‘Star Wars Insider’ Interview: Giancarlo Esposito on What Attracted Him Playing Moff Gideon in ‘The Mandalorian’ and More
The new Star Wars Insider issue, out on Tuesday, March 14, contains a full interview with Moff Gideon himself, Giancarlo Esposito, who talks with the magazine about his journey on The Mandalorian and how he understands the character. What follows are some of the highlights from that conversation between the actor and the magazine.
Esposito has made a career out of playing the bad guy — from his iconic role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, to his sparse appearances as Stan Edgar in The Boys, the actor is pretty much type-cast in Hollywood as an antagonistic face. But when asked by Insider if he simply gravitates towards those types of roles, he simply said:
“No. I look for a complete script. I look for characters who are inspiring, and who move our imaginations from one place to another. It just so happens that I’ve been asked to play characters in certain projects that have had somewhat of an edge, a darker side, if you will. (Laughs)”
And that was very much the case for Moff Gideon, a character that Jon Favreau created with the actor in mind, as he explained:
“It was hard to say no to Jon Favreau when he called to tell me he’d written a role for me! It was a great honor. I knew it would be exciting, whether it had been Star Wars or some other story that spurred my imagination. But the world of Star Wars is one that I’ve admired since I was younger, and I’ve wanted to see films return to that mythological level of storytelling. That’s something that I think the Star Wars franchise has done so very well.
You know, I’ve loved working on The Mandalorian because it’s about wonder and anticipation. When Jon asked if I had any requests for the character, I said, ‘Yes. I want to have a cape like Darth Vader!’”
He went on to explain what exactly attracted him to Gideon, besides helping build up the Star Wars mythology and wearing a cape, saying he sees the antagonist as really an anti-hero:
“I always look for a story that exemplifies the journey of a hero. With Moff Gideon I see it as being an anti-hero’s story. What lies beneath the words and actions of the journey the character is on, a journey that we all take? Whether a hero realizes it or not, it encompasses courage or truth—that energy inside us that allows us to get to where we want to go. I’m committed to playing this guy who thinks he is the master of the universe and that he can run it better than anyone else. Who is willing to push everyone’s buttons!
However, I attest that often the villain, the anti-hero, is really a fallen hero. They have the same qualities as the hero, but are characters who missed the mark, who wanted to be seen but didn’t feel heard, and overcoming that is, in its own way, a heroic journey.”
He expanded on how he thinks of Moff Gideon as a literal anti-hero:
“As in real life, where we are corralled into being orderly, there is an etiquette, a politeness to follow, a respect that we need to learn so as to remain within the lines that society says we should. To become a rounded human being, one who respects others, is in service to the whole community. Through his vision, force of personality, and position of power, Moff Gideon forgot about those protocols.”
Finally, he explained the value he sees in his performances as these anti-heroes:
“I like to think of myself on a journey with all humanity, but I like to create and play characters who have made themselves. And that’s what it’s all about: having fun, controlling the chaos, and being passionate about all your pursuits!”
Giancarlo Esposito has been hyping up his planned character arc in seasons 3 and 4 of The Mandalorian since before season 2 finished airing, despite his huge absence from the marketing footage we’ve seen. We know he’s in a New Republic prison, and he’s already hinted that we might see him break out of there, but little else is known about where Gideon will go next. However, he did lay out an interesting prospect when during a group interview a few months ago — Moff Gideon really wants to be a Mandalorian. Now, we ask: what does that mean for the current season?
New episodes of The Mandalorian season 3 are hitting Disney Plus every Wednesday. Check out Zak’s review of Chapter 18 here. You can also purchase the new Star Wars Insider issue here, which contains the full interview with Gideon, a conversation with John Knoll, and so much more!
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as movies from Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
