A Gentle Giant and His Co-Star

Host Kristin Baver welcomes actors Joonas Suotamo and Dean-Charles Chapman from the upcoming series The Acolyte to the Star Wars Celebration LIVE! stage. The crowd roars as the two take their seats, with Baver noting the stark height difference between the nearly seven-foot-tall Suotamo and his co-star [00:01]. When asked if Suotamo gave Chapman any pointers on set, Suotamo jokes, “Well I told Dean do as I do not what I say, and that went he went far with that” [01:54].

Handling the Sabers

Baver notes that both actors get to handle lightsabers in the upcoming series, asking Chapman what it is like to finally swing one on a Star Wars show [02:14]. Chapman makes the iconic lightsaber noise into the microphone before noting how surprisingly heavy the props actually are [02:30]. “I was really surprised on how heavy they are… the ones that we had are surprisingly like you know quite weighty,” Chapman explains [02:40].

A Wookiee Jedi

Baver turns her attention to Suotamo, expressing her sheer excitement over his new role. “A Wookiee Jedi! I’m just gonna keep talking about it because I’m just so excited for you,” she declares [03:03]. Suotamo agrees that the concept is unbelievable. He explains that playing Jedi Master Kelnacca offered an interesting challenge because he wanted to ensure the character felt completely different from his iconic portrayal of Chewbacca [03:51].

When asked about his lightsaber training, Suotamo credits the stunt team, noting they were the same crew he worked with on Solo: A Star Wars Story. He also reveals a surprising inspiration for his fighting style: “I was playing this video game about samurais and I really wanted to try those moves in the saber arena,” he says, confirming to the cheering crowd that the game was Ghost of Tsushima [04:56]. He even demonstrates one of his stances on stage [05:35].

Growing Up with the Galaxy

Baver asks the duo about their connection to Star Wars growing up [05:56]. Chapman shares that his introduction was actually through video games, specifically playing LEGO Star Wars when he was seven years old before ever watching the films [06:10].

Suotamo recalls watching the original films on VHS as a child. He shares a funny misunderstanding, admitting that when he watched Luke Skywalker drinking blue milk, he thought it was “blue oatmeal” because he ate a lot of oatmeal as a kid [06:54]. He notes that the franchise permeated his life because his dad was a massive fan.

A Premonition

Suotamo then shares a touching, full-circle story. He remembers getting his own computer during his freshman year of college and Googling who was inside the Chewbacca suit. “It was Peter Mayhew, the one and only,” he tells the crowd [07:35]. He views that moment as a premonition, marveling at the fact that 10 years later, he was putting on the suit alongside Mayhew himself [07:59]. Suotamo expresses deep gratitude for the fantastic journey and his excitement to bring an original story to life with the incredible cast and crew of The Acolyte [08:13].