Max has released “Dune: Prophecy,” a show that tells the story of the rise of the Bene Gesserit. We spoke with Aiofe Hinds and Faoileann Cunningham who play women of the sisterhood. Aiofe Hinds portrays Sister Emmeline, a very devout sister who believes in their values and traditions. Faoileann Cunningham plays Sister Jen, a sister who found the order when she had nowhere else to go. She is not as bought into their sisterhood above all else.

“Dune: Prophecy” Season 1, Episode 2 Discussion

So far, “Dune: Prophecy” has shown audiences what it is like to train to be a truth-sayer. These young women, acolytes, undergo extensive physical, mental, and emotional training before being sent to one of the great houses to help guide the imperium.

We focused on their roles in episode two. Aiofe Hinds and Faolieann Cunningham talk about how the death of Lila would affect their characters and the sisterhood as a whole. This episode centers fully on the aftermath of the death of Pruitt and Sister Kasha. One of the Acolytes has been asked to go through The Agony to tap into her genetic memory. Jen and Emmaline feel protective over Lila as she is the youngest of them. However, they find themselves on the opposite side of advice. Emmeline believes that the best thing you can be is a martyr and encourages Lila to go through with it. Jen believes that the only person you can truly trust is yourself and tries to sway her from giving in. They watch Lila die, leaving them shaken.

The Sisterhood with Aiofe Hinds and Faolieann Cunningham

Oftentimes when a cast seems close, as the sisterhood does, there are things that happen behind the scenes to foster connection. Aiofe Hinds and Faoileann Cunningham talk about what it’s like to work so closely together and how they bonded behind the scenes.

Faoileann Cunningham says:

I think we went through a lot of physical training because like for the scenes, you know, that you see in the first episode of like the fights and the kind of, we call them endurance tests, like we have to actually do that. So we were training for that in the weeks prior to filming. So I mean, everyone was really giving. I think in those circumstances that, even if it was a rehearsal, you would just like snap into character. Which is so useful because, you know, going through fight training, you were kind of seeing your competition basically as an acolyte. And that like, really organically let us build that without it having to be like a person, like a thing outside of filming because, we get on incredibly. We’re like a gaggle of children.

Aiofe Hinds says:

It’s like, you know, you were saying, Jen and Emmeline are on the opposite kind of spectrums and they butt heads and they have opposing views, opposing core values. But it was great with Faoileann. And I mean, we’d play those scenes and then straight away we’d just be like, all over each other, hugging each other and just, you know. So yeah, it’s all, it was all bonding, wasn’t it?

An actor’s greatest tool is expression, but the sisterhood teaches these women to be masters of their emotions. Aiofe and Faoileann talk about the challenge that poses for them as actors.

Faoileann Cunningham goes on to say:

Definitely, I think it poses a real challenge. I mean, to Jen as a character. Oh my God. Like it’s, it’s the learning, the training is like the stoicism or the, you know, the what you’re showing, what you’re feeling and how the like equilibrium of how that’s actually physically presenting or not and how much control you have over it. And I think it was really fun. Actually, we spoke about this a lot with all of the directors. It was like they went into the bunk beds and physically and metaphorically took their hair down. And I think that’s really nice because the energy on those days was, so different. I don’t think we have any scenes where, like, mother superiors come into our bunk beds. That was a real clear dynamic difference of how you behave, Like, the air literally being sucked out of the room when Valya walks in and then being in the bunk beds and just, like, waking each other up, you know?

Aiofe Hinds adds:

I think that was exactly what was really interesting is to play that kind of. Also because they’re already competitive with each other. So when the teachers in the room, how they hold themselves even if they’re poised, they’re standing up straight and all this and not letting anything transpire. And then you know how they kind of are able to relax with each other behind, the teachers backs and they have a bit of banter and they have a little bit of little bit more of OK, we can relax a bit. So that was really interesting and nice to play.

The Process

With a show like this, the lore and the backstory is given to the audience in bits and pieces. We don’t get to know everything right away. The actors sometimes get everything given to them beforehand, sometimes they have to wait right along with the audience and sometimes they get to contribute to their characters history themselves.

Faoileann and Aoife talk about what the process was like finding out and developing their characters backstories.

Faoileann Cunningham mentions:

It’s a movable feast. I think we’re incredibly lucky that the creators of the show are just so generous and collaborative. And, you know, they are curious about what we think. Obviously that’s the great liberty you get when you’re making a prequel to these shows because it’s all up for grabs, right. And often, like, I think the fascinating thing about film and TV is you can actually be playing something completely secret to like, even what’s been given to you. That was joyful because I think they’re like the creators of the show are very open to be like, ah, I understand now what that was. Or, you know, so I think, yeah, like I say, a movable feast.

Aiofe Hinds says:

We each had discussions with Alison before we started filming about our characters and where they came from and a bit about their back story. But also the joy of discovering as we go along, I think, was something that as, much as we were learning about the Dune universe ourselves as actors. And then we’re just adding bits and layers and layers as we go. And that’s just, yeah, that’s really, really cool.

Science fiction often requires actors to play for hours in front of green screens. Aiofe and Faoileann talk about how much of the sets and locations were practical and what it was like to immerse themselves in this world.

Faoileann Cunningham answers:

I mean, I was a fan before making the show. And then you’re just literally like, Oh my God, they’ve actually made the thing, you know what I mean? Like you’re walking into the library and the library was literally like however many meters high, however many meters long. It was bonkers. Our bunk beds, every single bunk bed was designed differently based on the interests and characteristics of each character. Like, I mean, there’s probably hilarious photos on somebody’s camera album of us being like, Oh my God, the first time we walked into each of these sets because it’s, it’s overwhelming. Like, no, it’s incredible. The level of detail is just, I mean, it’s just very high, high art. And I think there’s also something about, you know, on in sci-fi and in fantasy, a lot of the time you are going to be filming on green screens or blue screens. But this was such a gift for us as actors, because being on practical sets is just, you know, the world is literally built around you. And it was incredible that even the courtyard, that they built in this abandoned kind of church in ruin. Like we walked in there. The moss, you know, there was different levels of moss depending on what period of the sisterhood it was at. It was incredible.

Aiofe Hinds says:

I mean, I just don’t know whenever you’d get that opportunity to get these really hyper realistic scenes like where you’re at a desk with a book and a pen and but and then you’re on the side of a Cliff having to understand the technicalities of filming in like a wind and rain machine. And then you’re also having to do blue screen and you’re just like, that is like, I don’t know, I learned, like we all learnt very fast about very different things.

“Dune: Prophecy” is now streaming on Max. New episodes are released on Sunday at 9PM EST. The first two episodes are out now. The series will be six episodes long, with the last episode dropping on December 21st.