Donald Glover Talks About Playing Lando in the “Han Solo” Film with Deadline
Donald Glover seems to be everywhere you look these days. He’s got his critically acclaimed series Atlanta on FX. He has his career as Childish Gambino. He pops up in major movies left and right with appearances in movies like The Martian and the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming. And oh, yeah, he’s also going to be playing Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo film.
Glover gave a lengthy interview to Deadline this week to discuss all these things and more. The focus is not on his role as Lando, but he does very briefly discuss the role and the experience of making a Star Wars film a bit.
Glover on his experience making the film so far:
This is probably one of my favorite experiences ever. For working under, like, a huge conglomerate, it’s actually been quite an enjoyable, artistic thing. I get to play him in a way that I think is honest and true and cool. And it’s great ’cause I didn’t have to write anything, I’m focused strictly on being this guy. And I really respect him and I respect the actor who played him before. I’ve learned a lot about this character, so it’s actually been really fulfilling and nice to just turn off everything else and focus on just being someone. So it’s been cool.
Glover also briefly discussed the character of Lando and his appeal.
Lando seems to be a lot of people’s favorite character. It’s cool. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also very exciting. He was my favorite character too. I grew up on Star Wars. It’s just cool to see him again. I feel like people like him ’cause he has a lot of style, but also he’s a complicated character in this world. I think even Han isn’t as complicated as Lando is. From the first time you meet him, you don’t know whether to trust him or not, and you’re constantly not knowing whether to trust him. I like that about him.
It’s not plot spoilers or revealing behind the scenes stories, but it is good to know the actor is taking such a thoughtful approach to the role. Head over to Deadline for the lengthy and very interesting interview where Glover discusses everything from Atlanta to European politics.
Following the discussions I want to speak out my amazement. And that is recarding the folks that say they really dont find it interesting that this movie is coming. Or that the Starwars makers have to change direction and come up with something new. I am 44 and a huge starwars fan. I just like the movies, not into the expanded universe that much. And the biggest franchise movie makers in the world are going to make a movie about the history of Lando and Han. What is there not to like? Why is that a cashgrab or fanservice in a negative way? I love that this i scoming up.I also loved Roque one. And that wa really reminiscent of a new hope. I have this idea thta this is going to be the same but then with Empire strikes back and hopefully the third anthology is going to touch on return of the Jedi. Like a bobafett Jabba story. Then we have a trilogy of nice expended universe but then based on the OT.
Because it’s the Internet and people love to complain. But beyond that, you’re going to find this type of behavior in any fan group. Baseball fans complain about baseball. Comic book fans complain about comic books. Trek fans complain about Trek. When I was younger, I was involved in the local punk/hardcore scene. What did people in that scene do? They complained about it; all the time.
But yeah, Star Wars fans certainly seem like a bunch of entitled crybabies. TFA has a round superweapon? “Ripped off!” There is a female lead in a Star Wars movie? “Not fair!” Han Solo movie? “Not my Star Wars!” It’s mostly white noise to me at this point.
It’s also important to remember that the vast majority of this bellyaching is coming from a relatively small group of fans. They’re vocal, but they’re impotent. Box office receipts and general reception to the new films has been extraordinary. Star Wars Celebrations are selling out. People are going to flock to Disney parks to explore the new Star Wars areas in a couple of years. Children have embraced Star Wars in ways that have not been seen since 1977.
By any standard that matter, Star Wars is alive and thriving. Nobody at Lucasfilm is sitting around saying, “Yeah, but JJRippedOffStarWars on one of the news sites doesn’t like what we’re doing!” Nobody.
Rest assured, the vast majority of these folks complaining about a Han Solo movie are going to be warming theater seats on opening night. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – anyone who contributes to the discussions on sites like this and claims they won’t see this movie, or that they’ll wait and see it from home are lying through their teeth.
I know it’s been a lot of years but I still haven’t forgiven him for what he did ;p #notmyhero
What did he do?
“I had no choice, they arrived just before you did.”
Given the circumstances, I doubt anyone else would have fared any better. And he did make up for it by helping rescue Han, and blowing up the Death Star II.
And… the moment Han was out of the picture he raided his wardrobe.
Well, he had to escape Cloud City with nothing but the shirt on his back, so I forgive him.
I’m really hoping to see the origins of the Falcon, several similar freighters with slight variations, including a Ralph McQuarrie version, what special mods Han made to his, on and on. Hopefully they will do the movie justice. How the actors pull off their performances will be key.
The Falcon was built, that is its origins.
True… but I’m speaking of the origins of ~ did she belong to a fleet of similar freighters?, how Han got her + what he modded on her.
How he meets Chewie would also be nice, as opposed to already knowing Chewie.
Wouldn’t you love to see this McQuarrie version in the film as a sister ship / freighter? http://www.mystery10.com/project/ralph-mcquarriejoe-johnston-millennium-falcon/
Doubtful we will find out since the Falcon appears in ROTS already.
I was under the impression that was just another Corellian YT-1300f – not necessarily the Falcon.
I’m pretty sure Lucas himself confirmed it to be the Falcon
It was and is.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Millennium_Falcon
“Just after the Battle of Coruscant it was seen docking in the Senate Office Building.”
Doesn’t matter that the Falcon is in ROTS. It’s still a freighter, there may have been others like it (I’d like to see a McQuarrie variation), Han still had to obtain it, and he said himself he made special modifications to her in ANH.
Yeah, I understand, but I just don’t think the story will be focused on that in place of the humans.
Lando’s always been the ladies man of the SW galaxy to Han’s man’s man which is why they work well together and are fun to watch. I hope they give them their own comic and book afterward
Couldn’t agree more with your first sentence – a very insightful way to put it. But they’re both scoundrels – and we love them for it. I somewhat agree with Driver’s assertion that “even Han isn’t as complicated as Lando is.” I think there’s truth to that, at least in Empire Strikes Back. Billy Dee just nailed it in that movie – he was perfect for the role. Lando’s not my favorite character, but he’s always been very high on my list. Maybe not top 5, but top 10 for sure. That’s why I really wanted to see Billy Dee return in the Sequel Trilogy, but sadly it’s not looking like that is going to happen…
Don’t f_ _ _ this up Glover.
I’m keeping my hopes up that Lando will appear during the climax of Episode 9 – that would be incredible if he helps the new young pretenders to save the galaxy!
Been an unfortunate trend in recent decades to dismiss LANDO, when talking about the original trilogy heroes – he is absolutely 100 percent of the primary OT SW heroes, even though he joined the team in the second movie.
Even during the 1980s in spin-off media books and comics, he clearly carried the torch left vacant by Han ( during Han’s stint in Carbonite ).
I hope the new movie will remind people that Lando is not some disposable side character and one of the true heroes of the Rebel Alliance alongside his fellow human compatriots Han, Luke, & Leia.