Prophecy Actress Tabu Talks The Enigmatic, Charismatic Character Of Sister Francesca

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 23, 2024 3 Views 11 Min Read
Prophecy Actress Tabu Talks The Enigmatic, Charismatic Character Of Sister Francesca



HBO’s new science fiction series Dune: Prophecy has wrapped up its first season, already being greenlit for a second. Heading into the final episode, tension at court has ramped up. Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) seems fully committed to following the advice of soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), abandoning his previous reliance on the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. Seeing Javicco slipping, Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) turns to Sister Francesca, a Bene Gesserit and Javicco’s former lover. Francesca’s presence shakes everything up as Season 1 of Dune: Prophecy concludes.

Game Rant had the opportunity to speak to accomplished actress Tabu, who plays the complex and fascinating role of Sister Francesca in Dune: Prophecy, ahead of the series finale. Tabu discussed what it was like playing a character who appears so little but plays such a pivotal role in the season’s denouement. She also discussed Francesca’s relationships with Javicco, Valya, and her estranged son Constantine (Josh Heuston), what it was like joining the Dune universe as a relatively new fan of the franchise, and more. This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Paul Atreides Javicco Corrino and Princess Ynez Valya Harkonnen the Dune Universe.

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Sister Francesca’s Return To Court Stirs Complex Emotions

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Q: Francesca has been gone from court for a long time, and then she comes back in the middle of this very tense situation. What is going through her head during her return?

TABU: What’s going on in her mind is that Valya has summoned her, there is an issue, and the Emperor needs to be handled. I’m sure she does not know what the issue is. She does not even know that Sister Kasha was killed. It’s a shock to her. I don’t know which planet she was living on all this while. She didn’t have any contact with her son. I’m sure she’s thinking – she doesn’t know what Valya is going to tell her. She has no clue, and I think she’s extremely shocked when Valya actually discloses her plan.

Q: When they were younger, as we see in flashbacks, Francesca and Valya were very close. Do you think there is any of this closeness left in the present day, or has the relationship changed entirely?

TABU: I also wondered that! But I think they bond over the Sisterhood. They bond over their motives. Because we haven’t seen their friendship and the relationship progressing on screen, that’s why we really don’t know as an audience. Even as an actor, as a character, I did not know because there was this large chunk that hadn’t been portrayed.

Having said that, I think that’s why Francesca’s presence feels very different from the other sisters because you see her very late. You’ve seen her as a young girl, and then you see her now. But one thing is for sure: Valya knows that she is very instrumental in getting anything done where Javicco is concerned, also because she knows that Francesca has the power of imprinting. As a last resort, Valya calls Francesca when she feels that Javicco has gone completely out of her control.

Q: Francesca’s coming back to court, she’s seeing Javicco again after this long separation. Do you think there’s still emotion there, any romantic feelings? Is there any love left, from Francesca’s side at least?

TABU: I think so. I think there is. I think she had to go away, and I’m sure it was not easy for her because she had a son with Javicco. You know that there is still love because she’s not ready to kill the Emperor. She wants to protect him, save him, and help him get out of this whole mess.

I would want to see a confrontation between Valya and Francesca. Personally, I would want that retribution for her, to confront Valya about her life and her love, how she had to completely give it up, and we don’t know what she got out of it. So I would love to see that confrontation.

Q: So Francesca does get to see and interact with her son, Constantine, again – is that something that’s very complicated for her? What are those interactions like?

TABU: Not so much for her. For [Constantine], definitely, because he’s at the receiving end of it. His mother has left him, and what he says to her is “Your Sisterhood always has a plan, so what was your purpose for having me?” She has no answer to that.

He is young, so she knows that he’s not going to understand. Because she also knows that he can’t be Emperor – Ynez has to be the one who sits on the throne. Because Francesca’s older, she knows that she can make him understand. She can bring him on track, put his life back on track, and make the Emperor secure a good position for him. Also, I think, Francesca has the maturity and depth to handle relationships. She will do things quietly, but she’ll find her way around.

Whale Harvesting on Lankiveil in Dune: Prophecy

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Francesca’s Past And Years Away Are A Mystery

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Q: We see Francesca so separate from the other Bene Gesserit characters. What was it like playing someone who is part of this Sisterhood but also very separate from it?

TABU: I think that I quite enjoyed it because it required me to shoot for fewer days. That was easier for me – it was very, very long and extensive for the others. I think, because it was short, it was very potent. When you come out at the end as a guest, but have a strong impact, I think it’s very effective.

Q: Did you get to see the scenes with younger Valya and younger Francesca undergoing Sisterhood training?

TABU: No. We didn’t film things in order. I met the actress [Charithra Chandran], but I had not seen anything that they had shot.

Q: It’s so cool to see. Valya and Francesca are so close, at first, and then they have such conflict.

TABU: Yeah. There’s definitely conflict. Why did they send Francesca away? To which planet did they send her? It’s all so mysterious. It’s the biggest mystery in Dune: Prophecy – what’s up with Francesca?

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Q: Were you a fan of Dune before coming into the project, or was it new to you?

TABU: Honestly, I’m not a big sci-fi fan. Mostly, I don’t understand sci-fi because it’s told in a very mechanical, technical manner. It’s not human. It’s just beyond my capacity to humanize these things or relate to these things. But when I saw Dune, when I was brought on board, it took me by surprise to see how a sci-fi subject can be so not sci-fi. I think there was a method to that. There was a reason why they made it so relatable, and that is why it has a separate fan base.

I must say that Dune, of course, is a sci-fi subject, but nobody talks about Dune as “Oh, did you see the sci-fi Dune?” It’s not like Star Trek sci-fi, Return of the Jedi, or anything like that. Dune is a film. It’s a story. People even forget the fact that it’s sci-fi. Of course, it is, but it deals with the universe and the planets in such a different manner. I feel that’s why it’s also very visually different from other sci-fi films that you see.

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