Dune: Prophecy star Emily Watson claimed that she was inspired by a performance in Star Wars when she was thinking about her role in the upcoming show. The Dune spinoff show Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the life of Paul Atreides, and follows two Harkonnen sisters who form the Bene Gesserit. Watson plays Valya Harkonnen, one of the aforementioned sisters, in the series. In addition to Watson, the cast of Dune: Prophecy includes Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong, and Olivia Williams.

In an interview with Variety, Watson noted that she admires Alec Guinness’ commanding presence in Star Wars. Similarly to Guinness when he starred in Star Wars, Watson wasn’t particularly familiar with the science fiction genre. She didn’t know much about the Dune franchise before her role in Dune: Prophecy, but she discovered that the Dune universe is a “rich territory for acting.” Read Watson’s full quote below:

[Guinness] made that dialogue sound like Shakespeare, and because he did that it allowed him to have this understated, quiet, commanding presence. That’s how I found my way into this, because if you don’t take on the lines with a kind of meticulousness, they can be very elusive.

It’s a universe that I wasn’t particularly aware of, but what a rich territory for acting. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into.

What Watson’s Comments About Obi-Wan Kenobi Mean For Dune: Prophecy

The Science Fiction Genre Was Not Nearly As Popular When Guinness Appeared In Star Wars

It makes sense that Watson looked towards Guinness’ Star Wars role to inspire her Dune: Prophecy performance since they are both classically trained actors who starred in several Shakespeare adaptations. Furthermore, Guinness was also not akin to the science fiction genre when he agreed to make the first Star Wars movie, and famously thought the George Lucas film was going to be terrible. Since Watson has a very similar background as Guinness and also does not have much experience in the sci-fi genre, looking towards the original Obi-Wan Kenobi actor was a smart move.

Even though Guinness may not have been enthusiastic about his role in Star Wars, he left a lasting impression as Obi-Wan, and ensured that he would become one of the most iconic Star Wars characters. Since Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the events of the Dune movies, the spinoff show cannot rely on any popular characters from the films, and must therefore leave its own lasting impression. Therefore, it is wise that Watson looked towards another influential actor when shaping the characteristics of Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy.

Our Take On Emily Watson’s Star Wars Inspiration For Dune: Prophecy

The Actor Will Have To Make A Strong Impact On The Show

As the first Dune spinoff project, the performance of Dune: Prophecy will dictate whether the franchise can stand on its own outside of Denis Villeneuve’s films. It was instrumental that the team behind Dune: Prophecy found the right actors to portray a brand-new set of characters. Based on her comments, Watson seemed to put a lot of thought and effort into Valya Harkonnen, so hopefully her passion will be evident in the series.