According to the “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” press materials, Holbrook patterned his meticulously sculpted haircut after Mikkelsen’s cannibalistic character in “The Green Butchers.” “I just wanted him to have something that put him out,” said Holbrook.
It’s certainly not a copycat haircut. Mikkelsen’s butcher has a wildly receding hairline that parts at the top of his pate. It’s a demented look for a demented freak. Holbrook’s spiky coiffure is severe and tight; he must spend a solid hour in front of the mirror every morning pomading each strand into its right place. But both cuts serve their respective characters perfectly.
Holbrook took his preparation a step further, and applied a set of false teeth to help in get into character — not that you’d notice. “We made these teeth that actually aren’t that present in the film,” he said, “But for me it was kind of a good crutch to lean on.”
It worked. Holbrook stole the film from Mikkelsen, and might rank as the most loathsome villain in an Indiana Jones movie since Amrish Puri’s Mola Ram in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” The lesson here: Emulate Mikkelsen’s commitment, not his style.