Latest news with #Sisterhood
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Olivia Williams was more than happy to be ‘the wise old bird' on the ‘Dune: Prophecy' set
The first season of Dune: Prophecy led to a revelation that redefined HBO series core relationship and shed new light on the origin of its central villain. Throughout the first six episodes of the series, which was renewed for a second season at the end of last year, viewers watched a Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), dedicated member of the Sisterhood and literal sister to Valya (Emily Watson), played surrogate mother to the young acolytes of her order. More from GoldDerby 'Andor' star Genevieve O'Reilly on her unlikely two-decade Mon Mothma journey: 'I've closed the circle on her' 'Forever' star Lovie Simone on traveling back to a 'nostalgic' time for Netflix's teenage romance show 'Severance' star Tramell Tillman could make Emmy history as the first Black Best Drama Supporting Actor winner And there was a very good reason for that. Toward the end of the season, a flashback revealed that not only did Tula give birth to the child of a Atreides, but the fire-wielding Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) was that baby. The two were eventually reunited, but under terrible conditions. Hart ordered Tula's arrest, no doubt setting up more confrontation in Season Two. Gold Derby caught up with Williams to discuss how she worked her character's secret into her performance and how the dynamics between the characters of the Sisterhood were reflected between the actors on set. Gold Derby: How familiar were you with the world of before the show? Olivia Williams: I have to be completely honest with you — or, I don't have to be, but I'm going to be—I didn't know anything about it at all. But I had a very quick crash course as soon as I was up for the job. And [showrunner] Alison Schapker is very good at explaining it. What were your first impressions of Tula once you got your hands on the script and got to know her a bit? It's an absolute bloody gift, isn't it? I had a teacher at drama school, and he was old enough to be Prussian. I don't know how old you were, but that's a country that's only in the history books now. He used to say to us, "Ducky, your subtext is showing," which was a warning that set me up very well for Tula. All you want as an actor is to be playing someone who has a massive secret that they cannot divulge with a nod or a wink. You have to absolutely play it as secretive. It was wonderful to carry around that secret until the amazing actress playing younger me got to enact what my big secret was. Something that's true across the show's two timelines is great casting for the younger version of the characters. Yes! It's so weird in movies, this six degrees of separation, but Jess[ica Barden, who plays younger Valya] had played my daughter in Hanna with Saoirse Ronan a million years ago. So she and I knew each other, and we're weirdly sisters across the universe, having played mother and daughter. She and I filmed Hanna in North Africa in Marrakech and in Hamburg the year of the volcano in Iceland, which grounded all the airplanes in Europe. She and I had been in a small people-carrier, driving from Marrakech to London a decade ago or even more, when she was a recalcitrant 15-year-old and I was a slightly haggard mother of young children. And now she's a slightly haggard mother of young children and I'm a wise old bird. And we're reunited! ... I think they did a really great job finding our younger selves. Emma Canning [who plays younger Tula] just nailed it. She was cast after me, so I had a chance to establish the character. She was studying my tells and habits and twitches and ticks. What was it like finally getting to see her performance? I was glued to telly, watching her every move. I wanted to say, "Oh, I wouldn't have done it like that," but I really couldn't. I was like, "No, actually, I really would have done it like that." The likeness is extraordinary. She's brilliant and a very lovely person. Did you know from the start of the job what Tula's secret was? I'm a cynical old bird, and I don't get involved in these things unless I've got something to do. There was a definite sense that closer to the finish of my career—though, not the end — I'm not wasting my time standing around for background action. I'd rather be in something small and have something to do than be in Hungary for six months on a big show with nothing to do. I made it very clear that I wanted to know whether this was going to be worth the time away from my family and dramatically, I wanted something to do. ... [The showrunners] were gloriously honest with me about what I was involved in, and I loved it from the beginning. ... Nothing is accidental. Everything that happened to me was present when we started shooting. Your readers might be astounded to learn how rarely that is the case with long-running series. What is it like going into a scene like the meeting between Tula and Desmond Hart? It can be many thing depending on the actor and how they work and how much contact you've had. If you were doing a play, you'd have sat down and talked about it like having therapy. But the way this was it was like having that real encounter. I don't know if you've watched any reality shows were people are reunited or united with their long-lost parent, and it doesn't go as either of them expect. In Travis' head, which I'm sure was born of the preparation he had done, he was absolutely driven with anger and resentment. And I went into it thinking, "My darling, dear lost child." That so often happens with family encounters. Each person goes into it assuming the other person thinks like they do, and there's that appalling realization that you come at something from polar-opposite positions. It was a sort of body blow, both real and metaphorical, that he wasn't pleased to see me and put me under arrest. We just went with the truth of that. I literally reached out my hands to embrace him, and he clamped me in irons. It was pretty shocking. We were in this exterior set, in the dying days of the shoot in Hungary, as Hungary plunged into a cold and bitter winter. The weather really reflected what was going on emotionally. It was tough shooting conditions and a tough scene to shoot emotionally as well. What was the experience of filming the scene in which Tula guides the acolytes through their dream? It's this appalling delusion of increasing age that I still think of myself as the youngest person on set. But I end up looking on in horror as these amazing young actors came up and said, "It's so amazing to work with someone with so much experience," which is a euphemism for "You're so old." But it was amazing as a different role to be cast in. Emily [Watson] and I were the wise old birds of the set, and once I got used to being a wise old bird, I settled sort of comfortably into that role and was prepared to give everyone the benefit of my wisdom whenever they were prepared to listen to it. To watch Chloe [Lea, who plays Sister Lila], in particular because our characters had a connection, she actually turned 18 as we were shooting and graduated from needing her grandmother there to be a chaperone to being a young woman free to roam as she pleased. We were a very sociable group who cooperated. That's a beautiful thing about acting. There isn't an age hierarchy, where a young actor usually leads the show. When you were acting, you're all equal. There's a beautiful evenness to it. Outside of that, Jade Anouka [who plays Sister Theodosia] was raising a young child, and I've had two kids. So anybody with kids was coming to Emily and me and going, "How do you mix filming with motherhood and being a good spouse?" I'm afraid I fall into the giving of advice only too easily. Best of GoldDerby 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' The Making of 'The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day': PBS variety special 'comes from the heart' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘There's an epic nature to this story': ‘Dune: Prophecy' star Emily Watson teases travels to Arrakis for Season 2
In its first season, Dune: Prophecy explored the Imperium and the foundations of the Sisterhood that would become the powerful Bene Gesserit 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. At the cornerstone of that foundation stands Valya Harkonnen. As played by Emily Watson on the HBO series, the Mother Superior is a powerful and uncompromising leader, doing everything she can to secure the future of her Sisterhood. More from GoldDerby Kaitlyn Dever on playing 'horrible' characters in 'Last of Us', 'Apple Cider Vinegar': 'I just don't see any other option but to give 100 percent' How the longtime 'Severance' cinematographer wound up directing Season 2's standout episode 'We could do this show forever': 'Somebody Somewhere' creators on final season, heart, and the humor of Bridget Everett By the end of the series' first season, Vayla found herself on a new planet, but one very familiar to Dune fans. Gold Derby had the opportunity to speak with Watson about playing Valya and what lies ahead for her as she ventures to Arrakis in search of the enemy who could destroy everything she holds dear. Gold Derby: What was your familiarity level with the world of coming into this project? Emily Watson: Minimal. I had seen the first Denis Villeneuve movie, but then went on a very steep learning curve. I'm glad I didn't know that when we set out on that journey, the level of fandom — not just the lore and the detail of it and mythic nature of it — but also the sense of ownership of what the interpretation should be. There's a very heartfelt, passionate voice out there, people who know and love this world. How much did the depth of this fictional world help your process? Or did you avoid knowing too much? It certainly helped up to a point. Obviously, you have to respect the material and learn as much as you can. We had a very helpful team of people helping us digest material and pointing us in the direction of pieces of research and pieces of the books that would be useful. I wasn't going to sit down and read absolutely everything. At the same time, as with any part, you have to go on your own imaginative journey with it and make it — in a very strange and alien universe — as human as you can. What were you first impression of Valya once you were able to read material from the show? Very messed-up, very tough, very damaged. Very, very driven in the sense of the ends justifying the means. The end to her is righteous. She's in the business of saving the universe and saving humankind. She basically founds a cult, and cult leaders are very charismatic, persuasive people. They pit young people in competition with each other to be the most zealous. It's a sort of recruiting tool — telling people they're special and that they're the chosen ones and that they can save the world. It's the beginning of a myth. It's the beginning of thousands of years of creating a myth. Which aspect of her character appeals to you in how you approach portraying her as an actor? I love the idea of going into the world of science fiction and superpowers and all of that. But with Valya, all of her powers are in her mind, so the actors are doing the heavy-lifting. It's about mental prowess and having to be very, very present, in-tune with people, and hyper-aware. I like the mental discipline aspect of it. How much consideration did you give Charlotte Rampling's performance from the Villeneuve films? Or did the 10,000-year gap free you up? Absolutely, that 10,000-year gap is liberating. Thank God! At the same time, I do think she's iconic. She's an incredible presence and an incredible actress and so powerful. For our job, that's a direction of travel, but at the same time, with the way that our story was structured — going back to when these character were young and how they began to travel down this path and the unformed nature of what they're doing and the vulnerabilities that they have — it's showing a different arrival point. Was there any framework for you and Jessica Barden (who plays the younger Valya) to synch up your performances? Or were you just relying on the writers? Strangely, we had visions of spending time together, but the strike meant that it was not to be. We did talk. Once I started talking to her — her sense of fierceness and rawness — I felt lucky. To have someone portray your past in such a vivid way, it does an awful lot of the work for you. To arrive at Valya in place where all that youthful wildness is being control and put to a purpose, it felt like a nice journey between the two of us. What was it like to get to see her performance finally? It was great. It was thrilling. It made me nervous. I had seen [the younger actors] around, but we didn't have any scenes together. Seeing how those youngsters created that early world was fantastic. It seems possible within the world of the show that you could eventually be in a scene together. I know! I was saying that her the other day. "I wish we could do stuff together." But there is an awful lot of scope for doing whatever you want in this universe. How does thorough world-building in the production design affect your performance? It immediately gives you a sense of place and a sense of status. Again, it does a lot of the work for you. Those costumes were very powerful, feminine, and dark. Wearing a veil, in fact, I found thrilling. It's like wearing a mask. It's liberating because you can project a different kind of power from behind a veil. I love that. But also, the sets were breathtaking. Every time we went onto a new set, it was really shocking how big and powerful they were. It was awe-inspiring. There's an epic nature to this story. It's a vast universe, spanning many worlds. You don't have to work to reach for that. Valya's sister, Tula (played as an adult by Olivia Williams), is the closest relationship she has, but the two character spend most of the season apart. What was it like trying to bridge that gap and sell the familiarity? We have enough time together to establish that. Olivia and I are different kinds of actors, but we very much come from the same stable — theater and Shakespeare — with an understanding that you are taking a particular part of the story and serving that. Knowing that they were connected in their mission and what they were trying to achieve, although very far apart from each other, and trusting Olivia as an actor to be running the show back at the school brilliantly while I was off doing what I was doing. That sense of betrayal at the end, that nothing has been what I thought, feels powerful. Valya ends the season on Arrakis. A personal question: How do you feel about sand? I'm not particularly good with heat, so it's going to be interesting. I don't think we can be in the same location because of world events, but judging by the Villeneuve films, they shot everything in the desert at dawn and dusk. Wherever we are, I hope it's the nicest light, but obviously not too hot. Best of GoldDerby Chloë Sevigny on Kitty Menendez and 'Monsters' fascination: 'People are endlessly curious about those who have privilege and abuse it' Jason Isaacs relives filming 'The White Lotus' piña colada scene: 'It was one of the reasons I was worried about taking the job' Kaitlyn Dever on playing 'horrible' characters in 'Last of Us', 'Apple Cider Vinegar': 'I just don't see any other option but to give 100 percent' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Women veterans find a community
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A group of veterans have found a sisterhood in the Hostess City. The Women Veterans of the Coastal Empire met Saturday at the Mighty Eighty Musuem to connect each other to resources. It can be isolating to be a veteran. And when WSAV News 3's Eden Hodges met with some local veterans, she was told being a woman in the military can be even moreso. Renea Jones-Hudson, a veteran, said, 'We have different issues and we can't talk to the males about certain things so just coming here and realizing there are so many other female veteran organizations that's out there supporting – we're just out here supporting each other.' The Women Veterans of the Coastal Empire represented the state of Georgia in a conference for women's veteran organizations. Suzy Suttle-Willis, the event organizer, says these women are always here for support. 'Community, connection, education is at the heart of our organization as well as other women veteran organizations.' The veterans at Saturday's event told Eden they came to make connections with others like them and see where they could help others who may be struggling. Aritza Sacaza said coming to the event was very meaningful. 'So much power in a woman in the veteran's community that we're able to do more for others.' The group does work within the community as well. Sometimes women veterans may experience an identity crisis when coming back home and are faced with their family duties. They say it helps a lot to have someone who understands. 'It's good for us to have that community – especially with so many of the challenges that we have that we have to work through.' The Women Veterans of the Coastal Empire meet regularly throughout the year and are always looking for new faces to join them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Sethubandhanam: An exhibition that captures how art binds three generations of a family
'You can see, along with a few paintings from my series Sisterhood, there are also a few works that admire the architecture of Jaipur,' he adds. His most recent works — an unfinished series — are also displayed at the exhibition. Drawing inspiration from Operation Sindoor, the series explores women and the cultural practice of wearing sindoor (vermillion). In the charcoal works, the sindoor stands out in bright red. The other side of the hall is slightly muted — beautifully so. Resplendent with the flowing beauty of watercolours, Shalini's works are a nostalgic trip. Stories of childhood. 'My father always used to talk about Wadakkanchery in Thrissur. His stories were about the people, the serene life of those days, and the temple festival. I tried recreating them,' she smiles. Memories are at the core of her works — her old family home (tharavadu) just before it was demolished, her aunts, her father's kalan kuda (crook-handle umbrella), the hills welcoming a roaring rain... 'That's what I love to paint — exploring the beauty and the melancholy of my memories, tales I heard, and the nature around us. However, I have also started experimenting nowadays,' she says, pointing to her most recent works — a bangle market, the familiar yet unfamiliar scene of a temple, and so on. The exhibition is striking in its simplicity, be it the way the works are arranged or the way they were chosen. 'I wanted it to feel intimate, close to heart, just like a family. It's not a curated or elaborate show. But it's ours, created, selected and exhibited by us,' says Shalini. And Sethubandhanam succeeds in that. 'It was our father who suggested holding this exhibition. In 2018, when we were all together at our home, he just expressed — why not? However, in 2020, my parents died within 19 days, putting a stop to all these plans. It was a hard time for us,' says Shalini. None of the artists in the family, including Balasubramanian, ever learnt painting professionally. Everyone began their art journey purely out of interest, and continues out of passion.
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Cathy Kelly on cancer and the importance of mental well-being
In the latest episode of RTÉ's acclaimed podcast Insights with Sean O'Rourke, our host sits down with best-selling author Cathy Kelly for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation. Listen back above. One of Ireland's most beloved novelists, Cathy Kelly has garnered a global readership and commercial success that once saw her out-selling literary giants such as J.K. Rowling and Dan Brown. Before transitioning to fiction, Cathy had a distinguished career as a journalist, working as a feature writer, agony aunt, film critic, and columnist. She made her literary debut in 1997 with Woman to Woman, which became a number-one bestseller. After publishing two more successful novels, she left journalism behind to become a full-time writer. Nearly three decades and 23 novels later, Cathy remains as prolific as ever. Her latest novel, Sisterhood, was released in paperback earlier this year, marking a significant milestone in her career following a personally challenging period. In recent years, Cathy has faced a breast cancer diagnosis, a divorce, the sale of her family home, and a new chapter with a new partner. Despite these upheavals, her writing continues to resonate with readers worldwide. In this insightful episode, Cathy opens up about her writing process, coping with her recent breast cancer diagnosis, and the importance of mental well-being during treatment.
