‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ star Brendan Wayne is following in his grandfather John Wayne’s footsteps with his ‘Star Wars’ character. While talking about his latest stint with The Mandalorian and Grogu, the actor opened up about how he used his grandfather’s work as inspiration and how he approached portraying the Mandalorian.
Brendan Wayne on working in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’
Wayne embodies the Mandalorian in the film, while Pedro Pascal plays the character whenever his helmet is off. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that he had to ensure he stayed fully present in the moment whenever he was in the armour on set. He shared that “stillness” is one of the greatest things he has learned as an actor.He added, “For me, that journey, I always fought that because my grandfather was exceptional at being present and radiating whatever [was happening around him]. John Ford loved to say to him, ‘The less I give you, Duke, the better the movie is going to be.’ It sounds like a slight, but it was more about if you just be there, it’s as powerful as anything.”Wayne also shared that he brought his grandfather’s quiet and composed persona to the character, which helped him control his actions and remain in sync with the role. He said, “When they were directing me, the more still I became, the more I became like my grandfather, the more I became like the samurai that he studied. Every movement had a meaning; you don’t waste them. And with samurai, every movement is a kill movement.”He further revealed that he wanted the Mandalorian to remain calm and present even when the cameras were not rolling. He explained that he would often arrive on set early, work out, get into costume, and spend time walking around the set.“I wanted him to be as smooth as my grandfather, Clint Eastwood, or Yul Brynner in Westworld. I wanted him as smooth as could be so that every movement did matter,” he added.As per Box Office Mojo, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ has earned around USD 33 million domestically in the US.
