The Mandalorian returned last week, with big reveals, big aliens, and little Baby Yoda. But while we’re all excited about what its return sets up going forward, guest star W. Earl Brown is more than happy to fondly look back on tending bar in a galaxy far, far away.
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Brown played an unnamed Weequay bartender in “Chapter 9″ of the show, “The Marshal.” Tending the lone drinking hole of small Tatooine settlement Mos Pelga, his character was a small but important part of the episode, putting our titular Bounty Hunter hero and his little asset on the path to meet Timothy Olyphant’s Cobb Vanth: the mysterious marshal wearing the recovered armour of Boba Fett.
[referenced id=”1525070″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/10/the-mandalorian-season-2-started-with-its-most-epic-episode-yet/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/31/prrwspqrq2im8wczcnvb-e1604263038868-300×146.png” title=”The Mandalorian Season 2 Started With Its Most Epic Episode Yet” excerpt=”Season two of The Mandalorian began with an episode that was everything we expected and more. A few pieces of rumoured casting were confirmed, some long-time questions were answered, and episode writer-director Jon Favreau gave fans a story straight from an old-school Hollywood Western with the biggest action set piece…”]
For Wood himself though, it was something he’ll remember forever. After the episode aired, the actor took to Twitter now that he could finally reveal that he appeared in the show. He was, of course, previously under pages and pages of non-disclosure agreements. Fascinatingly, Brown filmed his scenes for season two just as the first season was beginning to air, so he’s had to keep it a secret for a year.
… makeup chair every day had done to my skin.
“Hell, No. Sheer fucking misery.”
“We just got a call with an offer for TV — it’s prosthetics though.”
“No.”
“It’s Disney, but I’ll let them know. Something to do with STAR WARS…”
“WAIT. WHAT???”
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— W. Earl Brown (@WEarlBrown) October 30, 2020
Not just that, he was being reunited with Olyphant, who he’d appeared alongside in Deadwood in a similar capacity. To his excitement, he also learned that the third actor in his bar scenes — with Pedro Pascal and Olyphant — was none other than one of the many, many adorable little puppets that are responsible for bringing Baby Yoda to life.
Tim goes to his starting position. Pedro walks off set, so as to make his entrance with The Child, still I don’t see no kid actor.
Tim and I talk — yada, yada, yada. Pedro and The Child enter…
There are numerous “The Childs” — motionless, puppets, puppets on poles…
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— W. Earl Brown (@WEarlBrown) October 30, 2020
The whole thread is worth a read, from Wood recalling how he thought he’d never do a prosthetics-heavy role again after appearing in Angel, to his memory of seeing Star Wars for the first time, to having us imagining the Deadwood cut of “The Marshal” that has a lot more swearing in it.
It’s mostly joyful for just how palpable his passion and excitement for being part of Star Wars is — 43 years on, it still having that impact on the people who become part of it is wonderful.