Thank you for your interest, both in Children of Dune and in my character. I'm sorry it has taken quite a long time to get back to you and I hope these responses to your questions are of interest. I wish you and your readers all the best.

Jonathan

What is your background and how did you become an actor?

I was brought up in a village just outside Bath, in the South West of England with my brother Matthew. I have always wanted to be an actor - for as long as I can remember - but was really helped by a brilliant drama teacher at school who fed my enthusiasm and encouraged me to join the National Youth Theatre and then go on to drama school. I trained at Bretton Hall College, near Leeds and came to London after graduating. I've been here ever since working in theatre, film and TV.

What are some of the productions in which you have performed?

I have been quite busy, working in the theatre in plays such as 'A Perfect Gentleman', 'Mary Shelley', 'Woyzeck', and 'Cleansed' and on TV in programmes like 'Holby City', 'Silent Witness' and 'Eastenders'. As I write, I'm in the West End in a play called 'The Madness of George Dubya'.

Do you have a favorite type of role?

I really enjoy comedy, but don't seem to do an awful lot of it.

Is there a particular role or type of character you have yet to portray?

Lots! I think that's one of the best things about being an actor - the possibility is endless.

Do you plan to write, director, or produce?

No plans at the moment. I have directed a couple of plays in the past and write a bit, and would love to direct for TV or film, but I haven't got any of the technical expertise that you need to get on - maybe in the future...

Which is your favorite medium: stage, screen, or television?  Why?

I have always enjoyed working in the theatre because of the immediacy of a live audience. Also, the rehearsal period for theatre (typically about 4 weeks) can be incredibly interesting and eye-opening. But the more TV and film I do the more I'm beginning to enjoy myself. It's a totally different process and can seem quite restrictive at first because of all the technicalities involved. But once you get used to it and learn to work within these new parameters, it can be a very rewarding and challenging experience.
 
I have heard it said that working on a movie is much different than television.  Do you find that to be the case?

It's definitely bigger. Walking on to some of the sets for Children of Dune was a bewildering experience. My first day of shooting consisted of walking through that enormous hall with Alice Krige, approaching Alia's throne for Farad'n's wedding to Ghanima (which, as you probably know, goes a bit pear shaped). The set was huge, easily the size of a football pitch and there were hundreds of supporting artists and crew everywhere, huge wind machines, stunt men and women, camera cranes and so on - I have never seen anything quite like it. I think that is the main difference between TV and film - the scope and scale can be so much broader in film. That makes it all the more incredible to be involved in.

What can we look forward to you starring in, in the future?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm in a play called 'The Madness of George Dubya' in London at the moment. It's (as you may guess from the title) quite critical of the Bush administration, the Iraq war, and the US / UK's abandonment of the UN. We have moved from a 100 seater fringe theatre to the West End over the last month and are hoping to run for a month or so at least.

Is there anyone with whom you would like to work in the future?

I've got a group of friends who work in the industry - actors, directors and producers, editors and so on - that I want to work with. We're like a little collective waiting to happen. 

Do you critique yourself when watching your own performances?

Yes, absolutely. I hate watching myself but I'm getting better at being objective about my performances and not just cringing behind the sofa.

What was the process by which you earned the role of Farad'n?

I got a call from my agent telling me about the audition, but didn't know the series.  I just went along and did the casting and forgot about it until I was telling my mates, Dean and Barry in the pub later that day. They are sci-fi fans and both have the DVD of the first series of  'Dune' so they couldn't believe that I'd been up for a part in the sequel. After that I paid a bit more attention! I got short-listed for the job and was on hold for a while as my audition tapes were shown to Greg, the director, the producers, the network and Susan Sarandon, who wanted a hand in the casting of her son. I had a recall audition in London and was offered the part a little bit after that.
 
Was Children of Dune a new experience for you?

Yeah, totally, for a lot of the reasons I've expressed above - the scale of it, the fact that I'm a bit of a sci-fi virgin, and the daunting and exciting prospect of working with Susan Sarandon and Alice Krige. The show was filmed in Prague and there was quite a lot of travelling for costume fittings, rehearsals and filming so it would be easy to feel a bit lost. But the cast were brilliant. Jess (Ghanima) and James (Leto) had me over for dinner on my second day out there and that made me feel very welcome. Everyone else went out of their way to make me comfortable so I settled in pretty quickly.

In the early scenes, it would be easy for the viewer to take Farad'n for granted, that he is a pushover.  However, in the few scenes that you had, you very subtly portrayed him as able to be as tough as his mother.  Was this process difficult, given that the Farad'n was is so few scenes?

No, not really. I thought the script was very good and did a lot for Farad'n in a fairly short space of time. The scenes of discovery with Jessica are very important as they show Farad'n learning physical and spiritual tools for the first time, having grown up in fear, relying almost entirely on his intellect. The skills that Jessica teaches him bring him out of himself for the first time and he realises that, yes, he is as tough as his mother, but that he has the power to over-reach her because he is not so blighted by revenge and fury. I always believed that Farad'n was just as scheming as his mum - he seeks Jessica out because he knows what she can teach him and what his potential could be - he's just a bit more subtle and refined than her.

Do you agree that Farad'n is an ironic figure, in that just as he is becoming his own person and is ready for his marriage, he discovers that his marriage will be sacrificed for the sake of politics?

I totally see what you mean, but I always thought that Farad'n was a pragmatist. His is a political marriage anyway so it can't come as a surprise that when it is sacrificed, it is also for the sake of politics. I think he weighs up his options and knows that getting rid of his mother is worth the risk to himself.

Were you familiar with the novels before starring in the miniseries?

No, I saw the David Lynch movie years ago but knew nothing of the popularity of the mini series' until I joined Children of Dune and started to do a bit of research into it all.

Would you consider yourself a fan of science fiction?

I'm afraid not. I like Star Wars though and I used to watch (and get scared by) Dr Who as a kid.

What are some of your favorite experiences from the set of Children of Dune?

There's a thing called the 'Gag Reel' which is basically just Dune actors messing around - line screw-ups and practical jokes and so on and that reminds me of some of the best and funniest moments on set: Sardukar guards taking mobile phone calls during Wescisia's arrest, crowd members going to sleep, people falling down the steps on the walk up to Alia's throne in the wedding scene, everyone struggling with their costumes and so on. It was a great job with loads of happy memories - too many really to do justice to.

Did you have any scenes that were not in the televised miniseries?

I haven't yet seen the mini series - it hasn't been broadcast in the UK yet - so I'm afraid I can't comment.

What were your thoughts when you saw the finished miniseries for the first time?

Sorry, see above.

Would you come back as a different character in any future Dune miniseries?

No, I shouldn't think so. I liked Farad'n a lot and, as he's still alive and kicking at the end of Children of Dune, maybe he can come back at a later date.

Jonathan Bruun