The Acolyte Finale Manny Jacinto Interview: Stranger’s Secrets and techniques

The galaxy far, distant has been rocked by the arrival of a brand new agent of the darkish facet 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 remains to be as unusual to us as ever. So to search out out extra about his plans, how these main revelations concerning 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 have been actually taking part in, 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 received’t misinform you, James. Actually, I damage my soul each time I’ve needed to simply straight up misinform individuals’s faces each time they’re asking these considerate questions. IT’s undoubtedly an enormous reduction to lastly simply be capable of speak concerning the function in its full type and full arc. However I’m additionally feeling extremely pleased with IT, and truthfully 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 that is Plagueis—how a lot consciousness round that reveal did you might have going into filming? Have been you instructed 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 in-built 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 would like 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 identical to an viewers member, and be shocked. There’s rather a lot 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 top 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 all the time approached the Stranger from very a lot a lone wolf kind of character, like IT’s simply him wanting… you realize, he talks concerning the energy of two, so he talks about his ambitions, however the way in which I used to be getting ready for the Stranger, or Qimir, or nonetheless you wish to name him, IT was on this house of solitude. I get that this switches issues up, and I would like 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 method.

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 is 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 acquainted with utilizing the lightsaber, extra fluid with the motion. I’ve had plenty of follow with IT.

I believe the one factor that modified was that we have been very… IT was very all the way down to the wire, so plenty of the choreography at that time I needed to study both the day earlier than or on the day. We didn’t have the posh of getting plenty of time to organize for these scenes—the actor’s strike was coming, and we didn’t know the way for much longer we needed to shoot, so I needed to transfer fast. That was the largest change, that I simply needed to choose up the choreography rather a lot faster, make changes and be extra fluid on the day. But additionally, you realize, I believe I may additionally depend on the stuntmen extra—I didn’t should do the massive wire work and stuff, they may try this and I didn’t have to fret about that as a lot, despite the fact that I needed to do IT. IT’s like the child in me being like “let me be on the trip!” That was the largest factor: being extra open to alter 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 together with her have 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 with a purpose 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 came upon about that connection, and I may choose Leslye’s mind about IT. So fortunately, I had a little bit of time to digest and work out what that relationship is.

I believe IT actually mirrors, not less than from my talks with Leslye, the connection that Osha had with Sol. Possibly IT had a distinct final result, 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—identical to how Osha and Sol had a father-daughter relationship, I believe this might presumably 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 the direction of these last moments?

Jacinto: Oh man, so many, so many issues that may very well be carried out about about that relationship. Two issues: I wanted to verify to differentiate, clearly, my relationship between Mae and Osha. So the Mae relationship was all the time like a sibling dynamic, IT was all the time 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 all the time extra so… undoubtedly extra an intimate attraction and relationship.

I keep in mind having talks with Amandla [Stenberg, who plays Mae and Osha] and Leslye about when that change does happen, when does he truly understand that oh, he has the flawed twin. I take into consideration IT 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 fake to be Mae, and he goes “You look identical to her.” I believe he feels, he can’t assist however really feel, the depth of her trauma and despair, that IT may very well be used for one thing larger maybe, to seduce her to the darkish facet. 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, behind his head the Stranger all the time noticed Osha as presumably 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 may 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 good 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 individuals have despatched me via texts, they’re noticing individuals and feedback alongside the traces 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 lovely factor to have the ability to deliver extra individuals into this franchise, this fanbase. You’ve gotta give the individuals what they need, and I believe there’s a lot to discover inside that dynamic. Yeah, IT’s a very 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 is concerning 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 when it comes to 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 “large 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 wish to be anyone 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 carried out 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 received’t apologize for that.

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The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.

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