Christopher Nolan’s highly secretive Tenet appears to have issued a casting call for stand-ins for some of its leads. When called upon, the chosen ones will stand in as a replacement for the actors during long shots or shots where the actors’ faces are not visible, so as to provide them with some rest. The casting call is issued in Estonian but what’s interesting to note is that in addition to including John David-Washington himself, the call features Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent with almost none of the actually cast actors appearing.
Does that imply Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent have been added to the cast of Nolan’s Tenet? Most likely not. Attempting a rough translation of the Estonian script to English gives us some clues about the descriptions of the stand-ins they’re seeking, which in turn could shed some light on the reason for using these actors instead. Translated roughly, the casting call is seeking stand-ins who will be needed to stand ahead of the camera for long periods of time, for which they will be paid. Four stand-ins are sought, three men and one woman, catering to the below descriptions:
MAN 1:
- 20-35 years old
- Dark skinned
- Good physical form
- Hair and beard
- Approximately 175 cm in height
MAN 2:
- 20-35 years old
- Light-skinned, scattering light
- In good physical form
- Light-Brown Hair
- Approximately 185 cm in height
MAN 3:
- 40-60 years old
- Light-skinned with good to average physical form
- Dull, light-brown hair
- Approximately 177 cm in height
WOMAN 1:
- 20-35 years old
- Light-skinned
- Model-like body
- Short, blond hair
- Approximately 179-192 cm in height
While the translations are not 100% accurate, they give us enough idea to assess who they’re for, and one need not look past the height. Based on that info, MAN 1 is John David-Washington (height 175 cm), MAN 2 is Robert Pattinson (height 185 cm), MAN 3 is Kenneth Branagh (height 177 cm) and the lone WOMAN appears to be Elizabeth Debicki (height 190 cm). The reason then, for avoiding using pictures of the actual actors would be to avoid giving their potential looks away. The casting call does indicate though that both Washington and Pattinson will don bearded looks for the film, Pattinson possibly having only a mild one.
The agency posting the casting has urged people who find themselves a good fit to reply to casting@allfilm.ee. In the meanwhile, let me know what you think of this in the comments below. I’d also appreciate if some Estonians could go through the text and help with a better translation.
Tenet releases in theaters next year, on July 17, 2020. It is written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars John David-Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Clemence Poesy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Dimple Kapadia with Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine. Nolan will produce with his partner Emma Thomas with the film being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Check out our Appocalypse Hub for Tenet to devour all news about the movie.
