Foundation’s Jared Harris Unpacks the Complexity of His Role in Season 2

In a recent virtual press event for the second season of Apple TV+’s Foundation, Jared Harris, the actor portraying the influential character of Hari Seldon, shares his thoughts about the complex role he plays in the acclaimed series. Harris appreciates how sci-fi offers a platform to explore current real-world issues in an easier-to-digest metaphorical context. He is a known face in the science fiction genre due to his previous roles in series like Fringe and The Expanse.

One of the notable challenges for Harris in the second season of Foundation is playing multiple versions of Seldon. This unique narrative thread is a result of Seldon having himself killed and subsequently projecting his consciousness into various hologram avatars. Harris details the meticulous efforts taken to ensure clear differentiation between these character versions. The differentiation included not only their physical appearance but also their knowledge boundaries, highlighting a much-needed human vulnerability amid the intricate virtual existence.

A prominent question that surfaced during the ComicBook press junket pertained to whether Hari Seldon is a hero or a villain. His actions are driven by a mission to minimize the looming dark age following the Empire’s collapse, which has led to him adopting a godlike persona. However, this has drawn accusations of him becoming a controlling megalomaniac from even his closest allies. When posed with this question, Harris leaves the character’s moral positioning up to showrunner David S. Goyer. He portrays his character as someone pursuing a noble goal, albeit through potentially dubious means, and hints that Seldon might be getting a kick out of his newly adopted divine status.

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Apple TV+

The synopsis for Foundation Season 2 reveals the plot to be rife with tension, picking up more than a century after the first season’s finale. As the Cleons falter, a vengeful queen plots the Empire’s destruction from within. Simultaneously, Hari, Gaal, and Salvor stumble upon a colony of Mentalics, beings with mind-altering abilities that could disrupt psychohistory. As the Foundation enters its religious phase, it fosters the Church of Seldon in the Outer Reach, which in turn provokes the Second Crisis, a war with the Empire. The sweeping adaptation follows the intertwined narratives of four key characters, their journeys replete with deadly crises, shifting allegiances, and intricate relationships that will shape humanity’s destiny.

The second season of Foundation will see the return of Jared Harris as Hari Seldon, Lee Pace as Brother Day, Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Leah Harvey Salvor Hardin, Laura Birn as Eto Demerzel, Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn, and Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk. The series also welcomes a fresh ensemble of actors, including Isabella Laughland, Kulvinder Ghir, Ella-Rae Smith, Holt McCallany, Rachel House, Nimrat Kaur, Ben Daniels, and Dimitri Leonidas.

The new season premiered on Friday, July 14th, with episodes debuting on Apple TV+ every Friday. Harris’ nuanced portrayal of the enigmatic Hari Seldon promises a captivating viewing experience in the journey through the complex landscape of Foundation Season 2.

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