Hollywood actress Amandla Stenberg, who recently made her Star Wars debut with the news Disney+ series The Acolyte, showcased her multifaceted skills by enchanting audiences with a violin performance of the iconic Star Wars theme. Prior to the release of the show, Star Wars enthusiasts got a glimpse of Stenberg’s musical prowess.
After beautifully rendering the theme score, specially curated for solo violin arrangement, at the John Williams Music Building, the actress once again showcased her musical talent during her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Acolyte Star Plays John Williams’ Iconic Star Wars Theme Score
The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg opened up about her love for the Star Wars saga and expressed her gratitude for being a part of the series as she recently joined Jimmy Fallon on his late-night talk show.
Fallon commended Stenberg not only for being a talented actress but also for being an accomplished musician. “Wow, you are talented,” he said before inviting her to perform the Star Wars theme score on the show.
The 25-year-old actress captivated the audience as she took the stage performing John Williams‘ iconic musical score that has become synonymous with the franchise over the years. Prior to her appearance on the talk show, she also had the honor of performing at the John Williams Building.
An earlier video shared by Star Wars (YouTube) features her performing the score after the legendary composer himself wrote a new solo arrangement of his theme specifically for Stenberg. Appreciating the iconic score and the composer, the actress said,
I don’t think that you can love Star Wars without loving the Star Wars score. John Williams has the ability to create music that feels huge in scope while still being emotive.
While she expressed her gratitude, Stenberg also admitted feeling “ecstatic… and terrified” upon learning that Williams had made the new arrangement specifically for her. However, despite feeling nervous, the actress described it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Amandla Stenberg Reflects on the Blessing of Performing Star Wars Score
Amandla Stenberg has shared that she has been playing musical Instruments since she was in third grade. Talking about the opportunity to play the Star Wars theme with the blessings of John Williams, she said, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it’s something I’ll hold forever.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stenberg shared that the studio approached her with this unique opportunity while she was filming the Disney+ series. Despite initially feeling intimidated, she found inspiration when John Williams agreed to create a special arrangement just for her.
I listened to the score so much when we were filming, and then when Disney came to me and said ‘Hey, we’d love for you to play it,’ I thought, ‘OK, that’s terrifying.’ But then I worked on the sheet music and John [Williams] agreed to it and gave me a version that was just for solo violin.
Reflecting on the surreal and unexpected nature of the experience, she further said,
There are just certain circumstances in life that are just so bizarre that bring you to blessings that you would never anticipate and that was such a special moment in my life.
Following her breakout role in The Hunger Games, Stenberg ventured into the music scene, teaming up with singer-songwriter Zander Hawley to perform violin at various Los Angeles venues. They later released their first EP in 2015 as the folk-rock duo Honeywater followed by another EP titled Wonder in 2016.
The prequel TV series The Acolyte features Stenberg as a former Padawan who becomes entangled in a series of crimes investigated by a respected Jedi master named Sol. Two episodes of the show have been released so far, and Episode 3 is set to premiere on June 11.
The Acolyte is available to stream on Disney+.
