Kumail Nanjiani loved his experience working with Ewan McGregor on a relaxed Obi-Wan Kenobi set. The Disney+ series is one of many exploring the wider Star Wars universe coming to the streaming service, following the tremendous success of The Mandalorian. Obi-Wan Kenobi's six episodes will release sometime in 2022.
While George Lucas' Star Wars prequel trilogy has a complicated legacy with fans of the science-fiction franchise, one element that has always been singled out for praise was McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan, and there was strong interest in seeing him return to the role in a solo project. Disney executives originally envisioned a film centered on the Jedi Master, but following the disappointing performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story, they turned their attention to building something for Disney+ instead. Obi-Wan Kenobi has already wrapped filming, and while the show features an intriguing group of supporting performers, all eyes are really on the Scottish actor in the starring role.
In an interview with Hemispheres, Nanjiani, one of those supporting cast members, says McGregor was as fun to work with as he is for fans to watch. The Pakistani-American actor describes himself as a long-time fan of McGregor's, and one of the joys of filming Obi-Wan was discovering how affable he was in person, both on- and off-set. Unlike many performers, Nanjiani says, McGregor can go in-and-out of intense scenes without letting the emotions carry over after the director calls cut, which made for a lovely shoot:
It was truly a lovefest. I’ve been a fan of Ewan [McGregor’s] for so long. To get to work with him and become friends with him and realize how he’s such a good person? He’s so genuine. I don’t think he knows he’s a movie star. He’s very normal and open. Sometimes you work with actors, and if they’re doing an [intense] scene, they’re obsessed with carrying that energy with them all day. Ewan was not like that. You could do an intense scene and then he’s back to normal, joking around and having fun. And then after that, he’s back in this super-intense scene. It made for a very unstressful shoot.
Nanjiani is one of many Obi-Wan Kenobi actors in currently undisclosed roles, along with The Queen's Gambit's Moses Ingram, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and Benny Safdie, who forms one-half of the brother directing team behind Uncut Gems. The Disney+ show also features the return of some of McGregor's Star Wars co-stars, most notably Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, who joins both this series and Ahsoka. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse will be reprising their roles as Owen and Beru Lars, respectively, the uncle and aunt of Luke Skywalker.
Nanjiani praising McGregor's role in building a relaxed Obi-Wan set is likely music to the ears of Star Wars fans, who are eager for this long-awaited project to live up to expectations. With the show having gathered a strong cast and hired The Mandalorian's Deborah Chow to direct, there are reasons to believe in its potential, and a smooth production process is another key step in the right direction. While Disney will for the time being be focused on promoting The Book of Boba Fett, which premieres in late December, fans are hoping more information about Obi-Wan Kenobi will drop at the upcoming Disney+ Day event.
Source: Hemispheres
