In this edition of THE INTERVUE, we are gearing up for the Apple TV+ original series “Foundation”. When revolutionary Dr. Hari Seldon predicts the impending fall of the Empire, he and a band of loyal followers venture to the far reaches of the galaxy to establish The Foundation in an attempt to rebuild  and preserve the future of civilization. Enraged by Hari’s claims, the ruling Cleons — a long line of emperor clones — fear their grasp on the galaxy may be weakening as they’re forced to reckon with the potential reality of losing their legacy forever.

I recently sat down with actress Leah Harvey who plays Salvor Hardin, the first mayor of Terminus City, the sole inhabited location on the planet Terminus. This is Harvey’s first venture into the world of science fiction.

Tell us about your role of Salvor Hardin and what attracted you to this role?

Yes, Salvor Hardin is the warden of Terminus, which is a community dedicated to doing one simple task. She’s in charge of looking after everybody and making sure that they are all safe which is something that she takes very seriously. She’s determined to prove of which that’s difficult because stuff happens. That’s the whole story there.

I was drawn to her mostly because I hadn’t really met a character like her before. As an actor, it’s also good to be challenged. And so, I was excited to get my teeth into a character who is cool to be honest.

It sounds cool especially I read that you absolutely love the stunt work and the fighting that Salvor is involved in. Talk to us a little more about doing the stunt work for Salvor.

Oh yeah, I absolutely loved doing the stunts and moving around – running, jumping and all that stuff. I really enjoyed for I was a dancer when I was younger. So, I know my body well and I enjoyed that kind of thing. The great thing about it is that Salvor is so complicated as a character that stunts, and everything were kind of second nature to her, so she just does it. I got the opportunity to learn it so much that it became second nature to me as well and I got really comfortable with doing all the stunt work and working with the stunt team and my stunt double Jade. It was really great team effort to make it good. Hopefully it is good as it looks.

Well it looks good from what I have seen so far. There are two key themes throughout ‘Foundation’ that make it eternally relevant. The first is that change is constant, and it’s frightening. The second is that humans were successful not because they were the fastest or the strongest, but because they were the smartest. What are your feelings about those two themes for “Foundation”?

I think they’re really good, I should steal those so that’s what I use to talk about it. Those two takeaways are big that we are the smartest and we’re going to take over. In fact, we have already taken over Earth and who knows what will happen in the future. Its kind of scary and exciting at the same time to think of where we might be in a hundred years or a thousand years. I guess this show is a version of what it might could be which is exciting to able to present that idea to the world.

What can people look forward with this series starting September 24^th on Apple TV+?

I think the fans are going to love the scope of this show. Its so massive. Everyone is going to find something to relate to this show. Its one of those ones its like its so full of stuff that you’ll watch, and you’ll be able to talk about anything in it. I feel that its good. It’s a high engagement level and its stunning to look at as well. It’s also stunning to be part of too

Were you a fan of science fiction being involved with this science fiction series?

I wasn’t a hardcore science fiction fan, but I really enjoyed science fiction and I enjoyed watching it but the great about this show is that it introduces me to the literature. I have been reading the books and now I am a big fan of the series for I am really involved in them. I am looking forward to reading more from different authors because its such a great world that I am really excited about. I want to read more and study more about the genre.

Check out Leah’s take on Salvor Hardin in “Foundation” – NOW PLAYING on Apple TV+

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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