Lee Jungjae as Jedi –Grasp Sol DISNEY+
Lee Jung-jae has been breaking glass ceilings all through his celebrated profession, with Emmy, Display screen Actors Guild, Critics’ Alternative and 6 Baeksang Arts awards tucked snugly underneath his overstuffed belt.
Refusing to relaxation on his laurels, the 51-year-old South Korean actor is including one other feather in his cap together with his function as a Jedi grasp within the acclaimed eight-part sequence “The Acolyte” (93-percent contemporary score on Rotten Tomatoes). The present was launched with a two-episode rollout on Disney+ final Wednesday.
Along with his present Hollywood challenge, Jung-jae turns into the primary Asian to get forged as a revered member of the paranormal knightly order in George Lucas’ iconic “Star Wars” franchise.
JJ, as associates and colleagues fondly name him, might have remodeled into a worldwide star by means of his career-boosting flip in “Squid Sport,” however we first noticed him method again in 2000 by way of the time-travel romance “Il Mare,” which costarred Jun Ji-hyun.
Today, the actor-director will be seen sizzling on the heels of a vengeful murderer in a galaxy far, distant—with a lightsaber in his hand and a chipper, pocket-sized droid named Pip by his facet. Set on the finish of the Excessive Republic period roughly 100 years earlier than “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” “The Acolyte” performs out like a homicide thriller or a costumed crime procedural.
As seen within the first two episodes, the epic story follows Sol (Jung-jae), a revered Jedi grasp who investigates a string of murders that sees him crossing paths once more together with his former Padawan protégé, Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg in a twin function)—who had turned her again on the Order six years in the past.
Osha inadvertently turns into the primary suspect within the killing of two formidable Jedi masters after witnesses see a girl who appears to be like precisely like her leaving the scene of the crime. On the elusive killer’s hitlist are 4 Jedi masters: Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss), Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman), the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Sol himself!
Unknown to clueless kibitzers and Karens of their midst who’re fast to evaluate, Osha’s twin sister, Mae, was presumed to have died 16 years in the past. Will Sol assist Osha come up with her elusive sister and clear her title?
Story unravels
“If you have a look at the all the different installments within the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, chronologically talking, the story of ‘The Acolyte’ takes place within the sci-fi saga’s earliest period,” Jung-jae acknowledged on the press con held final Wednesday. “So, I went into this with the thought that I’m like essentially the most senior of the Jedi. And after I was fascinated about the way to convey my character to life, I needed to delve extra into the human facet of Sol.
“So, when Sol feels worry, disappointment or remorse, I would like to have the ability to specific all that. I simply need him to be extra expressive. I believed one thing like that might convey one thing completely different in comparison with the opposite Jedi characters. I watched all the Jedi who inhabited the opposite ‘Star Wars’ productions and thought of how to attract a connection between them and my character. That was prime of thoughts for me.”
Requested if there was a specific character that really resonated with him, the actor shared, “Earlier than we started filming, I watched each single one of many movies and paid explicit consideration to the Jedi characters. So I used to be simply naturally drawn to Liam Neeson’s character Qui-Gon Jinn. I sort of needed these two to have a connection.
“Chronologically talking, Grasp Sol comes earlier than Qui-Gon Jinn, so who is aware of, perhaps Qui-Gon Jinn may have been Sol’s Padawan. That was one thing that I used to be imagining, that’s why I felt a particular attachment to Qui-Gon Jinn.
“What stands out about ‘The Acolyte’ is that it’s a thriller thriller that stays very true to its style. And the way we’re going to maximise the viewers’s curiosity is one thing that [showrunner, creator and director] Leslye Headland actually thought lengthy and arduous about—and I may see that from the script going backwards and forwards and between previous and current.
“It’s a narrative that’s advised by means of completely different timelines. That’s how the story performs out. The extra you watch, the extra the story unravels, and the extra intriguing the entire scenario turns into.”
Excerpts from the Q&A on the press con:
What had been some issues that you simply discovered notable as you had been working in a Hollywood manufacturing?
It at all times take a very long time to shoot abroad productions. It might typically take me three to 4 months to work exterior of Korea, however by no means so long as this: 10 months! In some ways, there have been sure challenges and difficulties, however one of many issues that was a precedence was performing in a language I’m not a local in.
You see, even when I’m appearing in Korean, the pronunciation, enunciation the place you pause your speech, the slightest change can typically convey a distinct temper or nuance. However this time round, because it was one hundred pc in English, it was one thing that I paid explicit consideration to.
English is just not my first language, however they had been very affected person with me and made me really feel comfy.
Fortunately, I had two fantastic dialect coaches and two English tutors. So, about 4 months previous to filming, I started coaching with them. And after I went to London, I additionally had in-person periods and Zoom calls. I used to be given sufficient time to actually get myself into that rhythm. And so, it didn’t grow to be that vast of a problem, though typically, if Leslie thought that my supply wanted to imbue a distinct nuance, we might simply do a number of takes.
You’re a prime actor in Korea, however you agreed to audition for this function. What was that course of like for you?
First, I had two rounds of Zoom conferences with Leslye. She selected two scenes for me to do from the script, however I didn’t actually know what function I used to be going to play. So I practiced the dialogue, then with Amandla Stenberg, who performs Osha, and went by means of a digital camera check. I believed it felt like a chemistry rehearsal to test if I had good chemistry with the opposite members of the forged.
There was this different crew member simply passing by, and he talked about that there have been two or three extra folks ready—I eavesdropped on that (laughs). There have been additionally very well-known folks there for the digital camera check. I believed, “Okay, so that is truly an audition.”
After that, I got here again to Korea and, after about 10 days, I heard the excellent news that I obtained in. Then, I obtained the scripts for the primary 4 episodes. However when Leslye advised me that I used to be going to play Jedi Grasp Sol, I used to be very pleasantly shocked. And after I flew to London, I obtained the remainder of the scripts for the present.
Did you talk about with Leslye the repercussions of taking part in the primary Asian Jedi?
Leslye was very agency about this, saying that if you happen to’re a “Star Wars” fan who doesn’t need an Asian Jedi, then you’ll be able to’t say you’re a real “Star Wars” fan. She was adamant about making that time.
Once I went to the boot camp, actors with completely different backgrounds from completely different international locations had been there, from the US, UK, Spain and lots of different nations—it was like this large world celebration! So I knew that I needed to do properly. It was my private feeling. I needed to immerse myself into the character and take a look at my finest to convey him to life. That was what I targeted on.
What has modified for you as an actor earlier than and after “Squid Sport”?
Effectively, there are large modifications, which embody turning into a part of the “Star Wars” universe. There are a lot of provides globally, however apart from that, I don’t actually really feel like a lot has modified. However after all there have been …
[Doing] “Squid Sport” has undoubtedly remodeled the atmosphere wherein I work in, and I don’t know if it’s truthful to say that that’s all that has modified, as a result of I can’t deny how essential and vital it’s for my profession.
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Any recommendation to viewers who’ve by no means seen a “Star Wars” manufacturing?
[As mentioned earlier,] “The Acolyte” takes place within the earliest days of the saga. So, you can begin with this one. The sequence can introduce you to the “Star Wars” IP. I really feel like you’ll be able to come into this present with out feeling any sort of burden [of not having seen the titles that came before it]. It has its personal strengths, and you may comply with the story simply. INQ
