Being one of the most notable burgeoning directors of the modern era,Yorgos Lanthimos' filmshave seen plenty of critical acclaim in recent years. With instant hits such asPoor Things, The Lobster,andThe Favorite,Lanthimos has rocketed to stardom with his notable style of black comedy, often surrounding topics that feel almost dystopian in nature.His most recent filmKinds of Kindness,was released in June of this year and included stars such as Emma Stone, Hunter Schaffer, and Willem Dafoe.
Unique both in storytelling and presentation, Lanthimos' films are often comedic in nature, with a certain uncanny and uncomfortable element to them.The actors he chooses for these projects are often known for their experience in these sorts of films, indie or otherwise, taken from a wide variety of different genres. Because of this, it is surprising that he hasn’t worked with the actors listed below, and a film collaboration between them and Yorgos Lanthimos is certain to be explosive.
10Christian Bale
He Has Experience In Both Small And Big Budget Movies
Christian Bale is known best for his incredible performances inThe Dark Knight TrilogyandAmerican Psycho,but he also has a track record of giving his all to even his smallest performances.He changed his body to drastic proportions forThe MachinistandVice,and he brings a certain sort of dedication to all of his roles.This sort of dedication would be well-founded in a Lanthimos film, films that are so well known for their intense storylines and recognizable characters.
Every Yorgos Lanthimos Movie, Ranked
Yorgos Lanthimos has made several successful movies over the years, though his distinct style means that some were received better than others.
A team up between Christian Bale and Yorgos Lanthimos would mean one of Lanthimos' most intense films to date.Bale would only bring out the best in these films, amplifying the often intricate and dystopian stories with his all or nothing acting style. By bringing his experience with characters such as the iconic Patrick Bateman to the table, this hypothetical film is sure to achieve critical acclaim.
9Alex Wolff
He Has Appeared In Some Massive Films
Despite the fact he has appeared in massive films such as theJumanjifilms,Pig,and evenOppenheimer,Alex Wolff is often recognized solely for his performances in two films.The first is Ari Aster’s psychological horror classicHereditary,in which Wolff played the haunted character of Peter Graham. The second is M. Night Shyamalan’sOld,a film based on the graphic novel of the same name.
A film like this, coupled with Wolff’s paranoid performance inHereditary,would make for a horror film that can and will worm its way into people’s heads.
Many of the films that Wolff has appeared in have the same haunting feeling attached to them as many of the best in Lanthimos' filmography.He would be perfect for a film likeThe Killing of a Sacred Deer,another classic psychological horror film that so often goes overlooked.A film like this, coupled with Wolff’s paranoid performance inHereditary,would make for a horror film that can and will worm its way into people’s heads.
8Tilda Swinton
Her Smaller Projects Are Some Of Her Best
Perhaps best known for her appearance as the White Witch inThe Chronicles of Narniaseries, Tilda Swinton has appeared in countless roles throughout the years.In fact, she has appeared in several films by a director with more than a few similarities to Yorgos Lanthimos, that being the incredible Wes Anderson.Both are known for their more eccentric styles of storytelling and incredible cinematography, with Lanthimos often being a bit darker than Anderson’s in general.
10 Actresses We Want To See In Yorgos Lanthimos’ Next Movie
Yorgos Lanthimos has proven himself as a director who uplifts female voices, and these actresses would make great additions to upcoming movies.
When it comes to acting, Tilda Swinton is known for taking on difficult characters that often have a mysterious side to them.This can be seen in films such asOnly Lovers Left Alive,as well as the memorableWe Need to Talk About Kevin,in which she plays a mother struggling with her son’s increasingly disturbing acts. With such experience in these dark and difficult films, she would be a natural pick for a Lanthimos film.
7Mads Mikkelsen
A Lanthimos Film Could Bring Him Back To His Villainous Roots
In America,Mads Mikkelsen is best known for his performances as some of cinema’s most iconic villains.He did an incredible job as the infamous Hannibal Lecter in the television seriesHannibal,and he has played villains in some of film’s most famous franchises, includingMarvel, Harry Potter,andIndiana Jones.
Some of his greatest films are actually the smaller Danish films he starred in earlier on in his career, withThe Huntin 2012possibly being the most powerful of these films.
Work on a Lanthimos film could bring him back to this era of his filmmaking career, an era more centered around experimental filmmaking and moving stories. This could not only change the more American perception of Mikkelsen as an actor typecast as the villain, but also display his amazing range. Mikkelsen’s talent is more than just the cold villains he so often portrays, and a Lanthimos film would be the perfect opportunity to explore that.
6Nicolas Cage
Recent Years Show Cage Trying New And Experimental Films
Known for his often zany and energetic acting,Nicolas Cageis an actor that can only be described as unique.He is not afraid to branch out of his comfort zone, and because of this, he has starred in everything under the sun from safe classics such asNational Treasureto more eclectic films such as the new horror filmLonglegsand the incredibly self-awareThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.Even his older films hold up today, withVampire’s Kissreaching the status of cult-classic andAdaptationbeing a grounded look into the life of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
Whether the role calls for one of Cage’s more enthusiastic performances or something more character-driven, Cage would be an incredible addition to a film that will likely retain the more indie feel that Lanthimos is so well known for.
Nicolas Cage has appeared in so many different roles across so many films that he really is a bit of a jack of all trades.No matter what sort of film Lanthimos could come up with, whether it leans into his more surrealist tendencies or not, Cage would fit the bill for nearly anything.Whether the role calls for one of Cage’s more enthusiastic performances or something more character-driven, Cage would be an incredible addition to a film that will likely retain the more indie feel that Lanthimos is so well known for.
5Emma Corrin
They Brought Out Their Villainous Side In Deadpool & Wolverine
Another actor with incredible range, Emma Corrin is only just starting to achieve the levels of acclaim that they deserve.Corrin previously starred inThe Crownas Princess Diana, and this was their most recognizable role until playing the part of the villain Cassandra Nova in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.Not only did they show with this performance that they are more than their performance as the late Princess Diana, but they also brought their acting to an even wider audience.
Now with an upcoming performance inNosferatu,a remake of the 1922 original, Corrin is showing a willingness to partake in gothic horror.While Lanthimos' films are not gothic horror per se, films likeThe Lobsterare an examination of the dark side of human nature that can so often be found in gothic literature, using horrendous monsters such as vampires as a stand in for humanity itself.As an actor capable of playing a character as heinous as Cassandra Nova, they would be perfectly capable of portraying the big personalities so often present in Lanthimos' films.
Interview With The Vampire Shows The Actor’s Incredible Talents
Although he has been acting since 2013, most of Assad Zaman’s performances have been on the stage. It wasn’t until 2022 with the release of AMC’sInterview with the Vampirethat viewers really found a sense of his talents as an actor.Playing the role of the vampire Armand, Zaman not only embraces the terrifying manipulative nature of the character, but also the undertones of trauma and that lie beneath the surface.
Lanthimos' films often revolve around characters with complex personalities and motivations.These personalities are often juxtaposed against absurdist backgrounds, withThe Favouritebeing an excellent example of this. Even with his breakout performance, Zaman has displayed a mastery of this sort of character work, and it would be a treat to see him in a future Lanthimos film.
3John David Washington
His Acting Performances Stand On Their Own Two Feet
Son of the Hollywood superstar Denzel Washington, John David Washington has sporadically appeared in films and television since 1992.However, he started to gain critical acclaim with performances in the HBO seriesBallers,as well as the starring role as Ron Stallworth in the insightful biographical dramaBlacKkKlansman.This acclaim would translate into mind-bending films such as Christopher Nolan’sTenetas well asThe Creator,a 2023 science fiction thriller detailing a possible future in the world of artificial intelligence.
John David Washington is incredible at eliciting feelings from an audience with his roles, with his performance inThe Creatorperhaps being one of his most emotional to date.
Out of all the many ways to describe his incredible performances in these films, perhaps the most apt is that his performances have heart. John David Washington is incredible at eliciting feelings from an audience with his roles, with his performance inThe Creatorperhaps being one of his most emotional to date.Even though Lanthimos' films are often absurd comedies in unrealistic worlds, they still bite down to the heart of what it means to be human with emotional throughlines that hit hard.
2Robert Pattinson
He Is More Than Twilight And Batman
Making up the other half of Nolan’sTenetpair, Robert Pattinson was initially considered nothing more than the actor that played Edward Cullen in theTwilightseries.However, since playing Edward, he has delved into more niche roles, experimental in a way that was reminiscent of Daniel Radcliffe after theHarry Potterfranchise. Since then, he has starred in films by auteur directors, with Bong Joon Ho’s adaptationMickey 17on the way.
Pattinson would be an incredible pick for Lanthimos' films, as he is appearing in more and more of these experimental films. One of his best performances was inThe Lighthouse,a film shot entirely in black and white, filmed with only Pattinson and the actor Willem Dafoe as the main characters.Despite what some would consider constraints, the film was an incredible testament to what can be done with film as a medium even today, something that Lanthimos challenges with his unique style and confrontational stories.
1Dev Patel
The Green Knight And Monkey Man Were Cinematic Masterpieces
With the incredible success of his most recent filmMonkey Man,Dev Patel has cemented himself not only as an incredible actor, but as an incredible writer and director as well.Previously starring in another more unique film, an adaptation of the Arthurian tale ofThe Green Knight,Patel is no stranger to stylistic stories that aren’t afraid of getting a little weird. Lanthimos himself is experienced with adaptations, asPoor Thingswas an adaptation of the original 1992 novel.
In these two movies in particular, Patel’s performances are haunting. Whether he is playing the brave Kid dead set on his quest for revenge or the cowardly Sir Gawain, he lands the characterization every single time. If he were to appear in aYorgos Lanthimos film,he is sure to match that energy, helping Lanthimos to bring his larger-than-life characters from page to screen.
