Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi has added Maya Erskine to its cast.
According to Deadline, Erskin will play a supporting role in at least three of the show's six hour-long episodes. Production on Obi-Wan Kenobi is slated to begin very soon, with The Mandalorian Season 1 director Deborah Chow helming every episode.
Erskine is the co-creator/lead of Hulu's comedy series PEN15, starring opposite co-creator Anna Konkle as, respectively, Maya Ishii-Peters and Anna Kone, two best friends struggling with all the discomfort that comes with being in middle-school. The show received positive reviews for its first two seasons, with critics praising it unique exploration of adolescence through awkward humor and the farcical casting of two grown adults as its thirteen-year old protagonists.
Outside of PEN15, Erskine has done voice acting on the animated series BoJack Horseman, Robot Chicken and Bob's Burgers, in addition to playing a supporting role in the animated Scooby-Doo movie Scoob!. Dallas Liu, who plays Maya's older brother Shuji on PEN15, was recently confirmed as part of the cast for Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will follow the Jedi Master during his period of exile on Tatooine, with Ewan McGregor reprising his role. Set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the limited series will also bring back Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, marking his long-awaited return to the live-action side of the franchise. Christensen's involvement was confirmed at Disney's Investor Day in Dec. 2020, with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy teasing a "rematch" between the Dark Lord of the Sith and his former Jedi Master.
Rumors to the contrary, however, Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best told fans they shouldn't expect to see the infamous Gungan on the show. "Thanks for the love, but I will not be in this series," Best said. "As much as I would’ve loved to be a part of it. But I’m ecstatic to see folks who I love dearly back together doing great things."
Directed by Deborah Chow, Obi-Wan Kenobi stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Moses Ingram, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie and Maya Erskine. The series has yet to receive a premiere date.
Source: Deadline