“Dune” Cast: Meet the New and Returning Stars of the Sci-Fi Franchise

From their other roles to their personal lives, here are all the details on the cast of 'Dune'

The first installment of the Dune film series premiered in October 2021 after being delayed several months. The much-hyped movie was a critical and box-office success, and plans for a sequel were quickly announced.

Dune's success was due in part to its star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Oscar Isaac. Dune: Part Two, premiering March 1, 2024, added even more A-listers, like Austin Butler, Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy.

The films are based on Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel of the same name, which takes place in a future entrenched in interplanetary warfare. At the heart of the story is the planet Arrakis and its ruling family, House Atreides.

Duke Leto Atreides (Isaac) is the leader of the planet Caladan until Emperor Shaddam IV designates him as the new ruler of Arrakis, a desert planet with a valuable resource called “spice," previously ruled by House Harkonnen. Throughout the film, House Atreides contends with House Harkonnen and the Fremen, the indigenous people of Arrakis.

After Leto’s death, his son Paul Atreides (Chalamet) becomes ruler of Arrakis. Dune: Part Two begins the story immediately after the first installment.

Related: All the Photos From 'Dune: Part Two's" N.Y.C. Premiere

The film encompasses the second half of the novel, following Paul and the Fremen, including Chani (Zendaya), as they exact revenge on the conspirators who tore the Atreides family apart and prevent the dystopian future seen in Paul’s visions.

Here’s everything to know about the cast of Dune.

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides

Timothée Chalamet led Dune as the main character, Paul Atreides, the son of Lady Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides. As the only child of the pair, Paul is the hesitant heir to the ruling household.

Dune was a massive undertaking for the young star, who had previously starred in supporting roles before taking the part. Chalamet is in nearly every scene, something that he admitted needing to grow into.

“Speaking about how cycles match life, I was younger when I did it the first time and was kind of blindsided by how big that movie was,” he said in an interview with Homme Girls in 2022. “And now, as Paul Atreides becomes more sure on his heels, I feel more sure on my heels, too.”

Beyond Chalamet's career, the actor’s personal life is often the subject of media attention, too. He has been in a relationship with Kylie Jenner since April 2023 and previously dated Lily-Rose Depp and Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon.

Related: Timothée Chalamet's Dating History: From Lourdes Leon to Kylie Jenner

Chalamet’s breakout role was in 2017’s Call Me by Your Name, in which he starred opposite Armie Hammer. Since then, he has been cast in a number of major feature films, including Lady Bird (2017), The King (2019) and Wonka (2023).

The Oscar-nominated actor will also be the star of the forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV

Emperor Shaddam IV, played by Christopher Walken, is one of the more nefarious characters in Dune. Focused on taking down House Atreides, Shaddam is also the father of Princess Irulan (Pugh).

Related: Who Is Christopher Walken's Wife? All About Georgianne Walken

The actor has enjoyed a tremendous career in Hollywood. Walken's first major hits included Me and My Brother (1968) and The Anderson Tapes (1971), and he has since starred in a number of major motion pictures like Hairspray (2007) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). In addition to Dune: Part Two, Walken will next be seen in Severance season 2.

The Oscar winner has been married to Georgianne Walken since 1969.

Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica

As Duke Leto’s consort and Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica — played by Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson — is at the heart of Dune. Jessica and Leto are not officially married for political reasons, though they live like a married couple. Paul's mother is also a member of the Bene Gesserit, an all-female group that obtains superhuman powers through rigorous mental training.

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, Ferguson discussed her character’s quiet strength. “She doesn’t have to stand in the forefront,” the actress said. “She’s so powerful that her words are sort of counterproductive to what she does. There was a calmness over her. I did a lot of meditation and breathing.”

Ferguson married her husband Rory St. Clair Gainer in 2018 and the pair share a daughter, born in May of that year. She also shares a son, born in 2007, with her ex-boyfriend Ludwig Hallberg.

The actress has been well-known in Sweden since her time on the TV series Nya tider. Ferguson's breakout role internationally was in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015).

She currently stars in the Apple TV+ series Silo and will next be seen in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two.

Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides

Oscar Isaac played Duke Leto Atreides in Dune. As the leader of House Atreides, Leto moves his family to Arrakis after he is named its leader — despite being aware of the planet’s dangers.

The role allowed Isaac to thoroughly explore the father-son relationship between Leto and Paul and work closely with Chalamet.

“He has an amazing awareness of everything that’s going on around him, of everything that the other actor across from him is doing,” he told The Hollywood Reporter of his costar. “I think that’s why he’s so compelling to watch because he’s taking it all in and he’s not just doing some idea in his head of what he’s supposed to be doing — he’s just really there; he’s so present.”

Related: Oscar Isaac and Elvira Lind's Relationship Timeline

Beyond his key role in the sci-fi film, Isaac is best known for his roles in Ex Machina (2014) and modern Star Wars iterations.

The Golden Globe winner married Danish filmmaker Elvira Lind in 2017 and the pair have two children together.

Isaac will next reprise his role as Miguel O’Hara in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Zendaya as Chani

Zendaya’s character Chani is Liet-Kynes’ Fremen daughter whom Paul sees in visions before they meet. While Chani did not feature heavily in Dune: Part One, the character is expected to be central to Dune: Part Two’s story.

While speaking to Deadline in 2021, Zendaya explained that her late introduction in the first film meant she had a lot to look forward to in the sequel.

“What was cool for me, having not been around for much of the first shoot, was getting to see the movie from a completely fresh perspective, because I hadn’t seen the sets and the scenes for most of the movie,” she said. “And watching it felt like just the beginning of this story.”

Related: Zendaya and Tom Holland's Relationship Timeline

Zendaya’s dating history has been the subject of media and fan attention over the years. While she and Tom Holland have been open about their relationship since 2021, the pair kept their status out of the spotlight for quite some time. The actress was previously linked to her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi.

The Golden Globe winner's breakout role was in the Disney Channel series Shake It Up, and she has been busy ever since. Her other notable credits include several Spider-Man movies from 2017 to 2021, The Greatest Showman (2017) and Euphoria, for which she has won two Emmy Awards.

Her upcoming projects include the highly-anticipated tennis movie Challengers.

Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho

Jason Momoa plays Duncan Idaho, a high-ranking swordmaster who works for House Atreides. Momoa told IndieWire in 2021 that shooting the movie was a unique experience because of how the actors bonded.

“It was unlike any other set I’ve ever been on. We were all so close,” he told the outlet. “I didn’t expect Oscar Isaac to be that amazing. So funny, talented, and charming. [Josh] Brolin, I knew would be a stud. Javier [Bardem] is like a god to me. Timothée is so intelligent. Rebecca is amazing, she held her own against all of us.”

Related: Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's Relationship Timeline

Like many of his costars, Momoa’s personal life has made headlines. After ending his nearly 17-year relationship with Lisa Bonet, with whom he shares two children, Momoa briefly dated actress Eiza González in 2022.

Years after his young acting career on Baywatch, Momoa landed a recurring part on Game of Thrones. Since then, he has enjoyed enormous success, particularly as Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe. He will next appear in Fast X: Part 2.

Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen

Austin Butler joined the cast for Dune: Part Two as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the heir to House Harkonnen. Butler’s performance in the movie received rave reviews from his castmates, including Javier Bardem.

“You can look at him for hours and go, ‘Oh, my God — how beautiful you are,’ ” Bardem told Variety in 2023. “On top of that, he’s so nice. He’s so generous, so funny and so committed. He has done an amazing job. I’ve only had a couple of moments with him, but I would see him and it was like, ‘Wow, [he] is the character.’ ”

Related: Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler's Relationship Timeline

The Golden Globe winner famously dated Vanessa Hudgens for over eight years before starting a relationship with model Kaia Gerber in 2021.

Butler has enjoyed tremendous success since taking on the role of Elvis Presley in the 2022 biopic Elvis, which earned him an Oscar nomination. In addition to Dune: Part Two, he will next be seen in City on Fire.

Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan

Florence Pugh is Princess Irulan, Emperor Shaddam IV’s eldest daughter. The character's inclusion in Dune: Part Two has raised questions among fans of the books, as her character only appears briefly at the end of the first novel. In Part Two’s trailer, she is seen recording Paul’s story, which fans know she later turns into a series of history books.

Pugh told Vanity Fair in 2023 that she enjoyed working on the movie as it was an opportunity to act alongside some of the biggest young talents in the industry.

“To do Dune with those specific actors at the front, like Timmy and Zendaya and Austin — they are remarkable people, number one, and unbelievable actors, number two,” she said. “They’re stars in their own ways, not in the cliché way of using the word. They’re just — they’re sparkly people. I’m now lucky enough to call them all my friends, which is super exciting.”

Related: Florence Pugh and Zach Braff's Relationship Timeline

From 2019 to 2022, Pugh dated actor Zach Braff.

She is known for her roles in Little Women (2019) and Oppenheimer (2023) and will next be seen in We Live in Time and Marvel’s Thunderbolts.

Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck

Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck is close to the Atreides family as one of Leto’s chief officers and as Paul’s private weapons tutor.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, Brolin said he was relieved to know his character would be back for Dune: Part Two.

“So having just read the second one about two weeks ago, I now know why that [send-off] was the way it was. So I think it was a good place [to leave Gurney],” he said of the first film’s ending. “When I watched it, I was like, ‘Where did I go?’ I think that was the first reaction. ‘That’s it?’ But that was all selfish.”

The Outer Range star is known for acting in No Country for Old Men (2007) and playing Thanos in the Marvel Universe.

Brolin was married to Alice Adair from 1988 to 1994 and the pair share two children. From 2004 to 2013, he was married to actress Diane Lane. He and his wife Kathryn Boyd Brolin married in September 2016 and have two daughters.

The Oscar-nominated actor will next be in Brothers with Peter Dinklage and Glenn Close.

Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, played by Stellan Skarsgård, is House Atreides’ enemy and the ruler of Arrakis until Leto takes over.

While speaking to The A.V. Club in 2021, Skarsgård made it clear that, going into Dune: Part One, he understood exactly who his character was.

“I didn’t look for anything redeeming in [Baron Harkonnen] — I knew his function in this film,” he told the outlet. “My function is to be as frightening as possible. That’s it. There’s no room for any psychology, or sort of diving into, ‘Well, he had a bad childhood.’ "

Related: The Skarsgård Family: Everything to Know

Skarsgård found fame with Good Will Hunting (1997) and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and went on to have memorable roles in Mamma Mia! (2008) and the Marvel Universe.

The Golden Globe winner was first married to My Skarsgård from 1975 to 2007. He married screenwriter Megan Everett in 2009. Between the two relationships, he has eight children, including actors Alexander, Gustaf and Bill Skarsgård.

The actor most recently starred in the Disney+ series Andor.

Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban

Dave Bautista plays Glossu Rabban, the cruel and violent nephew of Vladimir Harkonnen known as the "Beast Rabban.”

In an interview with The A.V. Club, the retired wrestler spoke about his approach to his intimidating character.

“If you always try to play a character who’s trying to be terrifying, then he’s never terrifying,” he said. “If you underplay him, and then pick your right moments to be terrifying, then that character is terrifying.”

Bautista began acting in the early 2010s, but his Hollywood breakout happened when he joined the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy as Drax. Since then, he has starred in the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion (2022) and Knock at the Cabin (2023).

The WWE Championship winner has been married three times. He and his first wife, Glenda, were married from 1990 to 1998 and share two daughters. Bautista was married to his second wife, Angie, from 1998 to 2006; they share a son. He married his third wife, Sarah Jade, in 2015 before separating in 2019.

In addition to Dune: Part Two, Bautista will next be seen in My Spy: The Eternal City and Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.

Javier Bardem as Stilgar

Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is the leader of the Fremen tribe Sietch Tabr. The influential character takes Paul under his wing, teaching the young leader how the Fremen survive on the harsh desert planet.

Stilgar is expected to play a much more significant role in the second installment of Dune, something that the actor was happy to hear.

“Actually, when Denis approached me and asked me to be part of it, he told me in the first one is going to be a small role. But if there is such a thing as a second one, it will be a bigger role,” Bardem told The Playlist in 2022. “And I said, ‘I don’t care. I just want to work with you. For me, it’s a dream come true to be part of the universe and directed by you.’ So when I heard by the news that there was a second movie coming, I felt like, ‘Wow.’ ”

Related: Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem's Relationship Timeline

The Spanish actor got his start in Hollywood with movies like No Country for Old Men (2007) — which he acted in with his Dune costar Brolin — and Eat Pray Love (2010). Since then, he's made a name for himself with projects including Skyfall (2012) and Mother! (2017).

Bardem married his wife, actress Penélope Cruz, in 2010 after dating for around three years. They have a daughter and a son together.

Bardem most recently played King Triton in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (2023). He will next be featured in Spellbound and an untitled Formula 1 film.

Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat

Stephen McKinley Henderson joined the cast of Dune: Part One as Thufir Hawat, Leto’s military strategist. The character is a Mentat, a type of human with computer-like cognitive abilities.

Henderson told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that taking on the role allowed him to combine two of his biggest interests: math and one of his favorite famous detectives.

“The thing that helped me is that I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. So there was something about his power of deduction that made me feel connected, in a way, to play a Mentat,” he said. “It was really the fact that I was a math major. So I’m always able to find something in my background that helps me, and my love for math at one point was one of the things that helped me with Thufir.”

Henderson is known for his roles in Lady Bird (2017) and Fences (2016) but he has been acting since the '70s, including roles in Law & Order. In addition to Dune: Part Two, he will next be seen in Alex Garland’s Civil War.

The SAG Award-nominated actor and his wife Pamela Reed Henderson have been married since 1978. They have one son, Jamal.

Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh

Chang Chen starred in Dune: Part One as House Atreides’ resident physician, Dr. Wellington Yueh. The actor told CNA Lifestyle in 2021 that he was surprised when director Denis Villeneuve reached out to him personally.

“Joining the cast was also something unexpected for me. One day, I received an email from him inviting me to play a role in Dune, and I accepted immediately,” Chen recalled. “It was an easy decision because I relished the opportunity to work with a director that I admire, and the subject matter was of great interest to me.”

Previously, Chen acted in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and the Red Cliff films.

The Taiwanese actor has been married to his wife Ann Zhuang since 2013. The New Paper reported that the couple welcomed a daughter in March 2015.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes

Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s character Dr. Liet-Kynes works as the Imperial planetologist — but she’s also secretly a Fremen and Chani’s mother.

Although the character in the book is male, Duncan-Brewster had no problem taking on the role. The actress told W Magazine in 2021 that rewriting Liet-Kynes as a woman was the right move.

“I know there are many discussions online with regards to how the storyline would be affected, and I honestly know and believe that Denis thought it through and worked it out,” she said. “Of all the characters for them to make this choice with, Dr. Kynes was the right one because it doesn't really affect the storytelling. I know that Denis said that he wanted to have a diverse cast, and at the time, it was male-heavy. He wanted to introduce another female [character] and said that Kynes was the right one.”

Duncan-Brewster first gained traction on the show Bad Girls. Her other credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Enola Holmes 2 (2022). She will next be seen in the miniseries Washington Black.

Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam

Charlotte Rampling’s character, Reverend Mother Mohiam, is one of the most significant and powerful characters in the Dune films. She wields enormous influence over the Bene Gesserit organization, of which Lady Jessica is a member, and works as Emperor Shaddam’s personal Truthsayer.

Rampling told IndieWire in 2023 that she had wanted to be in a Dune film since the 1970s: Avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky spoke to Rampling about playing Lady Jessica then, but his 14-hour adaptation was canceled.

“Denis Villeneuve, I’ve been admiring his work, he makes very big films but he has a European heart — he’s Canadian, but he has a great intimacy in the way he works,” Rampling told the outlet. “When he asked me to do that, it seemed to make sense. I said, ‘There’s something happening here that’s working,’ because it wasn’t just going into a big-budget film. It was a character.”

The actress is known for her work in European arthouse films, including The Night Porter (1974). She is also known for her roles in Melancholia (2011), Assassin’s Creed (2016) and I, Anna (2012).

Rampling was married to her first husband, Bryan Southcombe, from 1972 to 1976; the pair share a son. She married her second husband, composer Jean-Michel Jarre, in 1978. Rampling helped raise his daughter and the pair welcomed a son together before divorcing in 1998. Rampling was engaged to Jean-Noël Tassez from 1998 until he died in 2015.

She will next be seen in Mooring.

David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries

David Dastmalchian’s Piter De Vries, another Mentat, is a crucial component of Baron Harkonnen’s plots. The American actor told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that working with Villeneuve was an incredible opportunity.

“One day I was in my kitchen in Los Angeles and I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize. It was Denis,” Dastmalchian recalled. “He told me that he wanted me to play Piter. He said he was going to send me the script. I said, ‘I already know the answer is yes.’ I’ll follow him into the fire.”

In addition to Dune, Dastmalchian is known for his roles in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Suicide Squad (2021). The actor also had roles in Oppenheimer (2023) and The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023).

Dastmalchian has been married to his wife Evelyn Leigh since the early 2010s, and they have two children, Arlo and Pennie.

The SXSW award winner will star in the upcoming horror movie Rosario among other projects.

Golda Rosheuvel as Shadout Mapes

Golda Rosheuvel plays Shadout Mapes, a prominent Fremen woman working for House Atreides on Arrakis. The actress has had a long career onstage and on-screen, having performed in venues like Shakespeare’s Globe and the National Theatre.

Rosheuvel's TV credits include Torchwood, Coronation Street and EastEnders. In 2023, her Bridgerton character, Queen Charlotte, received a spinoff series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Although Rosheuvel does not appear to be in Dune: Part Two, Bridgerton has been renewed for seasons 3 and 4, and she will star in Somewhere in Dreamland directed by Colin Tilley.

The British actress has been in a long-term relationship with writer Shireen Mula.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Undisclosed Character

Anya Taylor-Joy announced her appearance in Dune: Part Two only a few weeks before the film's release at the London premiere.

In an interview on the red carpet, live streamed by Warner Bros. U.K., Taylor-Joy confirmed that she would indeed play a role in the movie although she couldn't say which. "You’ll have to see the film," she said, teasing.

"Having seen it, this is probably one of the best movies I’ve seen in my entire life. Genuinely, Denis has killed it, it’s incredible," Taylor-Joy added. "This is a dream come true, you know? The books are incredible but with this cast and with Denis, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Related: Who Is Anya Taylor-Joy's Husband? All About Malcolm McRae

The Argentinia-born actress had her breakout role in Netflix's The Queen's Gambit in 2020 and has gone on to star in Last Night in Soho (2021) and The Menu (2022). Coming up, Taylor-Joy takes the leading role in the highly-anticipated Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Amidst all her success, the Golden Globe winner met and married her husband Malcolm McRae in the fall of 2023.

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