HBO
The main cast of ‘Dune: Prophecy’ acknowledge the importance of their roles (even as they admit their unfamiliarity with the series)
Valya and Tula Harkonnen talk to us.
‘Dune: Prophecy’ is getting closer and closer. It will take us 10,000 years back in time, away from the desert planet of Arrakis, and into the early years of the Sisterhood that would become known as the Bene Gesserit. Ahead of the series premiere, we had the opportunity to sit down with Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, who play Superior Mother Valya Harkonnen and Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, respectively. Although the sisters are considered the heart of the Sisterhood, they represent the mind behind this powerful organization.
The importance of Dune
The first question we asked you was about the world of Dune. While it is one of the most important names in modern science fiction, with a vast mythos behind it and an impressive timeline, it is also one of the most complex and dense works currently available. Given this, we wanted to know how much they knew about the work, and both said that while they were not familiar with the entire universe, they recognized the importance of Frank Herbert’s work.
“Thankfully, I was pretty ignorant because I think it’s quite intimidating,” commented Emily Watson. “When you unstop to understand the kind of the breath of the fan world that they exists and they and they kind of reach are the universe of Dune and the legacy of it. But you know, it was just like a great challenge as actors to inhabit this universe.”
Meanwhile, Olivia Williams commented that she understood responsibility in a more interesting way. “A man came to install a new TV in my house. I told him I would be playing Tula Harkonnen, and he knelt at my feet. So, I realized that I had a responsibility to a great deal of people to get this right,” said Williams. “Fortunately, we had our amazing leader [showrunner], Alison [Schapker] who is absolutely the expert on the issue. I asked for her help to explain the importance of my character. And also, she’s someone who I think felt that she hadn’t seen herself and women like us in the Sci-Fi world and it was time, it was time that women were brought into this world on an equal footing.”
Sisters who are not always on the same level
In the first episodes of the series, we see how the relationship between Valya and Tula goes beyond being blood sisters and part of a sisterhood, as each has a different way of seeing and executing their actions. When asked about this, both mentioned what the audience can expect from these interactions.
“To Valya all are the same [being sisters, the sisterhood and their goals] and that,” Watson began. “But as time goes on, things starts to unravel that becomes tested in a way that you don’t expect. And it’s stakes get very high.”
For her part, Williams acknowledges that there is a key difference between the two sisters. “We found a lovely thing during the interviews, where Emily was saying that Valya plans ahead, she’s always strategizing ahead, whereas Tula, I think is stuck in the past. She’s struck with a conscience and regret, and a conscience is actually quite a useless thing in this universe.”
‘Dune: Prophecy’ will premiere next Sunday, November 17th at 8:00 PM ET on MAX. Episodes will premiere weekly, every Sunday.