supporting roles include Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ & ‘Little Women,’ while other lead roles include ‘The King,’ ‘Bones and All,’ ‘Beautiful Boy,’ & ‘Wonka,’ the last of two earning him Golden Globe nominations. In 2024, alongside ‘Dune: Part Two’ he starred in ‘A Complete Unknown’ as Bob Dylan in what I think will be an Oscar-winning role.
Zendaya as Chani- The concubine of Paul, the independent & fiery Chani is played by one of the best young actresses in Hollywood, Zendaya. Rising to fame on the Disney Channel in shows, ‘Shake It Up’ & ‘K.C. Undercover,’ Zendaya’s feature film debut came with a supporting role as MJ in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ a role she would reprise twice more to date. She also began to star on HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ which has won her two Emmys. Her other film credits include ‘The Greatest Showman,’ ‘Malcolm & Marie,’ & ‘Challengers.’
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica- Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson plays Paul’s mother, who becomes the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother of the Fremen. Ferguson became well known in Sweden before rising to international film for her Golden Globes nominated role as Elizabeth Woodville in ‘The White Queen.’ She has starred as Ilsa Faust in the last three ‘Mission: Impossible’ films, with one more on the horizon in 2025. She has also starred in ‘The Greatest Showman,’ ‘Life,’ ‘Doctor Sleep,’ & the Apple TV+ show, ‘Silo.’
Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck- Originally rising to fame as young actor in ‘The Goonies,’ Brolin had a career resurgence in the 2000s with ‘No Country For Old Men.’ The following year he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in ‘Milk,’ and has since starred in ‘W.,’ ‘True Grit,’ ‘Men in Black 3,’ ‘Oldboy,’ ‘Hail, Caesar!,’ ‘Sicario,’ ‘Deadpool 2,’ and as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen- The sadistic na-Baron of House Harkonnen is also known online as ‘Space Elvis.’ This comes from Butler’s most popular role, his Oscar-nominated outing as Elvis Presley in ‘Elvis.’ He has also appeared in the films ‘The Bikeriders’ & ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ and the miniseries ‘Masters of Air.’ Butler got his start on Disney Channel & Nickelodeon, appearing several times on both, with a main role on ‘Zoey 101.’
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan- The daughter of the Emperor & a powerful Bene-Gesserit, Irulan serves as a narrator of sorts & ends the film engaged to Paul Atreides. Florence Pugh portrays the princess in a longline of well received films. Pugh broke out in 2019 with films ‘Fighting with My Family, ‘Midsommar,’ & ‘Little Women,’ the last of which earned her an Oscar nomination. She has since starred in ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ ‘Oppenheimer,’ & ‘We Live in Time,’ had voice roles in ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ & ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ and has taken on the role of Yelena Belova in various MCU projects.
Dave Bautista as Glossu ‘Beast’ Rabban Harkonnen- The older brother of Feyd-Rautha, Beast Rabban is played by real life beast, Dave Bautista. The actor rose to fame as Batista in the WWE where he was a 2x WWE Champion, 4x World Heavyweight Champion, & 4x Tag Team Champion. One of the biggest pro wrestling stars of the 21st century, Bautista jumped to the big screen and has been incredibly successful in a variety of roles. His film credits include ‘Spectre,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘My Spy,’ ‘Army of the Dead,’ ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ & the role of Drax in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and its sequels.
Christopher Walken as Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV- The emperor of the known universe is played by the legendary Christopher Walken. Walken has garnered numerous accolades through his storied career, including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a SAG Award, as well as nominations for Emmys & Tonys. His well known films include ‘The Deer Hunter,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Batman Returns,’ ‘The Jungle Book,’ & ‘Wedding Crashers,’ but perhaps most well known is his oft imitated vocal cadence.
Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring- A member of the Bene Gesserit, Lady Fenring is played by the French actress, Léa Seydoux, who is very well known in her home country. Her well known English credits include ‘Inglorious Basterds,’ ‘Midnight in Paris,’ ‘Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol,’ ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ & as Bond girl Madeleine Swan in ‘Spectre’ & ‘No Time to Die.’
Souheila Yacoub as Shishakli- The Swiss actress plays a Fremen woman who is good friends with Chani. ‘Dune: Part Two’ is her most popular credit, with other credits including ‘Climax,’ ‘Making Of,’ and the TV series, ‘Savages.’
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen- One of the most well known Swede actors of all-time, Skarsgård has appeared in other franchises like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘Mamma Mia!,’ ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ the Marvel Cinematic Universe, & a TV role on Star Wars’s ‘Andor.’ He also appeared in HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ and films, ‘Good Will Hunting,’ ‘Angels & Demons,’ & ‘The Hunt for Red October.’
Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam- One of the leaders of the Bene Gesserit & close advisor to the emperor, the Reverend Mother is played by veteran actress Charlotte Rampling. Rampling has worked mostly in European & arthouse films, though she has worked on television as well in the show ‘Dexter’ and miniseries ‘Restless.’ She received an Oscar nomination in 2015 for the film, ‘45 Years.’
Javier Bardem as Stilgar- One of the Fremen leaders who believes heavily in Paul as the foretold Lisan Al-Gaib, Stilgar is a surprisingly hilarious character in such a serious toned film. Stilgar is played by Spaniard, Javier Bardem, who is one of the most prolific actors of the 21st century. Bardem won an Oscar for his role as the sociopathic Anton Chigurh in ‘No Country for Old Men,’ and has been nominated for ‘Before Night Falls,’ ‘Biutiful,’ & ‘Being the Ricardos.’ Other projects he’s appeared in include ‘Skyfall,’ ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,’ and most recently, the limited series, ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.’
Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides- In a surprise appearance, Anya Taylor-Joy appears as Paul’s younger sister in visions he has of the future. It is assumed that she will appear in the next film, as Alia plays a major part in the storyline of the book, ‘Dune: Messiah.’ Taylor-Joy has appeared in films in various genres like, ‘The Witch,’ ‘Split,’ ‘Emma,’ ‘Last Night in Soho,’ ‘The Northman,’ ‘The Menu,’ ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ & ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.’ She also appeared in ‘Peaky Blinders,’ and starred in a Golden Globe-winning role in ‘The Queen’s Gambit.’
Babs Olusanmokun as Jamis- Reprising his role as the Fremen warrior Paul kills in man to man combat, Jamis is played by Nigerian actor, Babs Olusanmokun. Olusanmokun has also appeared in the 2024 film, ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ the TV series ‘Star Trek: Strange New World,’ and the video game ‘Max Payne 3.’
Roger Yuan as Lieutenant Lanville- Also reprising his role from the first film is Roger Yuan. Yuan has an array of film & television credits, both in acting & stunt roles.
Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat- The Mentat for House Atreides, Henderson’s scenes were actually cut from the second film, but he does appear in the first film. Known for both screen & stage work, Henderson has received nominations for Tonys & SAG Awards. His film credits include acclaimed films, ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,’ ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Fences,’ ‘Manchester By the Sea,’ ‘Lady Bird,’ & ‘Causeway.’
Tim Blake Nelson- Nelson also had his scenes cut from the final film, but received a Special Thanks in the credits, along with Henderson. It is presumed that he was going to play Count Fenring, the husband of Lady Margot. Nelson is known as a character actor, appearing in films ‘O, Brother Where Art Thou?,’ ‘Holes,’ ‘The Incredible Hulk,’ ‘Lincoln,’ & ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’
Bonus: I’ve decided to go ahead and include the six actors that appeared in the first ‘Dune,’ but not ‘Part Two.’ So here they are…
Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides- Paul’s father and the leader of House Atreides is played by Guatemalan born actor, Oscar Isaac. One of the best actors yet to receive and Oscar nomination, Isaac has appeared in other big budget franchises. He played Apocalypse in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse,’ Poe Dameron in the ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy, Miguel O’Hara in the ‘Spider-Verse’ films, & Moon Knight in the MCU. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his titular role in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ and has also appeared in ‘A Most Violent Year’ & ‘Ex Machina.’
Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes- The Imperial ecologist of Arakkis who is secretly a Fremen leader, Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Liet-Kynes. She has also appeared in the British series ‘Bad Girls’ & ‘EastEnders,’ as well as ‘Doctor Who.’ She also played a version of Dr. Moriarty in ‘Enola Holmes 2.’
Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh- Taiwanese actor Chang Chen plays the Atreides personal physician who betrays the family. Chen has also appeared in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ & ‘The Soul.’
Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho- One of the most beloved characters in the franchise, a swordmaster & mentor to Paul, Idaho is played by Jason Momoa. Momoa is mostly known for his role as Aquaman in the DCEU, Khal Drogo in ‘Game of Thrones,’ and the antagonist of ‘Fast X.’
David Dastmalchian as Piter de Vries- The Mentat of House Harkonnen, Piter is played by character actor, David Dastmalchian. Dastmalchian has appeared in other Villeneuve films, ‘Prisoners’ & ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and superhero films, ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘The Suicide Squad,’ two roles in the ‘Ant-Man’ trilogy, & the TV series, ‘The Flash.
Golda Rosheuvel as Shadout Mapes- Maps is a Fremen who is hired as a housekeeper for House Atreides. She is played by Golda Rosheuvel, who is mainly known for her role as Queen Charlotte in ‘Bridgerton,’ and it’s spinoff.
