The Acolyte thrills with the largest concentration of Jedi since the prequels. They move through the galaxy far, far away in long cloaks, hoods and with lightsabers of all kinds. After we met with series creator Leslye Headland and lead actress Amandla Stenberg for an interview, today you can read our meeting with the actors behind Vernestra, Jecki and Yord.
We spoke to the three stars before the series started, at a time when no one could have guessed what modern masterpieces would see the light of day under the hashtag #YordHorde. Henderson, Keen and Barnett reveal exciting stories from the set and the preparations for their roles.
Disney
Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh in The Acolyte
Moviepilot: Rebecca, you play Vernestra, a character we met as a teenager in the High Republic books. How did you create the adult version in the series?
Rebecca Henderson: First I read the books and then imagined what she had experienced in the meantime. What happened to her on the way to adulthood? How did she go from being a Jedi Padawan to becoming a Master? A lot of my version of the character is anchored in the scripts of the series – she is really well developed as a character. The longer the series goes on, the more facets she takes on.
What is it about you Vernestra most fascinating?
Henderson: The series is set at a political turning point in Star Wars history and Vernestra finds herself caught between the Jedi and the Senate, which is trying to gain more influence over the Jedi. Despite this conflict, she exudes something calm and introverted. At the same time, she can convey many things with a wink and is often very succinct and direct.
Dafne and Charlie, your characters didn’t exist before The Acolyte. I love the playful dynamic between Jecki and Yord. How did you find these completely new characters?
Charlie Barnett: We were able to allow ourselves much more freedom than Rebecca because we didn’t have a concrete template.
Dafne Keen: We had many conversations with [Showrunnerin] Leslie [Headland]where we talked about the characters’ backgrounds. What really helped to shape the relationship between Jecki and Yord was the training we all did together. We had power training and power meetings where we could ask all kinds of questions about the characters and the world they live in. Where do they come from? What are they looking for? The make-up also really helped me to get into Jecki’s character.
Barnett: This galaxy is really so big. There are so many different planets that the characters could be from. There are so many possibilities for thinking up a new character’s backstory. So many details and information that were established long before we arrived that we could just place our characters somewhere there. So it was very easy to go on that journey, but that made it all the more exciting and fun.
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Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon in The Acolyte
How exactly can I imagine the power training?
[Alle drei heben die Hand, machen eine Macht-Pose und lachen]
Barnett: The Force training was fantastic and unusual. We had a kind of teacher who came into the room and asked what way we would choose to connect our character to the Force, for example through a certain movement, a piece of music or a mental place we go to. This allows for a lot of individuality and new perspectives.
Keen: You chose music, right?
Barnett: Exactly.
Keen: That sounds a lot like you. I found Jecki’s power connection through movement.
Henderson: That’s how it was for me too.
It sounds like you discovered a lot about yourself in the process.
Barnett: I just wish the power was real.
Henderson: Oh yeah, that would be great.
Keen: I’ve actually learned something. I’m not the gentlest person, but playing Jecki has taken me a step in that direction. I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but I’m getting there.
Were you allowed to choose your own lightsaber color?
Keen: Unfortunately not.
Henderson: For Vernestra, the color was determined by the books. For the others, the colors were chosen by Leslye.
Keen: [Leicht geknickt] I don’t mind at all.
Barnett: She’s not offended at all. [Zu Dafne:] You have one of the coolest colors.
Keen: Thanks! Yeah, green is pretty cool. But yours is good too.
Barnett: Of course, yellow is great!
Henderson: No, Lila is the best!
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Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar in The Acolyte
So how did it feel when we walked through the Jedi Temple in costume for the first time?
Henderson: It was an incredible transformation. First you go through this elaborate make-up process. Then you put on the robes and these cool boots and before you know it you’re standing in huge sets that have actually been built, whether it’s a whole forest or the Jedi Temple. For me as an actress that was great because the more you have at your disposal, the less you have to worry about the things that aren’t there when you’re playing. It’s really helpful when you’re not always looking at an X or a tennis ball in front of a green screen.
Barnett: The sets were extremely elaborate, so much so that you could actually walk into a courtyard and there was food cooking. You could smell it, see the smoke rising and the ferns in the background. There were even real animals hiding in the scenes.
Henderson: Yeah, I think they put frogs or something in the forest set.
Barnett: In such a detailed environment, you hardly have to act, you are simply in the middle of it.
Keen: And the costumes always clearly signaled where we were at the time. There are robes for the temple, the training and the missions that the characters go on. The clothing tells us who is in what relationship to each other. As a Padawn, for example, I wear a different robe than [Lee Jung-jae]who plays a Jedi Master. Just seeing what can be conveyed through the costumes was impressive. I am so grateful for Jules [Hindess]who took care of all our costumes on set. We love you, Jules!
More about The Acolyte:
The Acolyte has been running since June 5, 2024 on Disney+, which means we’re exactly halfway through season 1. Four episodes have already been released, and four more are still to come. The next chapter follows on Wednesday.