For Olivia Williams, having Tabu on board for Dune: Prophecy was a great honour. However, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that she didn’t get to share screen space with the Indian actor. But Olivia’s connection to India goes beyond just her admiration for Tabu. She revealed that she has a slight understanding of the issues that women face in India. Also read: Dune: Prophecy star Emily Watson on working with Tabu: ‘She is a true treasure’
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Dune: Prophecy star Olivia Williams talks about the prequel series to Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster Dune movies, unable to share screen space with Tabu, and more.
On unable to work with Tabu
While Tabu stars in the series, Olivia did not have any scenes with her. And she was a tad bit disappointed about the same. Dune: Prophecy streams in India on JioCinema Premium.
“Sadly, my character didn’t get to meet her. We were in different plots at that point (so didn’t get to shoot with her),” Olivia told Hindustan Times in an exclusive roundtable interview with select media.
She adds, “When it became clear that she was involved, we realised that we were very honoured to have someone as incredible as her. Her experience and talent really added to the show”.
On her knowledge about India
The prequel series to Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster films puts sisterhood, womanhood, and gender identity at its core. During the conversation, Olivia was also asked how the series is relevant in today’s climate amid all the conversations around restoring gender balance.
At this point, she brought to light that she has a slight understanding of the issues that women face in India.
“I don’t think civilization moves forward, and it’s not linear. It’s circular and I know you are (in India) having an extraordinarily difficult time politically and socially for women in India. There are new dangers that are coming into our lives,” Olivia shares, adding, “They are incredibly reminiscent of the past, where women were bullied and were afraid to go about their business because of male violence. That was the reason why they put women in convents and veiled them… To maintain their mystery and keep them away from men”.
Here, Olivia asserts, “It is extremely painful to ’70s generation feminists like me to find that we are having our rights, control of our destiny and our bodies taken away again. We are losing ground, not gaining”.
On her decision to stay away from social media
It has been close to three decades since Olivia has been a part of showbiz, cementing her position through projects such as Hanna (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), Victoria & Abdul (2017), and The Crown.
Olivia, who is married to Rhashan Stone, is off social media, and the decision comes from a very personal experience. “It must be 20 years ago, and I was looking on my IMDb page. And stupidly, with the narcissism and vanity of our job, I was reading the comments about my life on my IMDb page, and I just had a baby,” she recalls.
The actor reveals, “My husband is African-American and the remarks that were written about baby, and whether or not my baby was beautiful, were extremely offensive. I haven’t had anything to do with social media ever since. It is a poisonous place”.
On her work in Dune
The series is set 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel Dune, which was adapted by Denis in two parts. In the two films, which were released in 2021 and 2023 respectively, Charlotte Rampling played Reverend Mother Mohiam, the Emperor’s Bene Gesserit Truthsayer, while Lady Jessica was the Bene Gesserit mother of the protagonist Paul, played by Timothee Chalamet.
It follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. It also stars Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, and Shalom Brune-Franklin.
Asked what leadership lessons one can take from the series, Olivia responds, “It’s an unfortunate world where if you have the wrong last name, you could end up ostracised from society”. And that’s not something that I would recommend as a way of running society. But obviously, if we were playing our characters, this is absolutely the way to control people through fear and mystery and manipulation,” she shares.
Olivia adds, “The show has got the perfect balance of both: Current themes and sci-fi elements. If you want to see contemporary allusions to misery, war, and lies, they are there. If you want to look at the fabulous scenery and the lovely costumes, then that is there for you too.”