In the past, Star Wars created, well, stars out of relatively unknown actors. From Mark Hamill to Daisy Ridley, being cast in a Star Wars movie made one a household name. Up and coming performers like Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver raised their profiles through leading roles in the prequel and sequel trilogies, and save for a handful of exceptions over the nine Skywalker Saga films, the supporting players and background characters were typically filled by work-a-day actors, too. Then, in late 2019 came the first live-action Star Wars TV series, The Mandalorian, and the breakout hit signaled not only a shift in format but also in how the Star Wars galaxy would be populated.
The Mandalorian's two central characters are Din Djarin and Grogu. As globally popular as they've become, one spends nearly all of his screen time under a helmet and the other is a puppet. Perhaps because of this, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni rounded out the rest of the call sheet with seasoned veterans, experienced comedians and distinctive character actors. The premiere episode featured Saturday Night Live alum Horatio Sanz as Mythrol, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, enigmatic director Werner Herzog as the Client and Nick Nolte as Kuiil, not to mention Taika Waititi as the voice of the new droid, IG-11. That's nearly as many known names in one half-hour of TV as there were in three trilogies' worth of movies.
By seasons's end, they were joined by Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand, Amy Sedaris as Peli Motto, Bill Burr as Mayfeld and Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon. The premiere episode of Season 2 was then built around an excellent performance by Timothy Olyphant as Marshal Cobb Vanth, and Rosario Dawson shined as Ahsoka Tano in Episode 5. None of these actors are tabloid fodder-level famous, but all of them are recognizable and respected trained professionals. They accepted cameos and small recurring roles in an unproven western space fantasy, and each took their modest part extremely seriously while also having a ton of fun with it. That gave considerable depth, texture, credibility and interest to the worlds Favreau and Filoni were creating. Pedro Pascal is a magnetic presence as the titular Mando (and some credit should be given to his double, Barry Lowin, as well), but it definitely helps that the entire ensemble is so compelling.
Temuerra Morrison also showed up in The Mandalorian (first as mere boots, then in full Boba Fett butt-kicking mode), and now he's headlining his own spinoff in The Book of Boba Fett. Morrison, who is 61 years old and has been grinding away at an acting career since 1973 without many lead roles, brings a unique authenticity, world-weariness and gravitas to the iconic character (who, until now, has been little more than a glorified action figure). Joining him is the spry 58-year-old Ming-Na Wen, whose snarky assassin has quickly become a fan favorite. Though the plot and structure of The Book of Boba Fett haven't quite gripped audiences the way The Mandalorian did, the performances hold up as well.
This new series has its own crop of impressive guest stars and recurring characters. Jennifer Beals is the mysterious Garsa Fwip. What We Do in the Shadows' hilarious Matt Berry voices 8D8. Then, Episode 3 introduced Stephen Root as a greedy water broker and the unmistakable Danny Trejo as the Rancor Keeper. Eagle-eyed viewers may also have caught a glimpse of Sedaris's Peli Motto and her droids. Root, who is probably best known for Office Space, is one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood with over 250 credits to his name, and Trejo, a frequent collaborator of Robert Rodriguez (who directs three episodes this season), may go on to play a pivotal role in Boba's story.
That's the fun of seeing these more-than-capable actors popping up in these serialized installments of Star Wars. If they're only around fleetingly and don't really factor into the long game, the series and the greater Star Wars galaxy are still better for it. But because actors like Nolte, Burr, Sedaris and Esposito are putting in the effort, everything feels important and fully realized.
To admire these fantastic actors' work, watch the first three chapters of The Book of Boba Fett, now streaming on Disney+.