Hollywood keeps trying to make Tarzan happen. Over and over. Since the silent film era, we’ve seen dozens of men in loincloths swinging through digital vines, but the 2016 version directed by David Yates felt different because of who was on screen. When you look back at the cast of The Legend of Tarzan, it wasn't just a group of actors showing up for a paycheck. It was a weirdly prestige collection of talent—an Oscar winner, a burgeoning superstar, and a couple of the best "bad guys" in the business.
Alexander Skarsgård didn't just play John Clayton; he looked like he’d been stretched on a rack.
Honestly, the physical transformation is usually the first thing people bring up. But if you strip away the eight-pack, the movie relied heavily on the chemistry between a very stoic lead and a surprisingly feisty Jane. It’s a 180-million-dollar gamble that focused more on the "legend" than the "ape man," and that’s mostly due to the specific weights these actors brought to their roles.
Alexander Skarsgård and the Burden of the Loincloth
Skarsgård was already a cult favorite from True Blood, but this was his big swing at being a "movie star." He’s a tall guy. 6’4” to be exact. That height matters because Tarzan needs to look like a physical anomaly compared to the Victorian elites in London. Skarsgård spent months on a grueling diet and movement training with choreographer Wayne McGregor. He didn't want to move like a bodybuilder; he wanted to move like a predator.
He plays John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, as a man who is deeply uncomfortable in a suit. You can see it in his shoulders. Most actors would play the "fish out of water" bit for laughs, but Skarsgård plays it with a heavy sense of trauma. He’s a man who misses his home but is terrified of what he becomes when he’s there.
The cast of The Legend of Tarzan needed that grounded center. If Skarsgård hadn't sold the quiet intensity, the whole thing would have collapsed into a Saturday morning cartoon. He barely speaks in the first act. He lets his physicality do the talking, which is a bold move for a lead actor in a summer blockbuster.
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Margot Robbie Saved Jane From Being a Damsel
Before she was Barbie or Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie was already proving she was too charismatic to be a secondary character. Her Jane Porter isn't the screaming victim we saw in the old black-and-white films.
Robbie reportedly refused to lose weight for the role, arguing that a woman living in the 19th-century jungle wouldn't be "waif-like." She wanted Jane to look like she could actually survive. There’s a specific scene where she’s captive on a boat, and instead of weeping, she’s spitting in the face of the villain. That’s pure Robbie. She brings a modern spark to a character that could have easily felt like a relic of a more sexist era of filmmaking.
The chemistry between her and Skarsgård is the emotional anchor. Without their relationship feeling earned, the stakes of the final battle wouldn't matter. They feel like a married couple who have been through hell together, rather than two strangers who just met in the woods.
Christoph Waltz and the Art of the Elegant Villain
Look, we know Christoph Waltz can play a villain. He’s done it for Tarantino, he’s done it for Bond. In the cast of The Legend of Tarzan, he plays Captain Léon Rom.
Rom was a real person. A terrifying one. The real-life Rom was a Belgian military officer who reportedly decorated his flowerbeds with the severed heads of Congolese people. Waltz, obviously, plays a slightly more "Hollywood" version of this monster, but he keeps that trademark chilling politeness. He uses a rosary made of Madagascar spider silk as a weapon. It’s theatrical, sure, but Waltz makes it feel menacing rather than goofy.
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He’s the perfect foil for Skarsgård’s Tarzan. Rom is all intellect, greed, and "civilization," while Tarzan represents the raw, unbridled power of nature. Waltz doesn't need to be physically imposing to be scary; he just needs to look at you with those cold, calculating eyes while he eats a meal on a steamship.
Samuel L. Jackson as the Moral Compass
Samuel L. Jackson plays George Washington Williams. Like Rom, Williams was a real historical figure—a Civil War veteran and minister who traveled to the Congo and became one of the first people to speak out against the atrocities committed by King Leopold II.
Jackson provides the "buddy cop" energy. He’s the audience surrogate. When Tarzan is doing something insane—like jumping off a cliff into a forest canopy—Jackson is the one saying, "You’re actually going to do that?"
His presence is vital because it anchors the movie in a very dark, very real historical context. The film tries to balance a pulp adventure with a serious look at the colonization of Africa. It doesn't always stick the landing, but Jackson’s performance gives the story a weight it wouldn't have otherwise. He’s the one reminding the audience that while this is a movie about a man who talks to lions, the suffering of the Congolese people under Belgian rule was a very real horror.
The Supporting Players and African Representation
The cast of The Legend of Tarzan also featured some incredible supporting talent that often gets overlooked in the shadow of the big names.
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- Djimon Hounsou as Chief Mbonga: Hounsou is a powerhouse. He plays a man fueled by a personal vendetta against Tarzan. His performance is physical and tragic; you understand why he hates the protagonist. He’s not a "villain" in the traditional sense, just a grieving father.
- Jim Broadbent as the Prime Minister: He’s only in a few scenes, but Broadbent brings that classic British gravitas. He represents the political apathy of London that allows men like Rom to operate.
- Ben Chaplin as Captain Moulle: A solid character actor who adds another layer of grit to the Belgian forces.
The film also utilized local talent and focused on portraying the Kuba people with a degree of respect that earlier Tarzan films completely lacked. While the CGI apes (the Mangani) were the "co-stars" in the action sequences, the human element of the indigenous tribes was what gave the jungle scenes their soul.
Why This Cast Still Matters Today
People still talk about this movie. Mostly on streaming services where it finds a new life every few months. The reason it hasn't faded away like other failed reboots—think The Lone Ranger or John Carter—is the caliber of the acting.
You’ve got a cast that treated the material with more seriousness than it probably deserved on paper. They didn't wink at the camera. They didn't act like they were in a silly pulp movie. They played it like a historical epic.
What You Should Do Next
If you're revisiting the movie or looking into the cast of The Legend of Tarzan for the first time, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the real-life context: Take twenty minutes to read about the real George Washington Williams. Knowing that Samuel L. Jackson’s character was a real human rights pioneer makes his scenes in the film much more impactful.
- Look at the movement work: Pay attention to how Skarsgård walks. He doesn't walk like a human; he has a slightly forward-leaning, prowling gait. It’s a masterclass in physical acting that goes beyond just lifting weights.
- Compare the "Jane" archetypes: If you have time, watch a clip of the 1930s Jane and then watch Robbie. It’s a fascinating study in how Hollywood’s perception of "strong female characters" has evolved, for better or worse.
- Check out the "Behind the Scenes" on the Mangani: The apes in this movie aren't real, but the actors who played them in mocap suits (like Matt Cross) did incredible work. Researching the "ape school" the actors attended explains why the interactions feel so tactile.
The movie isn't perfect. The CGI can be hit or miss, and the pacing is a bit frantic in the third act. But the cast of The Legend of Tarzan remains one of the most interesting ensembles put together for a summer blockbuster in the last decade. They took a 100-year-old character and actually gave him a pulse.