Timothée Chalamet’s hair had to be ‘chased’ on the set of Dune

Paul Atreides may have been perfectly composed as the regal son of Duke Leto and the maybe-messiah of the whole galaxy in Denis Villenueve’s Dune — but Timothée Chalamet’s hair didn’t get the message. Donald Mowat (head of hair- and makeup for the huge production) said that this was not true.

Polygon spoke to Mowat over Zoom, about designing the prosthetics that transformed Stellan Skarsgård into the menacing Baron Harkonnen, designing lip tattoos for mentat savants, and about the challenges of keeping skin looking good and hair looking coiffed in a wind-blown desert environment.

He said that some things were simple. The change in environment from interior sets to sandy exteriors seemed to transform actors like Rebecca Ferguson (playing Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother) and Chalamet.

“[In the desert]She was vibrant and lively, just like Timmy. He wore his hair down, […]Did have its own life. It is like an animal; he’s got a lion-like mane. The interesting thing about it was that when all of the dust and salt and sand hit, the hair got really tangled. [Mowat gestured in a halo around his face]It was, however, something I liked. And it’s completely natural.”

Mowat said that he and his team did their best to maintain Chalamet’s hair continuity — to ensure every lock was in the same place from shot to shot. They had to accept defeat at times. “You also have to give in to the elements sometimes and go ‘Wind blows hair. Nuff said.’”

Mowat maintained that he still had strong support from the actor, location and costumes.

“Timmy and Rebecca, to me, look — although they’re sand-blown and dusty and [have] chapped, parched lips in the desert — they also look kind of great. There’s a beauty to it, and kind of based in fashion in a way, in the way they were dressed, and I kind of loved it.”

DuneThe movie was made available internationally on Sept. 15. On Oct. 22, the movie will hit theaters worldwide and be on HBO Max.