INTERVIEW – The star of Vikings plays soldier Desmond Hart, one of the destabilizing forces of the series. Meeting with an actor who likes to maintain mystery.
Revealed by the Vikings series where he played the formidable warrior
Ragnar Lothbrok, the Australian comedian Travis Fimmel is one of the headliners of Dune Prophecy. Inspired by the universe of Frank Herbert, the Max series takes place 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atréides and the events chronicled in Dune and in the two films by Denis Villeneuve with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
In Dune ProphecyTravis Fimmel lends his rugged features to the mysterious soldier Desmond Hart, who has achieved the impossible: surviving a sandworm attack on Arrakis. This encounter endowed him with terrifying powers. Driven by a deep hatred of the Bene Gesserit sisters, he will do everything to weaken their influence with the emperor. While in Paris, the former model skillfully maintained the vagueness of her character.
LE FIGARO – What did you like about the adventure? Dune Prophecy ?
Travis FIMMEL. – I haven't read Frank Herbert's novels. I'm not a big reader but I was impressed by the world of this franchise. It is a world where each faction pursues hidden goals. Where it is difficult to discern who are the good guys, who are the bad guys… I liked the idea of this series being a huge enigma for the spectators. It plunges its protagonists into a vast mental war. Dune Prophecy looks like a long-term game of chess.
Enigmatic is a term that fits well with your character Desmond Hart.
He’s a Rasputin-like figure. He is convinced that his fight against the Bene Gesserit can change the world and he is convinced that his enemies, including the sisters, are dangerous to the rest of humanity. In his eyes, the Bene Gesserit are nothing more than manipulators who take advantage of the weaknesses of their interlocutors. Desmond, who believes he himself has been manipulated, cannot bear it. He is on a quest for revenge. He is an angry but also broken man. That said, we can only feel this type of rage towards opponents we respect.
“How can we convey the devastating force of his gaze to the camera? »
Travis Fimmel
Desmond Hart has powers as terrifying as the Bene Gesserit. He is capable of burning anyone alive with just one look.
How to convey the devastating force of his gaze to the camera? (smile). I wasn't thinking very well. In these scenes, I tried to have my mind overflowing, assailed with thoughts. I no longer held back any frustration or anger. I let myself be overcome by an internal monologue. What appeals to me about this superpower is that using it is for him both a source of pain – it diminishes him, it hurts him – and a form of pleasure. From this point, it is a posture reminiscent of sadomasochism. The more he hurts, the more Desmond damages his own soul.
He also has a look that stands out at court, with his leather uniform.
I wanted him to be a world away from the royal family and other noble families. He rubs shoulders with wealthy, refined people, living in comfort. The complete opposite of what he is! He is a man of the people who had to fight to get there.
Avant Dune Prophecy you were on the poster for Raised By Wolves another science fiction series produced by Ridley Scott. Is this a genre that attracts you?
Not especially. If I agreed to play in these projects, it's because I was seduced by the balance of power between the characters and this lying poker game. I like when a series is driven by its characters. It doesn't matter if you're making a western or a dystopia. What matters in the end remains the same: our interactions. Our motivations remain the same: to be loved, to be respected, to arouse pride.
