Michelle Ang Talks Omega, The Bad Batch’s Family Dynamic, and Her Special Bond With Temuera Morrison
Michelle Ang, the New Zealand actress who plays Omega in The Bad Batch, has spoken about her reverence for the character and the series, as well as her bond with Jango/Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison.
In an interview with Looper, Ang spoke about the family dynamic that she and Dee Bradley Baker — who voices all the clones in Star Wars animation — have created with the Bad Batch. While last season Hunter acted as a father figure for her, and she identified strongly with Wrecker’s childish nature, she didn’t have many moments with Echo and Tech. That will change this season, as we saw in the season premiere.
Dee and I work hard to make these relationships feel real. And the thing about Season 2 is that there’s an opportunity to see Omega’s specific relationships with each of her brothers. … Hunter was a very strong figure for Omega in Season 1, but like you mentioned, they are a family. So in Season 2, we get to delve into the intricacies of how she interacts with the others, specifically Echo and Tech.
Because they all have such distinct personalities, it really feels different, and I think that’s what you’re putting your finger on. It feels real, like any family, because differences in personalities means that the way that each [pair] communicates also adjusts. You are right. I feel really proud of what Dee and I and the animation and directing team have done for ‘The Bad Batch’ because they really care for each other, and their idea of family evolves and grows and faces challenges in Season 2 a lot. It’s quite a central part of this story this season.
Of course, Michelle Ang isn’t the only actor with a Kiwi accent to play a Star Wars character. While Dee Bradley Baker certainly delivers a convincing accent, the first New Zealander in Star Wars was Temuera Morrison. She talked about her delight to be inhabiting the same space as Morrison as Star Wars characters. As her work has been entirely in animation so far, the two haven’t had much opportunity to cross paths yet. It wasn’t until Celebration last year that she met the actor for the first time.
I was lucky enough to be part of Celebration at my very first convention and my very first experience with the ‘Star Wars’ family in Los Angeles, and that was a real pinch-me moment.
Tem is an icon [not only] because of his ‘Clone Father’ identity but also just as an actor. And [for actors] in New Zealand, the circles are small. I’m so excited to carry on that legacy of the accent in the ‘Star Wars’ world … What a privilege.
His greeting is ‘kia ora’ — it’s Māori — and it felt like family, a real family, because I was like, ‘Hey, Tem!
Ang also mentioned how happy she was to become a part of the Star Wars universe. She knows people have been waiting a little while for The Bad Batch season 2, and that came across when she attended Star Wars Celebration last year.
It doesn’t feel real. It feels like there’s been a really long time since we were able to share Season 1, and now sharing Season 2, I’m sure the fans have probably been waiting patiently.
I was lucky enough to be part of [Star Wars] Celebration at my very first convention and my very first experience with the “Star Wars” family in Los Angeles [over the summer], and that was a real pinch-me moment. But it was only two days, and now I’m — especially in the lead-up to the launch [of ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2] — feeling all energized and excited to be connected with everyone again. I hope everyone enjoys the season.
You can next see Michelle Ang voicing Omega in next week’s episode of The Bad Batch, airing on Wednesday, January 18. You can check out our spoiler review of episode 3 here.
Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.
