The princess, the sword master and the empress

“Ra-ra-rasputin,” those lines from that 70’s disco song by Boney M played in the head as I watched Travis Fimmel once again step into the boots of the very mysterious and dangerous Desmond Hart in the second to the last episode of “Dune: Prophecy.” 



Action is quickly unfolding on Salusa Secundus for the younger batch of characters. Princess Ynez, her brother, Constantine Corrino and palace Sword Master, Kieran Atreides have all gone through a sudden twist of fate. I spoke to Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, and Chris Mason about their characters.



Kieran Atreides is in a world where adversaries seem to have supernatural or otherworldly abilities, what strengths does he have so he can face his foes?
Chris Mason: I think one of his strengths is his name, because of his relation to Vorian Atreides, who was a great war hero. There is respect naturally from people. However, in terms of Atreides as a family, it’s nowhere near what we see later in the movies. Also, he is the Sword Master of the Universe. So, in terms of physical abilities, he has that in his hand but he is very much human. He just tries to do the right thing by his heart every time. I think that’s his main strength.



Ynez talks about the possibility of ruling the Imperium, is she actually aware of all the dangers?
Sarah-Sofie Boussnina: Ynez and Constantine went through something traumatic when they were very young. From a very young age, she’s made aware the life she leads is valuable to strangers. And it can be dangerous to be her — that people want something out of her because of her position in life, and that she can’t trust a lot of people. So, she’s been living this very secluded, of course, privileged life, but also, that comes with a darker side. I think she is fully aware of it. 



That’s why Constantine is so important to her, because he knows exactly what it’s like living that life because he lives it himself. He knows her fully. They can confide in each other. That gives her some strength, because she has that person to go to.

kkkI also got to chat with Jodhi May, who plays Empress Natalya, wife of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) who teases something important involving her character in the season finale.



There’s a good deal of non-verbal acting you do, a lot of it has to do with your eyes. How do you pull off being so subtle and effective in your scenes?
Jodhi May: You just have to be very precise about the beats in a scene, and you have to retain that because, you’re working very, very long days, and obviously you’re doing multiple takes of things. I love being able to play a role that requires that kind of subtlety of performance. And it’s really about thinking and knowing, what does my character want? Where has she come from? Where is she going? And what are the subtexts, the beats you need to be playing between characters in the scene.



I like the fact there’s a bravery about the series, that often scenes will be played off the looks of someone like Natalya, rather than there being lots of dialogue. As an actor, it’s kind of more interesting sometimes to do that. I’m glad you picked up on it.



When asked about a memorable line though she says something comes up in episode six, “There’s a really interesting character arc for Natalya, and there is something — I can’t reveal what line it is, but there’s a real reveal about her character that’s very exciting. Natalya is never what she seems on the surface. For me, that’s a real joy as an actor. It’s that reveal that stayed with me, that I can’t talk about.”



Find out how the first season of “Dune: Prophecy” ends on Monday, Dec. 23 via the newly launched Max platform.