Dominic Monaghan: J.J. Abrams Is Putting A Cast Of Essentially Unknown Actors For Star Wars: Episode 7.

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Abrams and Monaghan worked together on the TV series LOST and they are also close friends. Monaghan is famous for his great passion for Star Wars and in the past he several times admitted that he was lobbying Abrams for a role in the new Star Wars movies. Hit the jump for a brief interview with Monaghan and his thoughts on J.J. and the upcoming movie as well as some more tidbits about Wedge Antilles…


Here’s the interview from Ora.tv:

In other news…

10 days ago The Scotsman reported that actor Denis Lawson who played Wedge Antilles in the Original Trilogy probably won’t return for Episode 7:

He turned down the opportunity to reprise his Star Wars role when George Lucas revisited the story in 2005, but when I ask him about it he just sighs wearily and won’t be drawn. “Honestly, I made the first Star Wars film in 1976 and it doesn’t really interest me. I know it’s interesting to other people but I get really bored talking about it. Sorry.”

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Now according to a new report, there is still hope for the Republic Hero to reprise his role in Episode 7:
Lawson’s close friend Gary Mancini had this to say on the subjetc:

We spoke to him when he was doing a signing last year and he said he wasn’t interested in just a cameo, but if there was a fully rounded and expanded role for him in the film, he would consider it, script and price pending.


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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

Born on April 24, 1980.

Val Trichkov (Viral Hide)

Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

34 thoughts on “Dominic Monaghan: J.J. Abrams Is Putting A Cast Of Essentially Unknown Actors For Star Wars: Episode 7.

  • March 27, 2014 at 9:18 pm
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    lawsons first episode of new tricks was hilarious , investigating a sci fi fan , gave a serious speech in a bedroom full of star wars toys …. not an x-wing in sight though.

  • March 27, 2014 at 9:34 pm
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    Jesus Lawson’s holding out for a big role and paycheck? What the hell is he so busy with these days?

  • March 27, 2014 at 9:49 pm
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    Oh well, I have a feeling he’s gonna keep waiting on that one folks. He, in a way kinda talked a little smack about star wars and then asks for a larger role and more money??? ha, good luck Dennis

  • March 27, 2014 at 9:50 pm
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    I hope Denis/Wedge does come back, he was always a really good character and if they did plan to have Wedge be in more then just one scene it’d be a shame if they had to cut that out or recast him.

    • March 28, 2014 at 6:16 am
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      If they’re going to bring back Wedge, they should just bring back Nien Nunb while they’re at it…..

    • March 29, 2014 at 2:40 pm
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      Why? Nien just sat there, with a smacked ass for a face, and blabbed dubnubivabunigunibuvivagani.

  • March 27, 2014 at 10:26 pm
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    Why is it some actors get snobby over the big blockbuster stuff they are involved in?.. I get if you get sick being asked questions over and over again, but going down to the set for a day to film a few cockpit dialogue pieces to make millions of fans happy and then picking up your pay cheque is not exactly torture.. Come on Dennis !!

    • March 27, 2014 at 10:53 pm
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      Haha my thoughts exactly, though I’d hope he would have been promoted to captain of a star ship by this point.

    • March 27, 2014 at 11:59 pm
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      Maybe he doesn’t like money.

    • March 28, 2014 at 2:30 am
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      Actors probably prefer people pay attention to what they’re doing now since that’s how they make money.

      Very un-Wedge though.

    • March 28, 2014 at 12:49 pm
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      Bring him in long enough to give him the Dak treatment. Done.

  • March 27, 2014 at 10:39 pm
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    Damn I wish I was Domonic and friends with JJ and got little personal updates haha. Good to know they are focusing on unkowns for the leads. All this talk of Jesse Plemons, ed speelers, john boyega etc etc for the leads is surely a load of rubbish. All big stars start out as unkowns, why go for popular names instead of entirely new and unseen talent!? The best rumoured actor so far for the lead has been Matthew James Thomas. He’s an unkown actor and really talented according to people who have seen him in theatre. Plus, not being funny, he has a Mark Hamill look about him. New Luke Skywalker descendant anyone? He has literally been the only rumoured actor so far that’s actually ticked every sing box.. Thankfully they’ve presumably auditioned hundreds so the chances of being stuck with an established actor like Jesse are slim.

    • March 27, 2014 at 10:56 pm
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      Going for quality of the actors for their parts instead of big names (big relatively speaking) is definitely a good thing

    • March 28, 2014 at 1:00 am
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      Yes, happy that JJ is going the 77 route to find new talent. It is a great opportunity to discover fresh faces and voices.

    • March 28, 2014 at 1:20 am
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      I really hope this is the way JJ is going with the cast. True, Lucas went that route with Hayden C. in the PT and the results were less than stellar. Then again, Lucas’ dialogue writing was just bloody awful, and he’s never exactly been much of an “actor’s director” the way JJ seems to be. If the script for Episode VII is at least decent, I think JJ will probably get good performances out of everyone.

      And going with young, as-yet unknown actors for the lead roles is a great idea. This Matthew Thomas lad seems to have a good look. I think he could work (at least visually) as either Luke’s son or Han and Leia’s son. Definitely a “Skywalker-ish” look there, and I also see a bit of a lopsided Solo grin there too. If he’s got good acting chops, I could see him being cast in either role.

      As for Denis Lawson, I can see his point. He did little bit parts in the original SW movies, probably only did a day or so of shooting for each, and I can see him getting a bit tired of having to constantly talk about it to fans and to have to pump the whole thing up into a bigger experience than it actually was for him. I’d bet that that’s a lot more of what his “more than just a cameo or why bother?” attitude is about than any sort of money thing.

      That said, I hope they do get him back and give him a bigger role than the few lines he had in the OT films.

      (By the way, Denis has got a great supporting role in the movie “Local Hero” with Peter “Boone” Riegert. If any of y’all haven’t seen it, it’s a neat little movie. About as far from a SW/summer blockbuster movie as you’re likely to get, but still.)

    • March 28, 2014 at 1:43 am
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      Hopefully the search for the new trio is ongoing….

    • March 28, 2014 at 1:47 am
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      I think they found them awhile ago and they’re just waiting for whatever big media event Disney has planned to make the big announcements.

    • March 28, 2014 at 3:00 am
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      Well, May is just 5 weeks away, so I guess we will hear something soon. This is the most secretive production ever.

    • March 28, 2014 at 6:12 am
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      If Disney possesses the logic to release information and clips from Inside Out, a Pixar movie that comes out in 2015 (unless they delay it AGAIN) then they should have had the sense to say something about VII. An actualy start date in filming would have been nice.

    • March 29, 2014 at 12:06 pm
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      Not sure about Jesse I think he is in this. And also Stephanie Hunt from back in FNL is in it to. She is in a band with Megan Mullally called Nancy and Beth. They stopped doing concerts about a month ago.

    • March 29, 2014 at 2:41 pm
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      So what that they stopped concerts?

  • March 27, 2014 at 11:04 pm
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    So…

    The news for the day: wedge probably won’t be back… But he might.

  • March 28, 2014 at 1:24 am
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    Wedge could take the “General Madine” roll in VII. Or lead Rogue Squadron.

    • March 28, 2014 at 6:09 am
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      Or, there can be no rogue squadron, as this is 30 years after the empire’s fall.

    • March 29, 2014 at 10:50 pm
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      70 years after WWII, we still have an army…

    • March 29, 2014 at 3:21 am
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      DORK!

  • March 28, 2014 at 7:55 pm
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    Yeah this guy comes across as a total dickhead. He can keep waiting for that script and paycheck.

    • March 28, 2014 at 9:07 pm
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      Yep, he is no Jedi!

  • March 29, 2014 at 11:54 am
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    I’m sorry, but holding out on that kind of money is what one would say is “absolute mental retardation”

  • March 30, 2014 at 9:55 pm
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    I never had a Wedge action figure, would have rather had a Dak one though. Now Biggs was definitely available with a special proof of purchase offer and that would have been cool. Wedge is really not that important to me regardless of his involvement or the actors relation to Ewan McKenobi.

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