‘Dune: Part two’: Austin Butler took inspiration from Heath Ledger for his role as Feyd-Rautha

‘Dune: Part 2′ has been a huge success with critics and the public, the biggest premiere in movie theaters around the world so far in 2024. One of the most notable actors in the film is Austin Butler, who has started the year in the best possible way with his roles in ‘Dune’ and ‘Masters of the Air’, playing Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve’s film. In a recent interview with NME, Butler highlighted his biggest inspirations for the role he had to play in ‘Dune’, pointing out two actors specifically: Gary Oldman and Heath Ledger.

Regarding his inspiration, Butler mentioned that “I’ve always been inspired by Gary Oldman in many of his roles. ‘Léon: The Professional’, or ‘True Romance’, or ‘The Fifth Element’. And you know, we’ve talked about Heath Ledger a lot, the sense of play that he had. And like I say, it’s not the specific things, but it’s more general inspiration.”

Full screen

Austin Butler and his experience being a part of ‘Dune’

Butler talked about being a villain, also highlighting the importance of director Villeneuve: “We tried to delve into the humanity of the character. It’s that thing where the bad guy in the world doesn’t feel like he’s the bad guy. He feels like he’s the hero of his own story, and that can be a difficult thing with certain characters; with others, it is easier, but you have to not judge the character, and you have to find a way to feel the motivation towards any of your actions. So we had a lot of conversations and worked that out together.” Regarding Villeneuve, he highlights that “Denis is so thoughtful, nothing escapes him, and his attention to detail is remarkable. He is an incredible director. The energy on his sets is amazing, everyone trusts him so much, and he is such a well-oiled machine, he is a master of the craft.”