Star Wars is a juggernaut. Having that franchise in one’s filmography is akin to touching the stars. While leads like Daisy Ridley, Hayden Christensen, and Mark Hamill have a slightly different relationship with it, actors like Joel Edgerton (Uncle Owen) have nothing but gratitude.
After all, getting a spot in the Galactic franchise means fame and more career opportunities for an unknown Australian actor like Joel Edgerton. But how did he bag the spot of Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen in the franchise? It’s because of a bit of luck and also because he was at the right place at the right time.
How Did Joel Edgerton Become Uncle Owen In Star Wars?
Joel Edgerton first played Uncle Owen or Owen Lars in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002). Then he reprised his role in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. So how did he even land the role in the first place? Edgerton, in an interview with The Guardian, revealed that it’s because he looked similar to Phil Brown, the actor of Owen Lars in 1977’s Star Wars.
He said:
“George Lucas was shooting in Australia. I have the Australian Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance to thank for saying: ‘You need to hire some local actors.’ I was the right age and had the physical similarity.”
The actor reprised his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi too. So how did it feel for him to return to the franchise after 2 decades? Apparently, he was tired of playing the boring character and wanted some action.
Joel Edgerton Revealed His One Condition For Returning To Obi-Wan Kenobi
In an interview with NME, Joel Edgerton revealed that he was a little reticent about stepping back into the role of Uncle Owen for the Disney+ show starring Ewan McGregor‘s Obi-Wan Kenobi. The actor said:
“To be honest, I was a little bit… not snobbish, but reticent in regards to going, ‘I’ve done this before’. I’ve always joked that Uncle Owen is the most boring character in Star Wars history because he’s a moisture farmer and he doesn’t get to wield a lightsaber.”
He wanted to do something interesting and exciting this time so that Owen could become an elevated character. So he begged the makers to at least give him an action sequence. Edgerton said.
“This is my opportunity to put a bit more context on that… Also, my one caveat to them was, ‘I know what you’re planning with the story and how it unfolds, and I’m not asking for more screen time, I just want to do something cool. Can I at least have one fight? Can I at least throw my hessian sleeves up and get into one brawl?'”
The makers accepted and the Warrior star got to get into a brawl with Moses Ingram’s Reva Sevander. Even though his character lost the fight, at least he got his wish.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming on Disney+.
Source: NME and The Guardian
