Prophecy’s Mark Addy And Edward Davis Talk House Harkonnen’s Role In The Series

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 22, 2024 26 Views 12 Min Read
Prophecy's Mark Addy And Edward Davis Talk House Harkonnen's Role In The Series



HBO’s Dune: Prophecy presents the iconic House Harkonnen in a way that fans of the Dune franchise have never seen before. In Frank Herbert’s original Dune novels, the Harkonnens, led by Baron Vladimir, are a powerful, intimidating force who serve as one of the primary obstacles Paul Atreides must face. Dune: Prophecy‘s House Harkonnen is a family in disgrace, stripped of power and exiled to the frigid planet of Lankiveil due to a betrayal by House Atreides and the Harkonnens’ supposed cowardice in the war against the thinking machines.

Game Rant spoke to two members of Dune: Prophecy’s House Harkonnen: Edward Davis, who plays the House’s young leader Harrow, and Mark Addy, who plays the aged, bitter Evgeny. While Valya and Tula Harkonnen (Emily Watson and Olivia Williams) have left the family in favor of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, Harrow and Evgeny are left behind to pick up the pieces. The actors discussed the death of the previous Harkonnen heir, Griffin, Harrow’s ambition and insecurity, Evgeny’s bitter resentment towards Valya, and more. This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Harrow And Evgeny’s Relationship With Valya

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Q: What does Harrow think when Valya comes back into his life, and back to House Harkonnen, after so long? What’s going through his head?

Davis: He hasn’t seen her for years. The last time they saw each other, he was a child. I think most of his opinions on her will have been founded by Evgeny whispering into his ear, so of course, he’s predisposed to dislike her. But I think – and this isn’t something that’s in the script or in the words – I think there’s a certain squaring-up that happens. I think they do, slowly, start to respect each other. Maybe not respect, but understand each other. Because Harrow’s view of Valya isn’t his own, it’s not a view that he’s founded himself, it is able to change. He can see her properly, whereas I think Evgeny can’t see anything other than red when he sees Valya.

Q: Is that true – has Evgeny held on to this dislike of Valya his entire life?

Addy: Not only has he held onto it, it has festered and become worse. The opportunity to vent that to her face is irresistible. He hasn’t moved on.

Harrow Harkonnen Schemes For Greater Power

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Q: Griffin Harkonnen was the family heir and then was killed. Do you feel that Harrow has been compared to Griffin throughout his life? Is that something that has been present as he grows up?

Davis: Well, there’s that big painting of Griffin right there in his home. I think the comparison can’t help but be drawn, but I don’t think anyone would dare say that Harrow is the “new Griffin.” I think it would just be implicit. He knows he’s not. But it’s in not being noble, honorable Griffin that he finds his place, I think.

Yes, Harrow is very different from Griffin – he’s got this real ambition to him. He’s willing to interact with the court, to politically scheme and maneuver for the sake of House Harkonnen.

Davis: I think his ambition is emotional, for him. It’s not just like: “How much can I get?” It’s not a sort of capitalist ambition. It means so much to him to not just elevate House Harkonnen to its former glory but also to be the one who has done that. Yeah, he’s the weakest element of a weak family, and that can only go in one direction. He can’t go any lower, so he has to fight his way to the top mark.

Q: So there’s discussion that Harrow could have married Princess Ynez – I mean, she ends up stuck marrying Pruwet Richese, who’s just a little kid, and it’s hard to watch. Do you think a relationship between Harrow and Ynez could have worked out?

Davis: [Laughs] Based on mine and Sarah-Sophie [Boussnina’s] relationship, absolutely not.

She often accused me of smelling of fish when I would stand too near to her. As a joke, I mean! At some moments, she called me her stalker. So possibly not. [Laughs].

But, you know, anything can happen in the Dune world. A marriage of convenience can work, but I don’t see Harrow as the type – he’s not a lover. I don’t know if it would have been a very happy marriage for either of them, but then, maybe no one in this world gets to have a happy marriage.

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Evgeny Harkonnen Is Defined By His Resentment

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Q: Would Evgeny agree with Harrow’s self-assessment – that he is the “weakest element” in the family?

Addy: I think Evgeny felt that it should have been Harrow marrying the princess [Princess Ynez Corrino]. He sees that Harrow isn’t going to be Griffin, but he’s the best we’ve got. Maybe he’ll turn things around, and it’s interesting, once Harrow has Valya at his side. It’s like the kid who suddenly has a big brother. He can say, “I’ve got my big brother with me now, so I can come out of the shadows and have a bit more.”

It’s all fascinating stuff, little elements of relationships that can have a big impact on the story. Tiny little things are absolutely fascinating, and Dune is full of those. But Harrow – I love Harrow. I love the fact that he does add a little bit of humor. There aren’t many laughs in Dune: Prophecy, but it’s nice that Harrow provides a few of the ones there are. So I love him as a character.

Q: You have a lot of experience playing characters with huge amounts of power, such as King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones. What is it like playing Evgeny, who has almost no power, who has been exiled and seen his family brought low?

Addy: It’s nice and interesting. He’s kind of fueled by his bitterness at Valya. He blames her for Griffin’s death. Griffin was going to be the golden boy, and he was the future of the house. There’s very little else in his life other than that sort of obsessive bitterness, so it’s interesting to play.

There are some fascinating characters in this show. I love seeing Mark Strong [as Emperor Javicco Corrino] playing a character who’s in descent, who relies on somebody else’s advice because he can’t make a decision of his own. You know, there are just fascinating characters that I’ve not come across in other worlds. It’s too numerous – that was just one example. Look at Desmond Hart. What’s he up to? There’s so many! And that’s just the blokes – the women are great, too! You’re in a whole other world of rich, extraordinary lives. It’s so rich and dense. There’s a lot to go for, for an audience. A lot to take in.

Q: While we see this very strong resentment that Evgeny has towards Valya, we don’t see much interaction between him and Tula, her younger sister. Do you think Evgeny resents Tula in the way he does Valya?

Addy: I think, because of the nature of Tula’s character, she almost fades to invisibility. She’s not the strident loudmouth that young Valya is. She’s a totally different person, so Evgeny’s focus is on the one who’s gobbing it off, you know? That’s a wonderful part of Tula’s character. She can kind of go unseen – working towards the same goal as Valya, but taking a very different route. I think that is intentional. I think that, in the storytelling, it’s Valya who gets all the attention and blame. Yet Tula is equally responsible and powerful – she works in a different way.

Q: Finally, Mark, you were nicknamed “Bobby B” by fans for your role as King Robert in Game of Thrones. What nickname would you like the fans to call Evgeny?

Addy: It’s got to be “Evvy H!”

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