The Acolyte has come to an finish with huge reveals, big connections, and a brand new establishment starting to ripple its means throughout the galaxy far, far-off. However whereas io9 has already sat down with one of many darkish brokers shaping that establishment, it’s solely honest that we converse to their apprentice, too, isn’t it?
The Acolyte‘s season finale presents the end result of an extended, unusual journey for twin sisters Osha and Mae. With their roles primarily reversed—Mae’s quest for revenge in opposition to the Jedi that upended her life climaxing along with her selecting to have her reminiscence wiped to maintain Osha secure, whereas Osha herself embraced the darkness simmering inside her to take Mae’s place because the apprentice of the mysterious Stranger—the stage is about for a tumultuous time within the Star Wars galaxy. To search out out extra about Osha and Mae’s divergent paths, and their relationship to the darkish aspect and to the Stranger significantly, we spoke with Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg to look again.
James Whitbrook, io9: What was it like for you on set as an actor having to not simply play Osha and Mae throughout the sequence, however exist in that area the place you’re entering into the headspace of those two sisters on the identical time?
Amandla Stenberg: Oh yeah, it was so fascinating. There was a number of various things for me to consider once I considered their physicality, how they could be alike in that means, how they could be completely different. First off, I believed it could simply be extra attention-grabbing in the event that they had been very completely different folks. I wrote intensive backstories [for both Osha and Mae], and thought lots concerning the concept of nature versus nurture—how they may have been once they had been very small, and the way ideologically may need been very completely different from one another, simply combing by the subtext of these flashback episodes. That was actually useful for me in writing these backstories.
However then I additionally thought concerning the progressions of their lives, and the way that formed them—I can discuss it extra in a kind of lore-y means now. Sol says within the finale that they’re the identical particular person. And as we acquired into that dialogue, as a result of, you realize, there’s this historical past in Star Wars of clones. I talked to Leslye [Headland, The Acolyte showrunner] once we had been going into pre-production, I stated “properly, are they clones of one another? Does that imply I ought to play them as the identical particular person?” and that’s when she stated “No, it’s going to be associated to a vergence within the Pressure.” [When I heard that I said] okay, it’s going to must do with the manipulation of the Pressure, and midi-chlorians—and I heard about their mystical origin story. I believed “properly, then in the event that they are the identical particular person, then there’s this chance for me to consider them as representations of the sunshine and the darkish aspect of the Pressure,” and for his or her essences to be in flux in relation to one another, like yin and yang.
io9: I’m glad you talked about the Brendok episodes—clearly you don’t seem in these, however they’re essential to our understanding of Osha and Mae as characters. Did you get to be on set throughout filming these episodes, or to work together with Lauren and Leah [Brady, the twin actors for Young Mae and Osha]?
Stenberg: So I really flew out to LA months earlier than I even acquired to London for pre-production, and I learn with a number of twin units of actresses. When Leah and Lauren got here in, I simply instantly fell in love with them. We bonded so arduous, in a short time—we performed collectively, and we talked, after which I learn the scenes with them and I gave them notes. So going into filming, we already had this relationship, and I acquired very near them. Whereas we had been filming I’d take them out for prime tea and attempt to spend as a lot time with them. There have been undoubtedly parts of [their performances] that I primarily based my characterization off of as properly. There have been consistencies I wished there to be from them as youngsters, and them as adults. Youngsters are simply so lovely, I simply realized a lot from them as properly. They actually impressed me and helped me create the grownup variations of Osha and Mae.
io9: Trying again to the finale, I wished to ask a couple of huge second for Osha, bleeding Sol’s lightsaber. What was that second like for you, what was going by your head, for a way Osha felt, within the second that change occurs?
Stenberg: I consider it as form of like… kind of a victorious tragedy, or a tragic victory. One of many first issues I considered was Anakin Skywalker, and the kind of incredulous response you may must your individual darkness. Osha goes by so a lot at that time: shock, embodiment, reclamation of her personal I energy. I simply tried to steadiness these issues as finest I may. It felt vital to me that her sort-of-victory was the permission that she gave herself, and the permission she was given by having the entire fact lastly at her disposal, to really feel issues and to lean into her personal emotionality. As a result of she’s somebody who has lived a really emotionally repressed life as much as that time. That felt to me like the most effective illustration of her flip to the darkish aspect, but additionally this shock at your individual energy—we’re usually afraid of our personal energy.
io9: Constructing off of that, we see Osha in a role-reversal with Mae and go off to turn out to be the Stranger’s new Acolyte. Manny Jacinto has spoken in prior interviews concerning the sensuality and seduction in Osha and the Stranger’s relationship, however what was it like so that you can play that relationship with him, in distinction to taking part in Mae’s relationship with him?
Stenberg: It’s so attention-grabbing as a result of folks love the romantic, or kind of seduction aspect of their relationship. I wasn’t essentially pondering of it actively whereas navigating that a part of Osha’s trajectory—I believe the explanation why it reads with a lot rigidity, is as a result of Osha is lastly being given the chance. She’s absolutely being seen by another person, in an actual means, you realize, the darkest and deepest elements of herself are being seen. And I believe there’s one thing very romantic about that.
There’s additionally one thing romantic about this ideological union that’s taking place, of those two individuals who come to imagine the identical issues concerning the world. I believe that simply creates a kind of profound connection between folks, and that’s why it feels that means. I’m glad that labored, as a result of that was our hope. We wished there to be this romantic rigidity and the sense of a union, whereas additionally not explicitly portraying it that means—simply portraying the storyline, which is that this younger lady who has not had the chance to totally be herself, and be snug. After which she finds an individual, and a spot, the place she does.
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.
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