Dune: Prophecy stars Josh Heuston and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina reveal how the British royal family influenced their performances. Boussnina plays Princess Ynez and Heuston plays her brother, Constantine Corrino. As children of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong), Dune: Prophecyhistory sees Ynez and Constantine navigating what’s best for their royal family alongside their own personal desireswhich includes Ynez choosing to join the Brotherhood.
When speaking with ColliderHeuston and Boussnina explained how they looked to Prince Harry and Prince William to inspire their portrayals as children of Dune: Prophecythe royal family. As the illegitimate son of Emperor Corrino, Heuston turned to Prince Harry to better understand the feeling of not being first in line to the throne. Boussnina noted how Prince William and Prince Harry presented themselves to the public, even after dealing with significant personal losses. Check out Heuston and Boussnina’s comments below:
Heuston: We’ve talked about this a few times, but I looked at Prince Harry and then Prince Hal too, to see what it would feel like to be in line but then not be in line, and what it would feel like to be in second place , and then the dynamic between the two people.
Boussnina: We had a lot of conversations about this because it involves a lot of different things, living the lives that our characters live. Plus, they went through something traumatic when they were very young, which definitely shaped who they are when we meet them in the series. There’s one thing where we saw a scene with Harry and William after their mother died and how they had to put on a strong face. This is something that our characters have to do all the time, because when they are in formal settings, they have to live up to the role they are given and they have to be professional. So internally, there are still a lot of other things going on that you see. For them, they use each other to trust and share that very isolated, sometimes lonely life where you can’t trust many people because of your position in life.
What this means for Dune: Prophecy
Inspiration from Ynez and Constantine adds new dimensions to their performances
Using the British royal family as inspiration adds more realism and nuance for two of Dune: Prophecymost important characters. Ynez and Constantine behave differently during formal meetings, including the ceremony involving Ynez and Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior), than they do towards each other. Ynez and Constantine have a cultivated public image to maintain, but their last night of freedom before Ynez joins the Brotherhood is a reminder that they are still young adults who yearn for the pleasures of everyday life.
That balance will become even more challenging in the Brotherhood as Ynez will also need to juggle how they expect her to act as a member of their order. As for Constantine, he exudes a carefree personality in both formal and informal settings, but will likely be explored in more depth as the series continues. Ynez knows what she wants and is on her way to achieving it, unaware that she is a pawn in Valya Harkonnen’s (Emily Watson) schemes, but Constantine still needs his own purpose.
Real-world politics enhances fictional politics
Dune: Prophecy is a more political story than the Dune films, with Ynez and Constantine at the center of politics. Fictional politics tend to seem more authentic when they are partially rooted in reality, which makes it even more effective for Boussnina and Heuston to draw on the true politics of the British royal family. The dynamics of Ynez and Constantine’s relationship will inevitably change when Ynez becomes part of the Brotherhood and forms an identity that Constantine can never fully understand, which will add yet another intriguing layer to the story. Dune: Prophecy.
Source: Collider