Meet the guys under the Mandalorian’s helmet most of the time
The arrival of The Mandalorian on Disney+ brought with it a new wave of admiration for actor Pedro Pascal, who plays our new favorite bounty-hunter-turned-Baby-Yoda-surrogate-dad.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 13: Pedro Pascal arrives at the premiere of Lucasfilm’s first-ever, live-action series, “The Mandalorian,” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on November 13, 2019. “The Mandalorian” streams exclusively on Disney+. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
But even if Pascal’s voice is the one that emerges from Mando’s suit of armor every episode, the actor isn’t always the person beneath the mask. In fact, when Pascal isn’t the one donning the suit, there are two other men who serve as stand-ins for him. The first is a stunt double who also happens to be the grandson of John Wayne: Brendan Wayne. The second is a man named Lateef Crowder. And according to Vulture, Wayne will be returning as a stunt double for the second season as well.
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 23: Actor Brendan Wayne attends the Premiere of Universal Pictures “Cowboys & Aliens” during Comic-Con 2011 at San Diego Civic Theatre on July 23, 2011 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Having Wayne and Crowder around to jump in for him has allowed Pascal to rehearse for a role in King Lear on Broadway, and probably to act in Wonder Woman 1984, while still playing Mando.
Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed the fourth episode of the show, “Sanctuary,” has worked a lot with Wayne. “He absolutely just brought everything to that character, and we were able to find the moments and figure them out together,” she said.
As you might imagine, having so many people in the Mandalorian suit requires precise attention to detail, to ensure that the way the character moves always looks consistent. For that reason, Wayne worked with Pascal to ensure they were in sync. “[Pedro] would ask me, and I would ask him the same question, which is, ‘Why did you move like this during that moment?’ We would go back and forth,” Wayne said. “The great thing about him is he’s not impressed with himself. He’s just an actor. And I mean that in the good way, not the bad way. He likes to learn and he likes to collaborate and he’s very good at it.”
It’s comforting that so many dedicated minds are working to make The Mandalorian the best — and most believable — series it can be. And even with so many heads under the helmet, we can’t wait to finally see Pascal remove it at some point during the show. (You know it’s coming.)
Next. Scientists explain Baby Yoda. dark
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