The Acolyte has come to an finish with large reveals, big connections, and a brand new established order starting to ripple its approach throughout the galaxy far, far-off. However whereas io9 has already sat down with one of many darkish brokers shaping that established order, it’s solely truthful that we converse to their apprentice, too, isn’t it?
The Acolyte‘s season finale presents the fruits of a protracted, unusual journey for twin sisters Osha and Mae. With their roles primarily reversed—Mae’s quest for revenge towards the Jedi that upended her life climaxing together with her selecting to have her reminiscence wiped to maintain Osha protected, 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 seek out out extra about Osha and Mae’s divergent paths, and their relationship to the darkish facet and to the Stranger notably, 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 moving into the headspace of those two sisters on the similar time?
Amandla Stenberg: Oh yeah, it was so fascinating. There was a number of various things for me to consider after I considered their physicality, how they is likely to be alike in that approach, how they is likely to be totally different. First off, I believed it could simply be extra fascinating in the event that they had been very totally different folks. I wrote in depth backstories [for both Osha and Mae], and thought rather a lot concerning the thought of nature versus nurture—how they may have been after they had been very small, and the way ideologically might need been very totally 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 type of lore-y approach now. Sol says within the finale that they’re the identical particular person. And as we obtained into that dialogue, as a result of, you understand, 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 Drive.” [When I heard that I said] okay, it’s going to should do with the manipulation of the Drive, 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 facet of the Drive,” 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 truly flew out to LA months earlier than I even obtained 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 exhausting, 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 obtained very near them. Whereas we had been filming I’d take them out for top 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 kids, and them as adults. Youngsters are simply so lovely, I simply discovered a lot from them as properly. They actually impressed me and helped me create the grownup variations of Osha and Mae.
io9: Wanting again to the finale, I wished to ask a few large 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… type of a victorious tragedy, or a tragic victory. One of many first issues I considered was Anakin Skywalker, and the type of incredulous response you may should 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 greatest I might. 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 all the reality 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 perfect illustration of her flip to the darkish facet, but additionally this shock at your individual energy—we’re typically 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 enjoying Mae’s relationship with him?
Stenberg: It’s so fascinating as a result of folks love the romantic, or type of seduction facet of their relationship. I wasn’t essentially pondering of it actively whereas navigating that a part of Osha’s trajectory—I feel the explanation why it reads with a lot pressure, is as a result of Osha is lastly being given the chance. She’s absolutely being seen by another person, in an actual approach, you understand, the darkest and deepest components of herself are being seen. And I feel there’s one thing very romantic about that.
There’s additionally one thing romantic about this ideological union that’s occurring, of those two individuals who come to consider the identical issues concerning the world. I feel that simply creates a type of profound connection between folks, and that’s why it feels that approach. I’m glad that labored, as a result of that was our hope. We wished there to be this romantic pressure and the sense of a union, whereas additionally not explicitly portraying it that approach—simply portraying the storyline, which is that this younger lady who has not had the chance to totally be herself, and be comfy. After which she finds an individual, and a spot, the place she does.
The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.
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