Actors Dafne Keen and Charlie Barnett didn’t know what exactly they were getting themselves into when they signed on to become Jedis in the upcoming Disney+ series, Star Wars: The Acolyte. Their characters – Padawan Jecki Lon and Jedi Master Yord Fandar, respectively – were entirely new characters created for the series.
Though there was some slight pressure being part of the Star Wars Universe, they felt more at ease that they weren’t portraying an already established character.
“For me, it was really daunting because I know how terrifying and huge the Star Wars fandom was,” Keen tells The Nerds of Color. “It’s kind of the most intense fandom in the world. That was very scary, but in a way, it was freeing that there was no expectation. We got more freedom, in a way, because — it’s the same time period as the High Republic [novels] — we get some creative space to find new fun [and] fresh things.”
Set a century prior to The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte follows the esteemed Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) as he investigates a series of Jedi murders. Jecki and Yord are enlisted to aid Sol in his investigation. Jecki, a half-Theelin and half-human, is a diligent and adept Padawan but is filled with a child-like wonder. On the other hand, Yord is an overachiever, a stickler for rules, and deeply committed to the Jedi way of life.
Barnett, a huge Star Wars fan, gleefully reveals that Yord is from Alderaan. While Yord seems like the typical stickler Jedi Knight shown in the movies, Barnett says Yord may be stuck in his ways, but it’s because he believes in the institution of the Jedi if that were to falter, who knows how that might affect Yord.
“One of the things that was most terrifying stepping into [was] the position of Jedi,” says Barnett. “We haven’t seen a lot of Jedi in the last couple of films or even TV shows that have been coming out. So, returning to that storyline and reinvesting in it was daunting. When I was growing up watching the films, the Jedis could do nothing wrong and [had this] God-like nature [to them]. So, getting to see more of the personalities a little deeper rooted into them was terrifying. How are we going to explore new outlets of people that we’ve always known so much about and do it in ways that people would love to hear or see about them?”
Keen raises a point about Jecki, who was taken from her family at a young age to train as a Jedi. That kind of timeline can impact a person’s psyche — no matter how much training you put yourself through. While Jecki is dedicated to the Jedi ways, a piece of her questions them.
“I figured out that she would have been taken in by the Jedi at [age] 3,” Keen explains. “What is it like to be plucked from family and then to be trained in the High Republic police force but with the spirituality of the Jedi. But still, you’re on a planet away from your family. She wouldn’t have heard from her family. Her paternal figure is this Master [Sol]. How does that shape a human being in such a young mind?”
She channeled Obi-wan Kenobi’s persona with a little more “wide-eyed, curious young sense.” “I felt like that was a lot of what Jeckie was like,” says Keen. “Maybe being a young Padawan who really looks up to her master going on these crazy missions and having done these fascinating things like flying through space to other planets. I’m getting to meet all these incredible people. I could only just imagine what that’s like and what being someone who’s lived basically on Coruscant her whole life and has been In this institution — what it’s like to then step into different worlds and meet someone as incredibly different to hers?”
While playing ” goody-two-shoes” is easy, Barnett tapped into his own life experiences and history to develop Yord. “I am that person at times where I try to do the best that I can, but not all the times. The amount of times I get lost and really hard on myself, I leaned into those parts of myself that I know would be really useful for Yord.”
While Keen and Barnett couldn’t reveal too much about their characters’ journey or any spoilers, they did touch on how Star Wars’ duality impacted their characters and themselves. Barnett enjoys exploring these elements of nurture versus nature and good versus bad — not just for Yord, but for all of Star Wars.
“These elements are dependent on your experiences, your history, your parents, and your friends,” Barnett reflects. “So much bleeds into that. I find that part of Star Wars really human.”
Check out the interview here:
Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on June 4 on Disney+.
