Who knew that the Harry Potter franchise would have an influence over supervising director Dave Filoni for Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Well, that is exactly what happened in 2011.
The Harry Potter franchise had numerous villains over the years. From Professor Quirrell to Barty Crouch Jr., the villains were many. Amongst them, however, Jason Isaacs shined in the role of Lucius Malfoy.
Dave Filoni Wanted Jason Isaacs For The Clone Wars
Father of Draco Malfoy and a (somewhat) loyal servant to Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy was a despicable character who fans loved to hate. From kicking Dobby down the stairs to poisoning Ginny with Riddle’s diary, the list is endless.
On the other hand, supervising director Dave Filoni was busy working on the 2011 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Filoni, however, had an affinity for Isaacs and had wanted to work with him for a long time.
In an interview via Star Wars Insider Magazine, Dave Filoni revealed that he wanted Jason Isaacs for a role but he didn’t know where.
I wanted to put him into The Clone Wars for a long time, but I just didn’t have the character that I thought was the right fit for him.
He further continued,
It struck Simon Kinberg, Greg Weisman, and, I that this guy would make a great Inquisitor or maybe an Imperial officer of some kind.
When they struck gold, Jason Isaacs was called for voicing a character in Star Wars Rebels and Isaacs readily agreed. However, Filoni also revealed that there were several reasons why they chose Jason Isaacs.
From a ranging coolness to having a villainous demeanor, Jason Isaacs was the perfect man to voice the role of The Grand Inquisitor and Filoni had nothing but praises for Isaacs.
Dave Filoni Wanted Jason Isaacs For a Reason
As the interview further continued, Dave Filoni went on to praise Jason Isaacs and the iconic villainous aura that he brought into his characters. Portraying the role of Lucious Malfoy, Isaacs found worldwide fame and love.
Upon deciding that the actor was going to play the role of an Inquisitor or an Imperial officer, Filoni and the producers got to work.
Jason had a calm coolness in his voice and he’s very well-schooled in what makes an excellent bad guy. When I directed him in the voice sessions, he would have a lot of input into what could make the Inquisiter more than just your average villain and what keeps him powerful.
Although the idea was for The Clone Wars, Jason Isaacs voiced the role of The Grand Inquisitor in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels. The iconic show ran for 4 seasons before concluding in 2018.
With 4 seasons to its name, Star Wars Rebels received a rating of 8.1/10 on IMDB and a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic 2014 show is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
