Jude Law is adding another iconic franchise to his filmography withStar Wars: Skeleton Crew. Since breaking out in the ’90s with acclaimed turns inShopping,Wilde,GattacaandThe Talented Mr. Ripley, Law has starred in everything from such blockbuster productions as Steven Spielberg’sA.I.: Artificial Intelligenceto such award-nominated dramas asCloser,Cold MountainandContagion. The Oscar nominee has also lent his talents to multiple franchises, including playing the villainous Yon-Rogg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’sCaptain Marvel,Dumbledore in theFantastic Beastsmoviesand Dr. John Watson in the Robert Downey Jr.-ledSherlock Holmesmovies.
Law stars inStar Wars: Skeleton Crewas Jod Na Nawood, a mysterious galactic rogue and traveller who is Force sensitive. When stumbling upon a group of children who have inadvertently lightspeed travelled from their quiet Republic home planet to the far end of the galaxy after discovering an abandoned ship, Jod forms a partnership with them in order to safely travel back home. Along the way, though, the group will learn more about Jod as they question his ultimate motivations for embarking on the journey.
Sith, Jedi, Palpatine Clone? The 6 Most Exciting Theories About Jude Law’s Star Wars Character
Jude Law’s mysterious new character is clearly hiding a secret - but is he a secret Sith, a Palpatine clone, an Order 66 survivor, or something more?
Alongside Law, theensembleStar Wars: Skeleton Crewcastincludes Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon, Nick Frost, Marti Matulis, Jaleel White, Fred Tatasciore, Mike Estes and Dale Soules. Bringing a sense of lighthearted adventure in the vein of classic Amblin movies likeThe Goonies, the show proves to be a refreshing deviation from the tried-and-true formula of the Lucasfilm franchise.
In anticipation of the show’s premiere,Screen Rantinterviewed Jude Law to discussStar Wars: Skeleton Crew, his secret to avoiding sharing secrets for the big franchises he’s become a part of, what to expect from his mysterious character in the show, collaborating with showrunners Jon Watts and Christopher Ford to really flesh out Jod’s backstory, and his favorite memory from the Lucasfilm franchise’s storied history.
Law Learned To “Put Up The Iron Curtain” To Protect Franchise Secrets
“They shouldn’t know everything.”
Screen Rant:Skeleton Crewis fantastic. Every single episode had this childlike nostalgia that just hit me. And it feels like you’re great at keeping secrets because it reminds me a little bit of when you played Yon-Rogg and were hiding who the character was. How did the secrecy of working at Marvel Studios help prepare you for the secrecy of working on aStar Warsproperty?
Jude Law: You just learn to put up the iron curtain of “No comment,” or let people fill the question or the curiosity, field it, and then there’s a certain smirk you have to develop. I go, “yeah, maybe. Maybe!” Also, I’m a great believer in keeping secrets because it makes the experience better. I want the audience to have a wonderful experience watching this, and they shouldn’t have to know it. They shouldn’t know everything. There are twists and turns.
Law Loves The Rumors Surrounding Jod (But Won’t React To Any Of Them)
“He’s a survivor, but he’s clearly quick-witted and changeable.”
I agree with you. I don’t know how much you follow online rumors or not, but there was a lot of speculation on who your character was. And after I watched the show, I was so happy that I didn’t know who your character was. Did you know any wild rumors about your character?
Jude Law: No. I’ve just been told a couple by a few of the other interviewers today, so I know there were rumors that he was linked to Palpatine or Rey’s father, and I love all of that. I love the passion for this universe and the potential in this universe; the links and people’s sort of desire for paths and characters [to] cross. I mean, it’s what makes it so alive.
I feel like your character isripped out ofStar Warslore, but you’re not quite sure which part of that lore he’s from, because he has so many stories. How much of this mystery did you want to bring to your character?
Jude Law: The mystery was the key. Knowing the scale of the universe now and therefore what it might be like to survive in that meant I could draw on all sorts of influences and inspirations. Obviously, the character himself has that potential because he’s slightly contradictory, duplicitous, and multi-faceted. He’s a survivor, but he’s clearly quick-witted and changeable.
The big question is: is he loyal? Is he a threat? What’s his intention? But what was wonderful was just being able to look at the canon and go, “Okay, if he’s that, then maybe he can remind people of this. If he’s that, maybe he can remind people of that.” Drawing on all of that just meant it was like cherry-picking.
Jod’s Relationship With The Kids Is Essential For Everyone’s Arcs
“…the relationship will go through pitfalls and rises.”
I love the relationship that your character has with these kids, specifically Wim. I feel like he projects a hero’s image onto your character that your character doesn’t shy away from. Can you talk to me about Wim’s relationship with your character and how we see that progress throughout the show?
Jude Law: What I loved about this concept was the idea of making the protagonists children, because children have an innocence. They have a sense of awe of the world and excitement, and a desire for heroes to be heroes and for the world and life to be an adventure. Wim is absolutely front and center of that. I just think it sheds light on the universe that we haven’t seen for a while, and it’s actually pretty unique.
But you are right that Jod, of course, sees in that an opportunity. “If he thinks that, then why am I going to tell him otherwise? If he thinks this, then why would I tell him otherwise?” But there’s not absolute honesty in that, so the relationship will go through pitfalls and rises. And as with all of them, it’s a living and breathing relationship and the kids give as good as they get.
These kids are incredible in the show, their chemistry is great with each other, and you’re so much fun with them. What did they bring to their roles that surprised you?
Jude Law: First of all, what they brought to their roles was an incredible ability to perform. They’re wonderful young actors, and they knew their parts. They also knew how to lean into their parts and turn up emotions when and if they needed to. They were listening and learning very fast. The team was very clever in casting [because] there’s a little bit of them in the roles anyway that obviously they saw and thought, “She’s going to be great at that. He’s going to be great at that.” They were smart enough to listen and let the kids embellish with themselves. Honestly, their brightness, their uniqueness — all of that was what impressed me the most.
What does your character learn about himself through his interactions with these kids? And what did you learn about yourself playing this role?
Jude Law: It’s easier to talk about myself than the character because I don’t how much he learns. He’s pretty set in his ways. I don’t think he’d begrudge saying that he cares for them, even though his actions don’t always demonstrate that. What did I learn? They reminded me on a daily basis to enjoy the playfulness of acting and filmmaking. It’s a job, and you should take it seriously, yet there’s a sense of play and a playfulness that needs to be embraced.
Law Worked Closely With Watts & Ford To “Really Embellish” Jod’s Backstory
“They were very open to my suggestions…”
I think John and Chris did such a fantastic job on this show. I know thatStar Wars,more recently, has been using a lot of the Volume and green screen, but this felt like it was going back to the basics where everything was done in camera. Can you talk about working with John and Chris as collaborators on this show?
Jude Law: First of all, before we even got into production, they were fantastically collaborative with ideas on how to really embellish Jod’s backstory and who he was. They were very open to my suggestions, and that’s always a really great starting point because you’re figuring a character out. You want to find them in you, and you really want to get them to get into your system so that you can step into their boots and plausibly be that person. That helps when you feel like the DNA of them is in the writing.
Their understanding of the technical approach is incredible, and so is their attention to detail. And then also to be able to oversee and to gently godfather these amazing other directors who obviously all have their own experience, vision and style? That’s not an easy job. But they did it just with such grace and such an open heart. It felt very much like a team effort, but they were our leaders. We were following them.
“…it was remarkable.”
What is your favoriteStar Warsmemory growing up?
Jude Law: It’s an odd one, but honestly, it’s probably when Empire Strike Back came out. I was very, very young, and it was probably one of the first times I really remember going to the cinema because it was so formative and so profound — as it was for pretty much everyone. It changed cinema, and it was an early experience of going to the cinema. So, to me, it was just, “What is this?”
I also was aware that there was another one coming, so the excitement of the Empire Strikes Back coming and going, I don’t think I’ve ever topped it because I knew how good the last was. I don’t know that we had a VHS player back then — I don’t know that you were even able to rent videos back then — so I think I’d only seen the first one once. Maybe we went twice, but then you had to wait two or three years.
Then it’s here, and you’re a couple of years older, so you kind of understand what’s going on. And just for it to deliver the way it did right down to the Tauntaun, with [Han] pulling out the guts, and going like, “What’s going on these creatures?” I mean, it was remarkable.
AboutStar Wars: Skeleton Crew
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.
The series stars Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon and Nick Frost. Episodes are directed by Jon Watts, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung.
Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are the head writers and also serve as executive producers along with Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Chris Buongiorno, Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are the co-executive producers, and Susan McNamara and John Bartnicki are the producers.
Check out our otherStar Wars: Skeleton Crewinterviews with:
The first two episodes ofStar Wars: Skeleton Crewpremiere Monday, December 2, at 6:00 p.m. PST on Disney+, followed by new episodes Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. PST for the remainder of the season!
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
