When you see Dave Bautista, the last thing you want to think about is failure.Even if he’s not a former wrestling superstar Become a super movie starif you saw this tall, muscular, tattooed man walking down the street, you would immediately think he’d got it. But in Dune: Part 2, nothing is clarified about Batista’s character. Actors loved him for it.
Bautista becomes Glossu Rabban Harkonnen again, Nephew of Baron Harkonnen And the new lord of Arrakis…slaughtered almost the entire Atreides family for the privilege. Laban is given the task of taking over an entire planet for his family, but little does he know the powerful Fremen army he’s facing. This resulted in the character not doing well in the eyes of his family, which is why Bautista was so excited about the film.
In his chat with io9, we talked about playing the pathetic villain, his relationship with director Denis Villeneuvea chip on his shoulder when it comes to acting, if he ever does end his famous Guardians of the Galaxy character, Drax. check it out.
Germain Lussier, io9: Laban didn’t play a big role in this first part-it plays a bigger role here the second part. Were there any conversations between you and Dennis that said, hey, we probably won’t make a second movie, but if we do, [your character] Will there be more to do?
Dave Bautista: Well, I always knew my role would be bigger in the second movie.we never [laughs]…I’ve only heard rumors that there might not be a second movie. We never had a formal conversation with Dennis. I think he always believed there would be. I think he’s a visionary and he’s not going to stray from that vision. I think his vision was never about a movie, so I don’t think he ever gave up on that. So we never had a conversation. I was also very confident because I saw the first movie and I thought, this is great. Not only is this a beautiful story told, but it really cuts off and leaves you hanging. I don’t think people in the world don’t want this to end. So I never lost faith. But it’s a sign of the times we live in. It was a time of great uncertainty. I think a lot of people were fooled, not through anyone’s fault, but by not being able to see the first movie on the big screen because that’s what it was designed to do. That’s what it’s meant to be. But yeah, I never thought there wouldn’t be a second movie.
io9: Most of the people you play are pretty capable, for obvious reasons, right? But aside from his size and strength, this guy is an idiot.
Bautista: [Laughs]
io9: A bit of a failure. So is it fun to play someone who is the butt of all the jokes?
Bautista: must. Yes. To me, that’s why I’m in it, man. Because I want to play characters that are layered and interesting, not cliche or generic. This is also a challenge. But I also think it’s my obsession. That’s what I like about him. I was so excited when I read the script for the second film, and after talking to Dennis I was even more excited because I knew there was a lot for me to play with. I mean, I’m always looking for characters because I do have this idea. It never goes away. I want to prove myself as an actor because people like me, they want to be in a lane. I never wanted to be stuck in that alley. So I left WWE, walked out the door, and refused to be stuck on this path. This gave me a chance to prove my point.
io9: Yes.
Bautista: So I thought, this character is so great because you get to think about him in a way. He’s just one way. He’s just a savage, nothing more. But I thought, what if I could make this character more than just that, and make him so pathetic that you almost sympathize with him.
io9: “Almost.”
Bautista: Yeah, pretty much. [Laughs] I just need a little bit of sympathy when you feel sorry for him for a second and then you’re like, “No, I don’t feel sorry for him.” But if I only had one chance, that would probably be a real achievement .
io9: Oh, I think you succeeded. I think he was angry early in the movie too – what was it like to be so loud and angry?
Bautista: So, for me, screaming for me is just another way to get rid of my anxiety. I’ve always known this. I found that in WWE and I just let it all out. On one side of the WWE curtain, I was retching before I even came out. I was very nervous. I’m very confused, I’m always thinking,
“Oh my god, everything is going to go wrong. I’m not ready. I’m not warmed up enough. Oh, man, I don’t know what to do.” As soon as I hit that curtain, walked out, the lights, the music, [crowd roars]-The anxiety is gone. Same with this one. So it gave me a chance to get rid of that anxiety and then I could slowly transition into this kind of acting. But I would say the richness of the character, the layering of the character, and Dennis’ support and encouragement, he made it very easy for me.
io9: Very cool. Obviously, it’s a large ensemble piece, but by the nature of your role, you don’t really get to act with most of the people in the movie. Is this isolation? Are you connecting with others around you?
Bautista: Yeah, of course. Whether you’re in a makeup trailer, on set, or in a social setting, you spend a lot of time with people. There’s always a get-together, especially for the entire cast, where the director wants to meet the cast. So the friendship will always be there. [But] Selfishly, personally, like I wanted those scenes.I want a scene with Timmy. [Chalamet]. I want scenes and Zendaya.I want a scene with Florence [Pugh]. I want a scene with Christopher Walken. But it’s just, you know, it’s not meant to be.
io9: You get to see a scene with Josh Brolin.
Bautista: You know, I love Josh. Josh is one of my favorite people in the world. I’ve known Josh for years through our Marvel experiences. So I was excited to share that aspect with him in this movie. It’s just fun. I love that our characters despise each other. So that’s great.
io9: One thing I love about your career, and you talk about the chip on your shoulder, is that you get to work with such incredible filmmakers. Obviously, Gunn, Snyder, Shyamalan and Villeneuve. How is Dennis different from other people you’ve worked with?
Bautista: Our conversations are different. It’s hard for me to have these conversations without sounding… because I don’t want to belittle anyone I work with. They are all special experiences. They all developed me as a performer and helped me in my career. James Gunn changed my life. His belief in me, his support for me, changed my life. But our conversation was different. Dennis supported me in different ways.
Our conversations were more intimate. I had never met a director before Dennis, and since Dennis said to me you are a very strong actor. He said this to me in the first movie.I hesitate because I’m self-aware [and] I was. I’m very unsure of myself. He came to me. He said, “I sense you’re hesitating.” He said, “You’re a very good actor, my friend. Just follow your gut.” So I started shouting it out, and then I started looking for the role. Not only did he love it so much, but he was so supportive of my performance that he wanted to capture other people’s reactions to my performance. So when you have that kind of support, it’s something I’ve never experienced before and never had a director of this caliber. So that means everything. This is verification.
io9: Wow, that’s great.so I’m talking to Stellan. [Skarsgård] After this, you have a lot of scenes with him. What was it like working with him in this suit? Because this must be weird. Are you laughing or are you serious? How is the atmosphere?
Bautista: The situation is very serious. We respect it because we know it’s cruel. The experiences that he’s been through, like what he’s going through and what he’s dealing with. You could tell from his conversations while he was working that he was exhausted because he was already in the makeup chair eight hours before we started working. After eight hours, you’re usually off work.
io9: Right, right.
Bautista: Just started working. So we have a lot of respect for him and what he’s going through. So we respect his time very much. Everyone is there from top to bottom. But the actors are also very aware that he’s suffering.
io9: One last thing is, I know you said guardian 3 You’ve left Marvel, but is there any way you can come back, or are you just putting that part of your career aside?
Bautista: no no. When I say I’m done, I’m truly done with my journey as Drax. I’m still connected to Marvel.I see Kevin Feige again, Lou [D’Esposito] Just two weeks ago. They knew I would be great in a role. I love this universe—the superhero universe, I love it. I’m a fan. So Marvel or DC, if they call, I’ll answer the phone. If the role makes sense, I’m all for it. I just wanted the opportunity to play a bigger role, a different role. Maybe there is a deeper effect. I would love the opportunity to play an ominous villain in a superhero universe. Yes. But never. I’m not done yet. But my journey with Drax was over.
Dune: Part 2 Open Friday March 1st.
Want more io9 news?Find out when the latest news is released Miracle, Star Warsand Star Trek Release, what’s next? DC Universe in Movies and TVand everything you need to know about the future doctor who.