‘Star Wars’ fans were cast as extras in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

Any hardcore Star Wars would tell you it would be a dream to appear in the franchise, and for some that dream came true with Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Maya Erskine, who was cast in a supporting role for Obi-Wan Kenobi, told the Just for Variety podcast that “the extras were incredible on the set, and a lot of them were mega Star Wars fans.” Erskine went on to describe just how hardcore these fans were.

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“One guy, he was so nice and he lifted up his sleeves and had Star Wars tattoos over his whole body. And they build droids. There are a lot of Star Wars fans that build droids, and then the production companies will rent [them] from the fans.”

Erskine, who is best known as the Pen15 co-creator and co-star, filmed her role in the spin-off series shortly after giving birth to her son, with her fiancé This is Us actor Michael Angarano. Erskine said she got to bring her son to set and she “wanted to wrap him in a shawl and have him pass as an extra in Star Wars.”

Despite confirming she had a small part — “It’s not even a part,” Erskine said on the podcast — the actress joked that the role was impossible to turn down. “My brother, who’s a mega-fan, was like, ‘If you don’t take this, I will disown you. You have to be part of this universe.’”

It’s not the first time Star Wars fans have appeared in the series, though. The 501st Legion, a fan organisation that frequently supports and appears at Star Wars events worldwide, appeared as extras in The Mandalorian after the crew realized they didn’t have enough stormtrooper armor on hand.

Details surrounding the Obi-Wan Kenobi series are still under wraps, but it will feature the reunion of Ewen McGregor and Hayden Christensen with many fans excited to see the later return as the iconic villain Darth Vader.