Acolyte Cast Discuss Their Characters

Television

The Hollywood Reporter posted an exclusive interview with Acolyte stars Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, and Manny Jacinto today. In the wake of the show’s premiere, they discuss their characters and relationships and offer a possible explanation for Yord’s behavior. Check out an excerpt below: 

The Hollywood Reporter: Jecki (Keen) is not too fond of Jedi Knight Yord Fandar (Barnett). He’s so fastidious that he steams his Jedi robes. 

Keen: (Laughs.) He is fastidious!

Barnett: That’s a beautiful word to use for Yord.

THR: Charlie, did you treat him as the first obsessive-compulsive Jedi? 

Keen, Barnett and Jacinto: (Laugh.)

Barnett: Oh my gosh! I didn’t even think about his OCD levels. 

Keen: (Laughs.) He is so OCD! 

Barnett: He definitely is. 

Manny Jacinto: That’s the first thing I thought of! (Laughs.)

Barnett: A person who’s OCD is not concerned with their OCD levels; they are just living their life. Yord always wanted to be at the top of his class, and I don’t think he always succeeded in meeting that place. So, in any aspect of his life that he can find perfection and crispness, not to play on the pun [involving his Jedi robe steamer], he’ll take it. And screw Jack! (Barnett quickly corrects himself.) Jecki! 

THR: Qimir is a very slippery character, and he somewhat reminds me of Benicio Del Toro’s character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 

Keen: You’re coming up with all these good adjectives. (Laughs.)

Is he someone who will survive by any means necessary?

Jacinto: Yeah, the anchor for Qimir is how does one survive amongst people that have way too much power, whether they be on the light side or the dark side? For him, it is all about survival. How do you toe the line between that whole spectrum? The Jedi have their weapons and that power, but for Qimir, weaseling is his weapon of choice.

They go on to discuss the “freedom” of starring in a relatively new, untapped time period. I recommend the whole interview if you’re interested. 

I never thought about Yord having OCD; I just thought he was straight-laced. Having OCD wouldn’t justify making the mistake of putting Osha on a ship instead of escorting her. Worse still, he was willing to torture the Neimoidians to discover her whereabouts. That’s corruption and hubris, not OCD. I think the Hollywood Reporter interviewer wanted to find something relatable in Yord, but I don’t really like this line of thinking. I think he’s supposed to be an unlikable character, and I don’t love the implications of armchair-diagnosing him with a very real mental condition. I don’t know what to make of his relationship with Jecki; she taunts and corrects him despite Yord being a Master and Jecki Sol’s Padawan. I would probably be mad, but there’s so much else going on with the show, and I’m tired of the whole “incompetent man” trope. A joke stops being funny when it becomes the status quo. 

As for Qimir, I didn’t make the connection with DJ, but I don’t like The Last Jedi and try not to think about it too much. I have no impression of this character at this point; he’s slimy and willing to make poisons for Mae, so I don’t like him. But that also doesn’t make him very interesting. 

Are you watching The Acolyte? What did you think of the interview? Let us know in the comments!