Kyle MacLachlan on Watching the 'Dune' Remake: 'I Was Smiling Ear to Ear' (Exclusive)

kyle maclachlan
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The actor played Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s 1984 original version of the film.

Kyle MacLachlan is a fan of Denis Villeneuve’s remake of Dune. The 63-year-old actor, who made his feature film debut as Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s 1984 original, finally saw the new movie in Brisbane, Australia, where he was filming the Peacock true crime series, Joe vs. Carole

“I really enjoyed it. I had an overwhelming sense of nostalgia,” MacLachlan tells ET’s Lauren Zima about the “sort of odd” sensation of “remembering” certain scenes while watching the new movie unfold on screen. 

“I remember I was smiling ear to ear. It really was fun,” he continues, joking that “when Timmy [Chalamet] puts his hand in the box, I’m like, ‘That’s gonna hurt. Don’t do that.’ But he didn’t listen to me, of course.”  

Last year, before traveling Down Under, MacLachlan told the Seattle Times he was “look[ing] forward to seeing what the director [Villeneuve] does with it.” And clearly, he did not disappoint. 

In another conversation with IndieWire, he also reflected on Lynch’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s popular 1965 sci-fi novel. “My feelings about it evolve over time. I look at it as a flawed gem,” the actor said. “It’s stunning in so many ways.” 

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With the release of the Oscar-nominated remake, the 1984 version, which has become a cult classic, has been getting renewed attention on TV and streaming devices. 

“I know it’s sort of giving it a little bump, which is fun. [It’s] fun to go back,” MacLachlan says now. “Man, we were young.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to portraying Howard Baskin opposite Kate McKinnon as his wife, Carole, the actor says Joe vs. Carole really explores the relationship between the two, especially in a way that was not really seen in Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries. 

“They’re partners, you know, and they have respect for each other,” MacLachlan says. “And even when things were challenging and not challenging, it’s like they still value each other, value each other's opinions. It’s really a partnership and a loving partnership.” 

He adds that, “I hope [fans] see that.”  


Joe vs. Carole premieres March 3 on Peacock.  

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