Amandla Stenberg and Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae lead the cast of the new Disney Plus series – and there are plenty of other big names involved too.
Star Wars has never had much difficulty attracting some big names to a galaxy far, far away – and the latest series in the beloved sci-fi franchise certainly continues that pattern.
Amandla Stenberg leads the cast of The Acolyte, and she’s joined in the cast by a number of familiar faces including Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae – who is making his English-language debut having learned the language specifically for his role in the series.
Meanwhile, there are also big roles for stars from The Good Place, His Dark Materials and The Matrix, as well as a return for a star of the sequel trilogy – so there’s no shortage of acting talent involved.
The show takes place roughly a century before the events of The Phantom Menace – which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary – and follows events after a well-regarded Jedi Master (Lee) gets dragged into a dangerous conflict with a former Padawan (Stenberg) while he is carrying out investigations into a series of crimes.
Read on for a full list of the stars who feature in the series and more information about where you might have seen them before.
The Acolyte cast: All the stars in new Star Wars series
- Amandla Stenberg as Osha and Mae
- Lee Jung-jae as Sol
- Manny Jacinto as Qimir
- Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon
- Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar
- Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya
- Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh
- Joonas Suotamo as Kelnacca
- Carrie-Anne Moss as Indara
- Dean-Charles Chapman as Torbin
Amandla Stenberg plays Osha and Mae
Who are Osha and Mae? Osha and Mae are sisters who were torn apart from each other in their youth by a tragic event. Recently chatting to RadioTimes.com, Stenberg confirmed she’ll be playing two characters and gave us an idea as to what to expect.
She said: “For one of my characters, I wanted that character to feel warm and kind of masculine and I thought about Han Solo. There’s this humour and levity to Star Wars that makes it so joyous and fun and I wanted that to be a part of her, and with the other character, I thought about Anakin when he went to the dark side of the force. His story is all driven by his relationship to his family and a deep pain that exists there and it’s very similar for one of my characters.”
What else has Amandla Stenberg been in? Stenberg first found fame as a child actor – playing Rue in the first Hunger Games film – and has gone on to star in a range of films including Everything, Everything, The Hate U Give, Dear Evan Hansen and Bodies Bodies Bodies. On the small screen, she had a main role on Netflix series The Eddy in 2020.
Lee Jung-jae plays Sol
Who is Sol? A respected Jedi Master, who trains younglings. Osha was his padawan.
Chatting to RadioTimes.com, Lee said of Sol: “My character, Master Sol, he really cares for both Osha and Mae and he feels a lot of guilt over the situations in the past that led to what’s happening in the present. Because of this guilt, he is going through a lot of inner turmoil, and because of the multi-layered nature of this conflict, it was really fun and interesting to act alongside Amandla and express these situations.”
What else has Lee Jung-jae been in? South Korean star Lee will be best known to Western audiences for playing the lead role of Seong Gi-hun in Netflix’s international sensation Squid Game. This is his first role in English – and he learned the language specifically for the part.
Manny Jacinto plays Qimir
Who is Qimir? A former smuggler who now lives a life of leisure.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Jacinto said of Qimir: “He is a bit of a selfish little dude! He’s paving his own path, he’s got that lone wolf attitude, he’s not really about the Jedi but he’s also not really about Mae and her master, he’s really just trying to survive.”
What else has Manny Jacinto been in? Jacinto is best known for his role as Jason Mendoza on The Good Place, while other notable credits include Brand New Cherry Flavour, Nine Perfect Strangers and films including Bad Times at the El Royale and Top Gun: Maverick.
Dafne Keen plays Jecki Lon
Who is Jecki Lon? Sol’s young Padawan.
What else has Dafne Keen been in? You might recognise Keen for her leading role as Lyra in the BBC’s adaptation of His Dark Materials, while before that she had a starring role alongside Hugh Jackman in Logan.
Charlie Barnett plays Yord Fandar
Who is Yord Fandar? A by-the-book Jedi Knight and temple guardian.
What else has Charlie Barnett been in? Barnett has had main roles in a number of TV shows including Chicago Fire, Russian Doll, Tales of the City, You and Ordinary Joe.
Jodie Turner-Smith plays Mother Aniseya
Who is Mother Aniseya? The leader of a coven of Force witches.
What else has Jodie Turner-Smith been in? After beginning her career as a model, Turner-Smith has made a successful move into the world of acting thanks to roles in films such as The Neon Demon, Queen & Slim and After Yang. On the small screen, she’s been in The Last Ship, Anne Boleyn and Sex Education.
Rebecca Henderson plays Vernestra Rwoh
Who is Vernestra Rwoh? A senior member of the Jedi Order who rose to prominence as a young prodigy.
What else has Rebecca Henderson been in? Henderson is known for her roles on TV shows including Westworld, Russian Doll, Inventing Anna and Single White Female. Meanwhile, film credits include Mistress America, Werewolves Within and Call Jane.
Joonas Suotamo plays Kelnacca
Who is Kelnacca? A Wookiee Jedi who lives a solitary life.
What else has Joonas Suotamo been in? Suotamo is no stranger to playing a Wookie, having replaced the late Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Other acting credits include Willow and the upcoming second season of Wednesday, while he previously had a career as a professional basketball player.
Carrie-Anne Moss plays Indara
Who is Indara? A Jedi Master proficient in “Force-fu” fighting
What else has Carrie-Anne Moss been in? Moss will need no introduction to most sci-fi fans thanks to her iconic role as Trinity in The Matrix and its sequels, while other film credits include Memento, Disturbia and Pompeii. On the small screen, she’s known for her role as Jeri Hogarth in Marvel‘s Jessica Jones, while she appeared in the second season of hit Channel 4 series Humans.
Dean-Charles Chapman plays Torbin
Who is Torbin? A Jedi Master stationed at a Jedi outpost.
What else has Dean-Charles Chapman been in? Chapman is perhaps best known for his role as Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones, and has appeared in recurring roles in several other TV shows include The White Queen, Into the Badlands, and The Walk-In.
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Star Wars: The Acolyte begins on Disney Plus on 4th June 2024. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.