From the team at Star Wars Insider comes Star Wars: The Galaxy’s Greatest Heroes, bringing an in-depth look at the heroes of the Star Wars galaxy and the actors behind these much-loved characters. StarWars.com delve into the issue which arrives 15th February, looking at the two actors who have played Lando Calrissian on the big screen, Billy Dee Williams and Donald Glover.
SWI: Much of Lando’s charming persona was derived from Williams’ himself.
Billy Dee Williams: Well there’s an awful lot of Billy Dee in Lando. I think I’m a pretty charming guy. I don’t take myself seriously, and I think that’s a good thing. I’ve always admired men who were subtly cool. I loved Duke Ellington. But he was also very entertaining at the same time. I’ve always wanted to play Ellington. I came very close to playing him a few times. It should have happened. I think I’m the only one who could really pull it off, because the guy was such an interesting individual, and I understand that kind of charm. I don’t know if there are any other guys around today who really understand it.
SWI: The film elaborated on the relationship between Lando and his friend and rival, Han Solo.
Donald Glover: They don’t trust each other, but they have a common goal. They have friends in common, and they have people they care about. They are acquaintances who care about each other, but at the end of the day they are also in competition with one another, which I think is complex, but also very real. Good movies need a release valve, so I think comedy is important. There should be something that feels light when there’s darkness in the story. I thought it had a lot of heart and presented a view of why people do things. I felt like it hit the sweet spot of being something that everybody could understand, while also being true to the world—not necessarily our world, but very specific to human nature, which I really liked.
- Hardcover Book
- Christopher, Adam (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 496 Pages - 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
