The galaxy far, far-off has been rocked by the arrival of a brand new agent of the darkish aspect within the final month, as The Acolyte lifted the lid on its mysterious Stranger—Manny Jacinto’s not-so-shady smuggler Qimir secretly being the darkish Grasp pulling the strings behind its titular Acolyte. However now that the Star Wars streaming sequence has wrapped up its debut season (and provides us a number of shock reveals to chew on whereas we await a season two announce), the Stranger continues to be as unusual to us as ever. So to seek out out extra about his plans, how these main revelations in regards to the Jedi and Sith alike within the finale issue into them, and the way he feels about becoming a member of the lengthy legacy of the Sith, io9 sat down with the person himself.
James Whitbrook, io9: Now that the finale is out, how has it felt for you as an actor, having to maintain this secret about who you had been actually enjoying, to have it out within the open and see what the response from Star Wars followers has been like?
Manny Jacinto: Sure, it’s been an enormous weight off my shoulders. For one factor—I gained’t mislead you, James. Actually, I damage my soul each time I’ve needed to simply straight up mislead folks’s faces each time they’re asking these considerate questions. It’s undoubtedly an enormous aid to lastly simply have the ability to discuss in regards to the position in its full type and full arc. However I’m additionally feeling extremely pleased with it, and actually I can’t wait to share any little tidbits that individuals have regarding the Stranger now.
io9: There’s a second early on within the finale the place, because the Stranger and Osha are leaving in his ship, we see this peculiar character within the shadows. We now know that this is Plagueis—how a lot consciousness round that reveal did you might have going into filming? Have been you informed about how he was being introduced into the present, and his reference to the Stranger?
Jacinto: I had no concept that that was gonna be the reveal. Like, once I noticed the episode—as a result of I first noticed all of the episodes months earlier than, you realize, with the CGI nonetheless not being inbuilt and all that stuff—and when that scene got here on it was… I don’t know if it was inexperienced display screen or not, it was blacked out, so truly I skilled it [for the first time] as a viewer, I had no concept that was developing. I want to speak to Leslye [Headland, The Acolyte‘s showrunner] about that in depth, however I used to be fortunate sufficient to have the ability to expertise that second similar to an viewers member, and be shocked. There’s lots to unfold there.
io9: How do you suppose the Stranger feels about having this this different presence on this world with him, particularly now that, by the tip of the finale, he has a brand new acolyte to coach?
Jacinto: I haven’t been in a position suppose previous [the finale], what the ramifications are of getting this different being there. I’ve at all times approached the Stranger from very a lot a lone wolf kind of character, prefer it’s simply him wanting… you realize, he talks in regards to the energy of two, so he talks about his ambitions, however the best way I used to be getting ready for the Stranger, or Qimir, or nevertheless you need to name him, it was on this house of solitude. I get that this switches issues up, and I want to speak to Leslye about how we’re gonna try this shifting ahead, as a result of… yeah, I used to be undoubtedly nearly blindsided by that reveal, in an excellent means.
io9: After that second, we go to Brendok and we’ve got this unbelievable combat scene with Grasp Sol. What was the prep like for you for this duel in comparison with your course of and expertise filming the massive combat sequence in episode 5?
Jacinto: I imply, I believe the great half about it’s that that sequence was filmed after episode 5, I had constructed a physique that was meant to be in tune with that choreography now, and I used to be extra conversant in utilizing the lightsaber, extra fluid with the motion. I’ve had loads of follow with it.
I believe the one factor that modified was that we had been very… it was very right down to the wire, so loads of the choreography at that time I needed to study both the day earlier than or on the day. We didn’t have the luxurious of getting loads of time to organize for these scenes—the actor’s strike was coming, and we didn’t understand how for much longer we needed to shoot, so I needed to transfer fast. That was the most important change, that I simply needed to decide up the choreography lots faster, make changes and be extra fluid on the day. But in addition, you realize, I believe I might additionally depend on the stuntmen extra—I didn’t must do the massive wire work and stuff, they might try this and I didn’t have to fret about that as a lot, despite the fact that I wished to do it. It’s like the child in me being like “let me be on the trip!” That was the most important factor: being extra open to vary on the day, as a result of we simply didn’t have that a lot time to organize.
io9: Within the wake of that duel, the Jedi arrive on the scene, lead by Vernestra—and there’s that second of realization she and the Stranger alike have about feeling one another’s presence. Once more, how a lot of that connection he has along with her had been conscious of coming into filming, what was it like so that you can play that second of discovery for the Stranger as he watches her from the shadows?
Jacinto: Once more, I didn’t truly know that [coming in]. I believe Leslye does this as a way to not affect our performances, however I didn’t know that connection till we began taking pictures episode eight, I believe. I learn [the script] and I discovered about that connection, and I might decide Leslye’s mind about it. So fortunately, I had a little bit of time to digest and determine what that relationship is.
I believe it actually mirrors, at the least from my talks with Leslye, the connection that Osha had with Sol. Perhaps it had a distinct consequence, so if we get a season two I believe it’s one thing we are able to undoubtedly discover and I personally would like to discover—similar to how Osha and Sol had a father-daughter relationship, I believe this might probably be like a mother-son relationship between these two.
io9: Talking of Osha—the finale ends with one thing of a job reversal, the place the Stranger lets go of Mae and features Osha as a brand new apprentice. How do you suppose the connection he has with Osha differs from the one he had with Mae? What was it like so that you can play that distinction as we construct in direction of these remaining moments?
Jacinto: Oh man, so many, so many issues that could possibly be achieved about that relationship. Two issues: I wanted to ensure to tell apart, clearly, my relationship between Mae and Osha. So the Mae relationship was at all times like a sibling dynamic, it was at all times brother and sister preventing—”we don’t actually like one another, however we’d like one another to appease this grasp.” With Osha it was at all times extra so… undoubtedly extra an intimate attraction and relationship.
I bear in mind having talks with Amandla [Stenberg, who plays Mae and Osha] and Leslye about when that swap does happen, when does he truly understand that oh, he has the unsuitable twin. I give it some thought consistently, and I actually do suppose it’s the second [in episode two] when he goes as much as Osha when she’s making an attempt to faux to be Mae, and he goes “You look similar to her.” I believe he feels, he can’t assist however really feel, the depth of her trauma and despair, that it could possibly be used for one thing better maybe, to seduce her to the darkish aspect. I believe at that second he was “this isn’t it, that is precisely who Mae was supposed to be.” I believe shifting ahead from that second on, at the back of his head the Stranger at all times noticed Osha as probably the one.
io9: I’m glad you talked about the intimacy there. All through episodes six and eight there’s this frisson of a connection between Osha and the Stranger—there’s followers who’ve latched on to that connection and dubbed the 2 of you “Oshamir.” How do you are feeling about followers not simply latching onto that as a possible thought, however do you suppose it’s one thing we might see explored as they navigate what this Grasp-Acolyte relationship is between them?
Jacinto: Mm-hmm! I believe it’s undoubtedly an enormous, main level to discover if we do get a season two. I believe the nice half about that dynamic is that it brings in a distinct kind of viewers into Star Wars, you realize. I believe proper now, there’s an enormous Star Wars fan base, however I believe from what folks have despatched me by texts, they’re noticing folks and feedback alongside the strains of “I haven’t seen any Star Wars, however I’ll it for this,” and, it’s, you realize, referencing the Oshamir dynamic. I believe that’s such a phenomenal factor to have the ability to carry extra folks into this franchise, this fanbase. You’ve gotta give the folks what they need, and I believe there’s a lot to discover inside that dynamic. Yeah, it’s a extremely cool one.
io9: The Stranger is now a part of this lengthy legacy of Sith characters in Star Wars. Trying again on this sequence, what you suppose it’s in regards to the Stranger that makes him distinctive amongst these characters, that individuals can have a look at in him and really feel “oh, we’ve by no means seen this from a Sith earlier than”?
Jacinto: I’ve talked to Leslye about this earlier than, and a few of our producers about it, and there’s one thing about somebody who’s “unhealthy”—I’m saying this in quotes—or a “villain” and he’s simply being who he’s. With the opposite Sith Lords, or for those who have a look at Anakin, or for those who have a look at Kylo Ren, there’s clearly this trauma that they’ve skilled, that they’re preventing one thing internally and you may undoubtedly see that there’s a glimpse of sunshine in them. And with the Stranger, it’s nearly like… he simply has no regret. He’s not apologetic by way of who he’s. He understands that he’s an outsider, that to the Jedi, that he’s not allowed to exist on this society due to his beliefs and his ardour.
I believe that’s how he differs from the earlier Sith, or villains, or “huge bads” of Star Wars. He’s simply very unapologetic with who he’s, he’s like “Take me for who I’m, I don’t need to be any person else anymore.” He was a Jedi in a earlier life, however—and who is aware of what occurred in that transformation—but when something, he’s joyful, he doesn’t have second ideas about it. He’s accepted it. He says to Sol [in episode five], “I’ve accepted my darkness, what have you ever achieved with yours?” He’s an outsider, he is aware of that he’s an outcast, he is aware of that he’s a black sheep, and he gained’t apologize for that.
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.
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