Amazon is determined to make The Wheel of Time the next big thing in fantasy TV. Fans of Robert Jordan’s 14-book epic have been waiting decades for a proper screen adaptation, and Jeff Bezos has gone all out to give them what they want, complete with top-tier talent and a high-quality production.
But however much money they throw at this, the show will only work if fans get invested in characters like Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), an Aes Sedai sorceress who begins the story by going to the sleepy Two Rivers region on the hunt for a person who may be the messianic Dragon Reborn. Happily, it sounds like Pike has a great grasp of the character. “I think the interesting thing about playing Moiraine is you always have to know the oppositions of her,” she said on The Dusty Wheel Show. “If she’s still, it’s in opposition to the power that she can unleash. And I’ve always thought that it’s about that balance, that a character is is only interesting in her stillness if we understand what the opposite does. And I find that very, very exciting.”
The Wheel of Time is all about balance, so this is a good insight to have. It also sounds like Pike has a good grasp of Robert Jordan’s ideas about power and authority, both of which the Aes Sedai have in spades. They’re able to tap into the One Power, essentially meaning they can work magic, but must swear unbreakable oaths to never lie, to never use the Power as a weapon, or use it to create weapons. “I think what’s strange about the way Robert Jordan writes, about becoming an Aes Sedai and having that bond put on you in swearing the Oaths, is they feel like your skin is tight, a physical thing,” she said.
"It’s not just magic that’s at someone’s fingertips. It’s power that courses through a person. And that’s what makes it distinct and terribly exciting. Because I think, what is the cost? You know, what is the majesty of wielding that power, but also, what is the cost of it?"
Daniel Henney learned a lot from playing Lan Mandragoran on The Wheel of Time
Moiraine isn’t alone in her quest to carry out righteous causes. Daniel Henney plays Lan, Moiraine’s Warder, which is kind of like a bodyguard who’s magically tethered to her. The pair of them have worked very closely for a long time.
Henney also appeared on The Dusty Wheel Show to talk about his character. “he physical demands are definitely the toughest, but I think, as an actor, I’ve really grown a lot with him, which is nice,” he said. “I mean, he’s taught me a lot. I think he’s such a still character. He’s very strong in his silence, he’s not always at the front of everything.”
Neither Lan nor Moiraine are giant chatterboxes, although Moiraine at least needs to give a lot of exposition. Lan often just gets to be strong and silent. “You might see him in the background, like packing saddlebags, talking to a horse, or like, I don’t know, he’s always just comfortable in his own silence,” Henney said. “And as an actor, you kind of want to perform, you want to add something, you feel like you want to do something. And playing Lan’s really taught me just to be still and to work within that silence.”
"It’s really special. So I owe him a lot. But I guess I owe Robert Jordan a lot too."
Clearly, Moiraine and Lan are a good fit for one another. Rosamund and Henney worked well together, too. “I will say that there will be moments where physically, we look like Moiraine,” Pike said. “There’ll be moments on that white horse, on Aldieb, with the blue cloak spread out over the horse’s butt. And we’ve actually made it a thing that Lan does. He arranges the cloak after she’s mounted the horse, which is a really nice touch, so you get that beautiful line of horse and rider and cloak. And I suppose those sort of visual images in the stunning scenery, when you’ve got me on my white horse and Lan on his black warhorse… We feel a lot like Lan and Moiraine in those moments.”
The first three episodes of The Wheel of Time drop on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 19.
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h/t CBR