Portraying the role of 'Sister Emeline' within HBO's latest offering "Dune: Prophecy", Aoife Hinds is a name you will be hearing a lot more of in the coming days. 

The project revolves around the establishment of the fabled Bene Gesserit and is set thousands of years before the narrative of Villeneuve's "Dune" films. 

The series is heavily imbued with intricate production set, grandeur costumes, and an austere atmosphere that might often end up giving the viewers shivers down the spine. 

Showcasing a plethora of intriguingly layered characters, Emeline is introduced as a new recruit to the sisterhood; her arc providing the Dune fans a better glimpse into the making and lives of the Bene Gesserit. 

We recently had an insightful chat with the talented Aoife Hinds about her involvement within the massively successful series, any acting rituals she had, her overall audition process for the role, what the fans can expect from 'Sister Emeline' and her arc in the forthcoming episodes, and all things DUNE: PROPHECY. 

Hi there Aoife. Thank you for joining us on ReVamp! 

Beginning our interview, Dune has such a massive fanbase from across the world. But I would love to know how it was that you personally got introduced to this fascinating world. Was it through the books, the movies, or did you get to learn about Dune after you were offered the role? 

I first discovered Dune through Denis’s first film and was just blown away by the scope of the imagination behind the world. Then when we were prepping for the series I watched David Lynch’s film and the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune, and that’s when I grasped the legacy of the universe and the endless possibilities it opens up. 

First of all, massive congratulations on your impeccable involvement in Dune: Prophecy! 

Kindly walk me through the overall audition process for this role. How did you learn about this project initially and decided this was something you wanted to pursue? 

I was in my last week of performing a play in London when I got an email from my agent with the opportunity to self-tape for the project. There was very little information apart from a few lines about the show centring around a group of women who secretly influence political power within a world under threat - that was enough to spark my intrigue. I sent the tape off thinking I would never hear anything back as you do with projects of this calibre, so I couldn’t believe it when my agent called a week later to say they wanted me to play the part.

Watching the first few episodes, this project definitely feels like it garnered a little inspiration from Denis Villeneuve's impeccable work in the DUNE movies but alongside that, I also felt the extremely novel and drastically distinct elements incorporated within this project that fans of the movies never witnessed before. 

Being a part of this eerie yet such a unique production, do you remember how you felt your first time being on the set of this amazing project? 

It was unreal. We walked onto these sets that had been built from scratch in the most minute detail with very specific texture and colours and the world is suddenly completely present around you. It was quite an indescribable feeling standing in the middle of it all in costume with all the sisters for the first time, a mixture of excitement and adrenaline grounded by a sense of ceremony and responsibility. 

How was it like meeting your co-stars and fellow recruits of the sisterhood? If given an opportunity, besides Emeline, is there any other sister from the sisterhood who you would absolutely love to know more about or perhaps have Sister Emeline interact more with? 

The first time we all met, we all just fell into each other’s arms with relief! It also made everything feel real for the first time after being cast off a tape without having met anyone involved. It’s too hard to choose just one sister, there is such a wonderful sense of mystery around all of them, from Theodosia to Jen to Mikaela, where they’ve come from and why they’re here… They’re all very intriguing to me and I can’t wait to find out more and see their stories unfold. And of course I’d love for Emeline to interact with all of them more, purely for the fact that we would get to hang out and act together, they’re just so talented and such great fun.

What were your first impressions of Sister Emeline, and do you think those impressions stayed the same throughout the shooting of Dune: Prophecy or did you walk out of this project with an altered perception of her? 

My first impression was that her faith was the central defining feature of her existence and even if that of course stays an important part of who she is, there was so much more to uncover about her. The wonderful thing about this job is the discoveries you are making all the time as you go. You can have an idea of who a person is but in life things are rarely as they seem. Characters are fluid, constantly in movement, and the complexities of being human means that we carry a lot of paradox and contradictions within ourselves. So my perception of her was definitely ever shifting and that was quite liberating. 

What kind of route did you take pertaining to your research for portraying this character. 

Did you perhaps read 'Sisterhood of Dune' to delve a bit more into the world as well as its character or was your performance based solely on the script? 

I didn’t read the book, there was something quite stimulating for me to try and figure out the world as the sisters do. Given the secrecy around Reverend Mothers and Truthsayers, when the acolytes come to the sisterhood school they have no idea what skills they are going to be training in and how, they don’t know what to expect, and I wanted to experience that with them. We’re all working out the world as we go along anyway. What I did do was go and sit in religious spaces, look at religious imagery, to try and absorb some of that element to her.

It's such a refreshing aspect to the narrative of Dune. Not only is it one of the rare women-centric projects, but it also showcases such a sensational ambience, extraordinary costumes, intimidating music scores, powerful sequences, talented cast and crew, magnificent production set, and so much more.  

Being a part of this beautiful story, I'm very curious to know what was that element that you felt like was the most memorable for you and you took away from your time on this project? 

All of it. What I love about this industry and what will never cease to amaze me is watching all of these incredibly talented people across all different departments dedicate so much work and creativity all with the same goal of telling the story. 

The premiere of this show has already been a huge success and everywhere I look, I see nothing but appraise for the cast and crew of Dune: Prophecy. 

So, I would love to know how has the reception been like on your beautiful performance personally so far?  

Thank you that’s so kind. To be honest I don’t know yet as I don’t really seek those things out, the show belongs to the audience now!

As we speak, new episodes are already dropping. With the few episodes I have watched, I can see how intricately layered Emeline is as we get to delve deeper into her arc as the story progresses.

For the fans who are keenly waiting in anticipation to see more of your involvement in the forthcoming episodes, what can you tell us pertaining to Emeline's upcoming arc? 

I don’t want to say too much to not give anything away but over the next few episodes we realise that she has an underlying agenda and is on a mission of her own.

What's next for you, Aoife? Any other projects you are currently working on that you'd like to tell us or your fans about? 

I’m currently working on a film but sadly I can’t say anything about it!

Ending Note:- Thank you so much for joining me on this lovely interview, Aoife! Wishing you lots of luck with the success of this project! 

Lastly, I'd love to ask you if there's any message that you wish to convey to your fans currently reading this interview? 

Tell your stories!