IN CONVERSATION WITH SARAH-SOFIE BOUSSNINA

interview by JANA LETONJA

Celebrated Danish actress Sarah-Sofie Boussnina has earned accolades for her exceptional talent. She has most recently starred in HBO prequel series ‘Dune: The Prophecy’, and will next star in Terrence Malick's film ‘The Way of the Wind’.

dress ISABEL MARANT

Your journey as an actress spans a wide array of genres and roles. What initially inspired you to pursue acting, and how has your perspective on the craft evolved over the years? 

I’ve always loved acting and storytelling. Back when I started acting, it was purely for fun. I was in several youth theatre groups and just loved playing around trying to be someone else, see life through someone else’s eyes. When I got a little older, I got an amazing drama teacher who also worked as a professional and she encouraged me to audition for TV and film roles. I think her believing in me made me feel like maybe it was something I could do. I didn’t know anyone in the industry or how anything worked so it was a steep learning curve when I booked my first professional job. It was still a lot of fun, but obviously everything on a movie set is very result oriented, and naturally so because every minute is money spent. So, what I’ve realized over the years is how important it is for me to work with my acting coach, to have a room where I can work on my craft, be silly and try out a bunch of different things and let my creativity blossom. 

top ANDREĀDAMO
tights WOLFORD
shoes ANDREA GOMEZ
baret MANIÈRE DE VOIR

You’ve worked on projects with varied tones, from historical dramas like ‘1864’ to futuristic tales like ‘The Colony’. How do you prepare for such diverse roles? 

The preparation is different from project to project, but research is always an important part for me. Both of the characters you mention are dealing with loss, but under completely different circumstances. So, for those parts I spent a lot of time trying to understand how loss affects your behaviour. I want to try to get to know the characters I portray as well as possible. This way I feel more confident stepping in front of the camera.

suit VINTAGE MATSUDA
bodysuit WOLFORD
tie TOM FORD

How do you immerse yourself in the world of a character, especially when the story is set in a fantastical or historical context? 

 Again, research is so important to me. Getting to know as much about my character, their life, background and relations. I don’t think too much about genre when I’m filming, because regardless of the historical or fantastical context, that’s their reality and therefore mine when portraying them. If possible, I like to visit sets before I film. It’s amazing to have real images in my mind of my characters’ life. For instance, with ‘Dune: Prophecy’, it was really easy to immerse myself into the world because all the sets were practically built.

shirt L’AGENCE

What has been the most challenging role of your career so far, and what the most impactful one, and why? 

Every role I’ve played holds a special place in my heart. They’ve all been challenging, but in different ways, and I always learn something new about myself from the characters I portray.

You recently starred in the highly anticipated ‘Dune: Prophecy’. How did you approach stepping into a universe as rich and intricate as Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’? 

It’s a universe that means so much to so many people, so I really wanted to do my best to try and understand as much as possible about it. Apart from reading the books, I had a lot of conversations with our showrunner, Alison Schapker, who literally knows everything about ‘Dune’ and always made a point out of making herself available if I or other cast members had any questions. And that was very helpful in my preparation.  

suit VINTAGE MATSUDA
bodysuit WOLFORD
tie TOM FORD

What was the most rewarding part of working on a production like ‘Dune: Prophecy’, and how does it differ from other projects you’ve worked on? 

I’ve never worked on a production of this scale before, so for me it was very different from anything I’ve ever done before. Everything is so down to the detail on a project like this, it’s incredible. And I mean, getting to work with so many people I admire both in front of and behind the camera has just been a really special experience.

bustier VERSACE BUSTIER
trousers GIORGIO ARMANI

Next up, we’ll be seeing you in ‘The Way of the Wind’, which will  offer unique take on the life of Jesus, exploring grounded and human elements. How did you prepare for the role of Claudia in this spiritual and introspective narrative? 

Again, I did a lot of reading before filming. It was a very special experience. I feel very lucky to be a small part of it. 

The film focuses on themes like faith, politics, and personal relationships. How did these themes shape your understanding of your character and the story?

I think with any character, getting to know the life they live, how they think and what they believe in is very helpful when portraying them.

blazer RETROFÊTE
top and skirt SHWETAMBARI
tights WOLFORD
shoes SAINT LAURENT

Many of your roles involve intense emotional depth. How do you balance the emotional demands of acting with your own well-being? 

That’s an interesting question. I care more about my own well-being now than I did when I first started. I try to be as good to myself as possible, but I’m still learning, I don’t think I know exactly how to balance it just yet.  

What type of roles or genres would you like to explore in the future that you haven’t yet tackled? 

Who knows? Maybe a horror or a rom-com? 

How do you envision the next chapter of your career in terms of artistic growth?

Right now, I’m really excited about going back to shoot the second season of ‘Dune: Prophecy’. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Ynez. I feel really lucky getting to do it again.

shirt Y/PROJECT

TEAM CREDITS

talent SARAH-SOFIE BOUSSNINA
photography KOLBY KNIGHT
styling DARRYL GLOVER at THE WALL GROUP
makeup MAGDALENA MAJOR at SEE MANAGEMENT using CHANTECAILLE
hair YUKIKO TAJIMA at ATELIER MANAGEMENT using AMIKA
styling assistant JAMILA JABULANI
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA