Donald Glover is a jack-of-all-trades. He first drew attention for his work with Derrick Comedy, which prompted Tina Fey to hire him as a writer for 30 Rock. He then drew further attention with his role as Troy Barnes on NBC’s Community. Since then, he has appeared in multiple films like Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Martian, and Magic Mike XXL. Glover will be voicing Simba in a remake of Disney’s The Lion King.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is an English actress, playwright, writer, and director. She is more known for her written works, with her current series Killing Eve acquiring rave reviews. However, she is also most known for her acting in BBC’s Fleabag. Both play Lando Calrissian and L3-37 respectfully in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which premieres in theaters on May 25, 2018.
Screen Rant got a chance to talk with Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on press day, where we discussed the relationship between Lando and L-3, what advice Glover received from Billy Dee Williams in his portrayal of Lando, and what separates L-3 from the droids we have been introduced to in the Star Wars Cinematic Universe.
SR: First of all, this movie so much fun! Lando is my favorite character of all time, of all times. Such an intriguing character to me. Can you guys talk to me about the chemistry between Lando and L-3, because I feel like this is the one, kind of like, female that Lando can't necessarily like tame, you know what I mean? The charms don't work on L-3.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: Yeah. I think that's really true. (Laughs).
Donald Glover: That's really true.
Phoebe Waller- Bridge: She sees right through it.
Donald Glover: There's something... Yeah. Like, you know, you always want what you can't have.
SR: It's true.
Donald Glover: That's just human nature.
SR: The Internet freaked out when they saw a picture with you, with you and Billy Dee Williams and I thought it was amazing. I think you're the perfect Lando. Did he have any advice for you at all?
Donald Glover: Be charming. That was this one piece of advice he was like, yeah, I think, I tried to steer the conversation more towards something and he's like just be charming and they don't over... stop over-thinking it, you know, kind of thing. He's like, you know?
SR: It worked.
Donald Glover: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like it's a simple thing that you can just keep going back to. It was like, are you charming them? you don't have to keep thinking like, well, he's from here and what he do like... you know, people are complicated, but I think on top of all that, like Lando is somebody who gets what he wants through people wanting, thinking that he wants something from them.
SR: Such a con-man. I love it. I love Lando. Now, L-3. Star Wars has a long lineage of great scene stealing droids. Now L-3 is a part of that list. What in your opinion separates L-3 from everybody else? L-3 so sassy. I love L-3.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: She, um, well she self-made. So she's created herself out with lots of other bits of joints. So that's unique. Uh, she has a very unique sense of humor. I mean they all have a unique sense of self, but I think she has an agenda which is unusual that it goes beyond being a droid. She feels like she has a bigger role to play in that she's, you know, she's rebellious and she wants to change things. She has an ideology and I think that's unique to her story and she can like slumped in a chair, cross her legs and give a bit of attitude.
SR: With the Star Wars franchise and films you automatically... it's a sci-fi movie. It's a big budget sci-fi movie. However, this film felt like it was all practical sets. Everything looked like really practical. Can you talk to me a little bit about how that helps you as a performer? Being on a practical set like that?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: It's just so massive, isn't it? It just does a lot of the work for you. I think when you're in the cockpit and you're surrounded by a screen that is actually going into hyperdrive... Hyperspace....
Donald Glover: Yeah. Hyperdrive. Hyperspace. Hyperdrive. They're both acceptable.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: It's so much easier to believe it. Yeah, and then you just whip yourself up into this imaginative storm that you are actually there. That's a real treat.
SR: Where would you like to see Lando kind of go next? Because Lando can do anything and he does. Like in Empire (Strikes Back) he starts off betraying the Rebels and then by Return (of the Jedi) he's like a General. So Lando could do anything, so where would you like to see Lando go next?
Donald Glover: I really just want to see him, like doing all of that. Still doing anything. Like I think that would just be fun to just see him just like... Because like we see him change so many... He's just like, I think charismatic and people like, you know what, you should own this city. You should own Cloud City, like that kind of thing like, or winning. So I think it would be just nice to see like, oh, like I'm a General and now I'm mad at this hotel, and then now, I'm just like... I think that will be just funny but also cool to see like how far charm gets you. Almost like a 'Catch Me If You Can. A space 'Catch Me If You Can' .
