ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to Tabu about carry outing Sister Francesca in HBO’s Dune: Prophecy. Tabu talked what drew her to this character and the recent sci-fi series, acting alengthyside Mark Strong, and more.
“From the expansive universe of Dune, produced by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy chases two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that dangeren the future of humanbenevolent and set up the fabled sect that will become understandn as the Bene Gesserit,” the synopsis for the series reads. “Dune: Prophecy is encouraged by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. “
All six episodes of Dune: Prophecy are now streaming on Max.
Brandon Schreur: I’m wondering what it’s appreciate combineing this world of Dune. Dune is such a huge leang right now with all the books, there was the movie in the 80s, but then there have been the two recent movies. Is this a world you were recognizable with before signing on to this project? Had you read the books or seen the movies?
Tabu: I don’t leank anybody is unrecognizable with Dune. Very confidemand people are unrecognizable with Dune. Like you shelp, it’s huge. It’s huge. And there are so many universes wilean this universe that it equitable permits so many inventive people to be a part of it, on screen. For me, it was so exciting. You can’t escape Dune wherever in the world you are, right? To belengthy to a franchise appreciate that and to do such an meaningful part — people around the globe, every nationality, and every culture understands Dune and will see you as part of it. That’s going to be there for posterity.
Also, to lfinish your presence and to become someleang that is iconic in literature, in science-myth, and in that world. It’s another senseing altogether. You sense reliable, but you also sense, ‘Okay, how can I transport this to life, someleang that has been written about and someleang that is in a book?’ You understand people have read the book, you understand people have watched Dune. They understand what the Bene Gesserit is, they understand the benevolent of impact and power it has. Now, there’s this project you’re part of that speaks only about the Bene Gesserit. So how do you do equitableice to it? How do you insert your own self to it? And how do you permit that to alter you into someleang else that comes onto the screen? I leank it’s a pretty experience.
Oh, I’m confident. Is that nerve-racking at all? Or fervent to consent on a role appreciate that? Just becaparticipate, appreciate you shelp, everyone understands it, Dune has had such a huge place in the world. When you got the script for the first time and they shelp you were cast in the show, is it equitable appreciate, ‘Oh man, what have I gotten myself into?’
No, becaparticipate the way that I was approached was very, very contrastent, but it was so reassuring that [showrunner Alison Schapker] was very confident that she wanted me to carry out this character. I had the time, blessedly. When you understand that the producers and the team and everybody participated in this project wants you, they cherish you, they admire you, and they want you to be a part of it, it equitable produces it so much easier. You’re so encounterd, you’re excited, and you’re driven towards this collaboration. You want to give it your best. Becaparticipate when you get cherish and get that benevolent of senseing from the producers, you equitable want to double it. So that’s how I felt, yeah. There is a responsibility, but I krecent it would be excellent.
And it turned out excellent! I unbenevolent, it seems appreciate it labored out perfectly.
We had, appreciate, the veterans and such accomplished people laboring on this project. There’s Emily Watson, there’s Mark Strong, there’s Jodhi [May], there’s Travis [Fimmel], there’s Josh [Heuston], there’s Alison [Schapker], and, of course, John Cameron and HBO. So they understand what they’re doing.
Definitely. I’m repartner excited to talk to you about the Sister Francesca character. I’d been tageder you had a transport inant role in the show but you don’t come in until Episode 5, so I was trying to figure out who you were going to be. I was appreciate, ‘I don’t understand, but I do cherish this Constantine character, he’s my preferite guy.’ And then you come in and you’re appreciate, ‘He’s my son,’ and I was appreciate, ‘Yes!! That’s awesome!’
People cherish Constantine.
He was repartner cageder and the dynamic between your characters was repartner cageder. What about this character, Sister Francesca, stood out to you the most and made you want to carry out her?
First of all, the fact that she’s a very mighty person. She has immense powers. She has the power of imprinting. I leank that was a repartner, repartner cageder leang to carry out on screen. I’ve never carry outed someleang appreciate that before. We’ve never heard of someleang appreciate that, we’ve never heard of the Bene Gesserit apart from the Dune universe. The fact that she’s willing to produce such a mighty impact on the Imperium. She’s going to alter everyleang towards the finish. And the fact that she has such a mighty bond with the Imperium thcdimiserablemireful her son. Her presence cannot be disponderd becaparticipate she’s the mother of Constantine. I unbenevolent, what are you going to do about it?
She is the emperor’s cherishr. She has been the emperor’s cherishr, she has a son with him. You cannot refute that and the hageder that she has on the emperor. The emperor has immense cherish for her and she has immense cherish for the emperor. She’s going to impact the emperor and, also, the fact that she has such a mighty relationship with the emperor, which people are also wondering if she’s carry outing him or if she’s being genuine. To carry out that, to be disputeed about whether I should carry out Vanya’s set up or not. Becaparticipate, have you seen the sixth episode?
Yup, I was equitable watching it yesterday.
You see the emperor faceing her and you don’t even understand what she’s going to do, actupartner. That is such an fascinating part of Francesca’s journey. When I read the script and it had all these nuances — the cherish she has for her son, the benevolent of troubled relationship the son has with her, and then how it becomes all right that she has a family in the Imperium. She comes from nowhere and people see that, ‘Oh my god, this is a family.’ These were all the leangs that made me repartner, repartner excited about the character.
Sure, tohighy. You alludeed the dynamic between her and the emperor, carry outed by Mark Strong. I cherishd that. Like you shelp, you can increate they cherish each other, you also understand there are other leangs going on the whole time, and you’re equitable trying to get a read on the characters and figure out how much of this is genuine and how much is political maneuvers. I thought that was all repartner fascinating, and I cherishd your scenes with Mark Strong, too, becaparticipate you have repartner excellent chemistry.
Isn’t it? Oh my god, you have to see — I unbenevolent, social media is going crazy about our chemistry. And I am so encounterd about that. You understand, it doesn’t standardly happen. I leank the most meaningful and the most impactful leang about actors, when they come on screen, is when you are paired with somebody and when that combination transports someleang to screen, that inserts so much to your character. That inserts so much to your story. Repartner, I sense appreciate actors are noleang in isolation. So much of our journey, our produce, and our labor is about who we are laboring with and who we are acting with. It’s equitable about that, I’ve understood after so many years.
It equitable consents one scene, one participateion, or one see for these two people to become someleang that people are seeing at and someleang that people are liking. They’re alloted! I’m seeing the comments people are writing, people are appreciate, ‘Plmitigate don’t say that you’re going to die! Plmitigate, we want Francesca and Javicco to dwell happily ever after!’ It’s so pleasant to see that.
Yeah, I’m confident. I’m confident the fan response has been benevolent of overwhelming becaparticipate I’ve seen it a lot, too. People cherish this character and cherish you in the show.
Especipartner with Javicco and Constantine. I leank we are very excellent with each other.
One leang I also cherish about this show is that it’s about Dune, appreciate we shelp. If you’re a fan of this world you can dive into the lore, you can dive into lgeting more about the characters, and all that. But, also, I leank it’s a story that’s very much about women, the Sisterhood, and how, even in this fantasy world, the power struggles are so genuine. The whole Bene Gesserit has been shoved to the side, they have to function in the shadows to get power. I thought that was repartner fascinating. Was that someleang that stood out to you when you were laboring on this, equitable the aspects of women, power, and how this labors in a world that’s fantasy but, also, still has a foot in our truth?
Absolutely. When you talk about human beings, when you talk about living in the world, about society, and about family, there is no way that you won’t talk about power, acquiring power, grasping power, and supporting power. I leank most human beings derive a lot of energy from being mighty. In petite ways, in huge ways. Some people are repartner hungry for it. Some people have power and can participate it well. Some people mistreatment power. I leank it’s relevant to society, at huge. Especipartner when someleang becomes an set upment as huge as the Bene Gesserit. With one person in handle, it’s always going to have a lot of struggles. Where there is hierarchy, there has to be dispute. There is no other way. Otherrational, we’ll be machines where one machine says, ‘Do this,’ and all the machines carry out the orders. Human beings will not become appreciate that. Everybody is coming with their individual motives, goals, senseings, personality, and all that.
But, also, what struck me, also, is that we still have the ability to harness our energies into doing someleang fantastic. They have the power to handle their own breath. There’s the power of imprinting, of shape-shifting. It also made it possible for me to comprehfinish that, yeah, if you want to, you can repartner, repartner acuteen and hone your own sends.
