Taking place over a thousand years and across a galaxy, Isaac Asimov's Foundation is a defining piece of science-fiction. Now, the series of stories is finally coming to screens, courtesy of Executive Producer David S. Goyer and Apple TV+. Among its all-star cast is Lou Llobell, who portrays Gaal Dornick, a young mathematician from a remote world who ends up becoming a crucial part of Hari Seldon's Foundation plan -- which could be the key to keeping human civilization alive even as the intergalactic empire speeds towards inevitable ruin.
During an exclusive interview with CBR ahead of the show's Apple TV+ premiere, Llobell discussed the appeal of portraying Gaal and what surprised her most about the series.
CBR: Foundation is a deep look into humanity that takes place on a genuinely epic scale. What was that like as a performer to take on?
Lou Llobell: I don't think I realized how big of a feat it was when I first started the job, but it's difficult to try and ignore how big it is and how much work has been put into it when you walk onto those sets and you put those costumes on and meet all the crew. It's hundreds of people that have put so much work into this. I'm so excited that it's almost out in the world. I can't quite believe that we're here. It's been so long in the making, and we put so much time and effort into it. Honestly, I hope it shows on the screen. I think it does, and I hope that everyone sees that.
I hope that people who are fans of the books or know the stories or people who have no idea what this is about or don't even like sci-fi... I hope that there's something in there for everyone. I really do believe that there is. I think everyone can relate to it because it's not just a story about people in space, it's about human beings, and their lives, and how they deal with problems, and how they survive through all the obstacles that are thrown at them.
Foundation's sci-fi elements are a tad more theoretical than almost any other mainstream sci-fi -- there's math instead of the Force, you know? What was that like to approach as a performer?
It was very different. I think it's pretty amazing.
I think the idea that there's a right and a wrong answer, there's no arguing with these kinds of things. It creates so many issues, because everything that you feel you want to do, but the answers are there and you can't argue with them. You can't fight feelings and be emotional with the facts that are in front of you. I think that's something that Gaal really battles with, and something that she has to let go of so many things that she loves and she holds dear to her because she's following what she knows is correct and what she knows is true. I think that's pretty admirable.
One of the most interesting elements of Gaal as a character is she is the hope for the Foundation. She is this definite genius -- but in many ways, she's the guiding voice-over of the series. She becomes someone the audience can really connect with as both her and the viewer go on this massive journey. What was that like to balance?
I think it's really brilliant because what you see of Gaal is in real-time, what's happening to her, and then her narrating everything else is another time... I think it's such a good constant to have because it's that familiar thing for the audience. It's a familiarity that I think is needed and necessary, because the stories are so vast, and so many things happen, and there are so many different storylines. But they're all somewhat linked, right? That's the idea: that they all have to be a single piece in the greater scheme of things. I think that's a pretty necessary thing to have.
I think the books and the series have all the similar themes, and all the similar characters, and all the important things, and the matters that we have to discuss and talk about, and things that Asimov was passionate about. But I also think that, emotionally, his characters need to have other things happening to them to make you feel like they are like you. I do think it's super important, and I do think it needs to be relatable. I think that David has succeeded in how he's written the script and how we all work together on our characters and our relationships to make that work.
What would you say was the most surprising thing you discovered about Gaal across the course of the production?
I think she's a lot stronger, a lot more powerful as a woman, and in control. She seems a little bit lost at the beginning, a little bit finding her way through in the dark, and then something clicks and she sees the light. That was so exciting for me because I was finally able to grasp something and take control of a situation as Gaal. I'm a lot like that. I'm a lot more direct than Gaal is, I think, sometimes. It was just so refreshing that I could bring a bit of that into it.
One of the most exciting elements of this series from a production standpoint is that it's such a diverse cast. It speaks to an evolution of how science-fiction and genre storytelling is being presented, and the representation that can be afforded by it. What was that like, to be a part of this evolution of the industry from the inside?
I think it's so important.
Watching a show like this, as epic as it is, if it doesn't reflect the world that we live in today, I don't think that that is as entertaining as it is. You walk into the studio, and we have this wall with all the cast photos. It's 150 people or something. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It was people from all over the world, all different backgrounds, all different cultures, and races. It was the most amazing... It was so empowering to walk out of my dressing room and see that wall, and just be like, "This is the show I'm on. These are the people I'm working with." It's so cool.
Foundation stars Jared Harris as Hari Seldon, Lee Pace as Brother Day, Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin, Laura Birn as Eto Demerzel, Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn, Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk, and Alfred Enoch as Raych Seldon. Foundation premieres Friday, Sept. 24 on Apple TV+. The first two episodes will be available at launch, with subsequent episodes arriving every Friday.