Syril’s future decisions had he lived, Dedra’s improvised smile and Lonni’s fake moustache: final notes from the Starfury Invasion con with Denise Gough, Kyle Soller and Robert Emms
1. Method acting … Denise is not a fan. Janus Metz (director of the 3rd block) wanted to lock Denise in the room to ‘get into it’ for Dedra’s breakdown scene - she said “nah”, got the camera operator in there with her and they did the scene in three beats. Idea is that it’s a ten second break down but then she’s fine. So it’s - Choking collar, shaking hand, straightens herself up… ready to face the world again when the door opens. They elaborated later - Robert Emms said that getting too into a process is like trying to eliminate the leap of faith when acting - sometimes you just have to take the leap into the darkness. Denise added that only rich white men do method acting these days (!)
2. Denise addressed a rumour that a leaked shot from the filming showed Dedra in armour - was this ever in the script? No, never. She was told everything on day one of the whole arc. There WAS going to be a baby Dedra episode but that was the only victim of the cuts and “I didn’t care much as that wouldn’t have been me in it anyway”, lol . Did address the supposed inconsistency re the Empire’s age: Dedra calls it a “Kinderblock” because she’s been brainwashed. In her mind, it’s always been that rather than the republic orphanage it used to be.
3. It was Kyle’s first time hearing the cat attack anecdote that inspired the fight and Denise did an excellent impression of Diego Luna telling it. She also did a really great impression of Tony Gilroy, in connection with expanding the writing to fit the brilliance of the acting in season 1 - as with Genevieve - “You’ve got a *fucking Steinway* to play on!!”. Denise was asked also about the ‘Hannibal Lecter’ role mooted for Dedra in a Kleya and Vel spinoff where they track down Imperials with her help and Denise was cynical that Dedra would ever want to help as she is so deeply brainwashed - “I don’t think Dedra is going to unlearn any of that… it would take a LONG time to get to the core of her” But she did say that she’d be interested if - and only if – Tony Gilroy were writing it. They were both so impressed with the scripts, especially the ‘unfilmables’ in italics. “It makes your work as an actor so much easier“ (Kind of the same point as Elizabeth, but with a different conclusion ). They got sent all the scripts; Robert only got those with his scenes.
4. Denise repeated the difference in her mind between the Empire as a “gang” and the Rebellion as a “tribe”. Thinking of the parallels and differences between Dedra and Kleya, she commented that “fascism hurts you in order to join” while the tribe finds you at the time that you need it. Kyle expanded that Syril is very deeply affected by the actions of others. He has a conscious awareness of what he’s done to affect others too - his “heart was opened up by living among the Ghorman people”. But he did not change enough to want to join the rebellion. It’s extremely difficult to change sides. He’s too disillusioned by the Empire to want to immediately join ‘another structure’ because that would require a LOT of work and Syril just wants out. It’s relatively easy to leave one side if the trauma is there… not so easy to join the other side. That takes MORE than trauma for that to happen.
5. Syril and Dedra are really hard to play “Because they’re weird and we’re not weird” (!) . When he says “If I said this was the greatest day of my life, would it ruin everything?” she genuinely doesn’t know how to process it. It was the most complex moment for Denise to act. She’s ‘narrating her feelings’ there by saying “It’s good to see you happy”. Dedra ‘doesn’t know what’s happening in her body… doesn’t know how to hold him being happy”. In a healthy relationship she might have hugged him. But if becomes about what’s going on for HER, not him.
6. Kathryn Hunter was a joy to work with - she’s “Playful and egoless”. Could have had that scene as Dedra steamrollering an old woman but instead Kathryn played her as “lighting up”- impressed and respectful of Dedra standing up to her. “Two deeply sociopathic narcissistic women” - this makes the scene more interesting than the one line on the page.
7. Kyle: Syril’s journey is one from child to adult. He has very delayed growth. He’s never had individuation from his mother - this is the journey he goes on. He would never dream of standing up to her - . There’s also an absence of leadership. His mother subsumed the two roles of father and mother… but this warped her and it became toxic (presumably because of her bitterness towards Syril’s father). He has NO male role models (no mention of Uncle Harlo!). Only the Empire, and its model as a ‘father figure’ is the “achievement only” one. So Syril thinks in terms of achievement and reward. This is all behind the rage in that attack on Cassian. The spider as a gift is a representation of the devouring mother - they’re survivors but they’re locked in this bleak tiny flat. The tears at the end of ep 8 - she loved him. She has nothing now. Syril therefore shows the danger of having just one set of ideas in your upbringing… and how you need an open heart. Community. It’s not trauma that does this. But he still loves Eedy and she loves him - it just becomes toxic because of the isolation. It’s just the two of them. The bleak little apartment.
8. Dedra’s ruthlessness - she deliberately selected Syril, early on, as the one to go to Ghorman as a mole because she knew he trusted her and would believe the lie. At the same time, Denise said that Dedra absolutely did not want the Ghorman project. Didn’t elaborate…
9. What was improvised apart from Syril’s bed flopping? Denise improvised the smile in the mirror! Robert (lots of dry humour despite the poor guy struggling with losing his voice) - “my death was improvised. Lonni was meant to live but I did such a good improv they changed the script”. Robert also revealed that Lonni’s moustache is fake. It was apparently really irritating.
10. Who would they be in an alternative SW universe? Denise would ‘like a go on Han Solo” (!!!) (she has finally seen A New Hope) . Kyle said he could see Syril hanging out with the Ewoks. Robert said he’d be one of the oiled up people chained to Jabba (no, no mention of Diego Luna in this context !) Dedra and Syril would also apparently have liked to visit Mon’s house ‘especially the plates”
11. What would you say to your characters if you could? Robert to Lonni: “You’re fucked, mate!” Kyle to Syril: “Chill the fuck out!”. Denise to Dedra: “You’re a fucking evil bitch!” Another stupid question about whether they would ‘rather fight a zombie the size of a chicken or a chicken the size of a human “ (or something) - Kyle chose the chikcen ‘I don’t wanna fuck around with Zombies’ but a visibly fading Denise said she wasn’t answering that and said “I’m too tired for that shit” (lol).
12. A rather sad thing from Robert: Lonni views Luthen as a father figure of a kind. He had an invented backstory about Lonni’s father being a rebel and Lonni wanting to honour him in this way. He also could never make up his mind whether Lonni’s wife knew he was a spy or not.
13. Robert worked with the same production designer - Luke Hull - on Chernobyl. He said that the powerstation control room and the ISB room were very similarly immersive - and this a great for actors. His next film is called ‘The Choral’ (you can see him playing piano in the trailer) - he was always going to be a musician before he came an actor.
14. Kyle is currently in a play called Romans, which explores toxic masculinity. Denise is relishing playing nice people at the moment… her next stage role being in High Noon, in the Grace Kelly role. (She didn’t mention the Narnia casting)
The final photo here – I think it’s of the exact moment when they were asked the chicken versus zombie question. Robert is mid-blink rather than nodding off but it captures Denise’s in increasingly deep “what the actual fuck??” expression at some of these audience questions. (Diego Luna’s agent was vetting those asked of him and I bet these three were wishing they had that kind of clout :) )
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