Hollywood is filled with unique casting stories but it looks like comedian Bill Burr takes the cake on this one. From making fun of Star Wars during his stand-up performances to playing Migs Mayfeld in The Mandalorian, Bill Burr came a long way. But the question is, why would Star Wars want to cast a man who has been making fun of their extremely popular franchise?
Well, that is exactly why. During a recent interview, Bill Burr revealed that The Mandalorian’s creator Jon Favreau found his jokes on the franchise so hilarious that he decided to cast him in the series. Recalling his conversation with Jon Favreau, Bill Burr gives an insight into the conversation he had with the filmmaker before getting cast as Migs Mayfeld.
Bill Burr Recalls His The Mandalorian Casting
Actor and comedian Bill Burr recently appeared for an interview with WIRED where he answered the Internet’s “Most Searched Questions.” When a question came up asking, “How did bill burr end up on the Mandalorian” the comedian had a hilarious story waiting in store for the viewers. Burr revealed that his casting in The Mandalorian was all thanks to creator Jon Favreau who was a big fan and loved the jokes he made on Star Wars.
Burr stated,
“I ended up on The Mandalorian through Jon Favreau who listened to my podcast. He used to always hear me making fun of Star Wars, and thought it was funny. [I] ended up meeting him at a mutual friend’s birthday party. He goes, ‘You know, there’s a part in there that we’re writing right now, and we think you would be good for it.’”
When Burr tried to explain that he actually makes fun of Star Wars, of course not in a hateful way, Favreau stated that he knows all about his work.
“And I was like, ‘You know, Jon, I’ve got to be honest with you. I always kind of make fun of Star Wars. Not in a malicious way, it’s just I see people really enjoying something, and I just know that’s an easy hit. If I make fun of it, I can really just watch them get upset. It fills up my day for whatever reason.’ He goes, ‘I know, I’ve heard it. I think it’s hilarious, and I think your fans would think it was funny if you were on this show.’”
Burr’s wife, Nia Hill, was all in for the idea and gave her husband the “kick” he needed to accept the role.
“By then, you know, my better half, Nia, was kicking me under the table. And I was like, ‘Alright, yeah! Let’s do it. Let’s do it.’”
Well, there you have it. This is how comedian Bill Burr who constantly made fun of the sci-fi franchise ended up being a part of it. If this isn’t the most absurd casting story you’ve heard, then we don’t know what is!
How Star Wars Fans Pleasantly Surprised Bill Burr
Before becoming a part of Star Wars, Burr had a preconceived notion about what the fans of the franchise would be like. Since he has always been a fan of sports, he thought the fans would be equally aggressive. However, the comedian would soon find out that he couldn’t be more wrong.
During an interview with Screen Rant, Burr gushed on about the respectful fans stating,
“I will tell you this, Star Wars fans, they’re cool, man. They actually have like a chill respectful way they approach you, which was really nice. I come from the sports fan world, they’d say, ‘Hey Billy b-tcht-ts, go f-ck yourself’ and I’m just like, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ [Laughs] So I was used to that, but then they were coming up like, ‘Hey, Mr. Burr. I really liked your performance’ and It’s like, ‘Oh wow, these are like fully formed adults.’ [Laughs] I actually had to learn how to converse with them.”
While every franchise has its fair share of aggressive fans, it looks like Burr had the privilege of meeting some truly kind fans.
Burr went on to reprise his role of Migs Mayfeld in The Mandalorian for the second season but did not return for the third.
You can stream The Mandalorian on Disney+.
