It's been a few years since the Star Wars franchise has provided fans with a big-screen offering. In the interim though, Lucasfilm has produced some fun TV shows to keep Disney+ subscription holders entertained. So far, aficionados have been treated to the likes of The Mandalorian, Andor and Ahsoka, and there are even more series on the way. One of those is The Acolyte, which is set to explore an era in the franchise that hasn’t been tackled in a live-action production yet. It’s shaping up to be an ambitious piece of storytelling and, as such, it needs a cast that’s up for the challenge. Luckily, such a group has been assembled and is led by Amandla Stenberg of The Hunger Games fame.
What we know about The Acolyte is that it takes place at the end of the High Republic Era, which occurred exactly 100 years before the events of the prequel trilogy. The story centers around a former Jedi Padawan, who teams up with her former master while looking into a series of crimes. But the two get more than they bargained for as their investigation progresses. This promises to be a different kind of story involving Force-wielders and, as a result, it'll have a serious lack of blasters. Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland serves as showrunner and EP and has assembled an eclectic group of writers, including one that had never seen any Star Wars movies. She’s also brought together an esteemed group of performers, who could bring a lot to the storied franchise. So let’s talk out this roster of actors:
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenbeg made her feature-film debut in 2011’s Columbiana but truly rose to prominence through her role as Rue in 2012’s The Hunger Games. Since then, she’s become a mainstay within the film landscape. She’s landed a particularly impressive number of roles within the young adult space, including movies like Everything, Everything and The Darkest Minds. She’s also been praised for her work in the must-see drama The Hate U Give and the black comedy horror hit Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Stenberg also has TV credits in fare like Sleepy Hollow, Drunk History and The Eddy. As the lead of Acolyte, she’ll play twin sisters Osha and Mae -- one an ex-padawan and the other a dangerous killer.
Lee Jung-jae
Any production would be fortunate to have Lee Jung-jae, a veteran of South Korean cinema. For over two decades now, Jung-jae has starred in a plethora of films that span different genres. The 1998 movie The Affair served as his breakthrough and, since then, he’s headlined action movies like The Last Witness and The Thieves and dipped his toe into comedy with Oh! Brothers. He’s also something of a rom-com icon, thanks to Over the Rainbow and Il Mare. But it was Netflix’s hit drama, Squid Game, that made Jung-jae popular among American audiences – and earned him an Emmy and more accolades. He's the male lead of the upcoming Star Wars show, playing revered Jedi Master Sol.
Dafne Keen
It’s fair to say that Dafne Keen hasn’t been acting as long as many of her co-stars, but she’s certainly made a splash in a short amount of time. Her first big gig was a recurring role on the Spanish series The Refugees in 2014. Her big break would come in the form of 2017’s Logan, in which she played fan-favorite character Laura a.k.a. X-23. When it comes to film, she’s also played the titular character in Ana, which was released in 2020. For the past few years, Keen played the lead role of Lyra Belacqua on HBO’s His Dark Materials. The show finished up its three-season run in 2022, which now frees up Keene for her role as Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon on The Acolyte.
Jodie Turner-Smith
Though Jodie Turner-Smith has been acting for just about a decade now, one could argue that she got her biggest break with the 2019 drama film Queen & Slim, which paired her with fellow British star Daniel Kaluuya. Since then, she’s starred in the Michael B. Jordan thriller Without Remorse, the science fiction indie flick After Yang and Noah Baumbach’s latest dramedy, White Noise. Turner-Smith most recently headlined The Independent, a political drama and is set to appear alongside Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2. And her TV credits include The Last Ship, Nightflyers and Anne Boleyn. The actress will play Mother Aniseya, who leads a coven of Force witches on the Star Wars show.
Manny Jacinto
If there’s one name you’ll want to look out for over the next few years, it’s Manny Jacinto’s. The actor cut his teeth by starring in multiple short films in the early 2010s and, at the same time, he nabbed minor roles on shows like Once Upon a Time, Supernatural and Bates Motel. Jacinto eventually gained significant recognition in 2016 when he joined the cast of NBC’s The Good Place as Jason Mendoza. Since then, his career has reached new heights, as he’s starred on shows like Nine Perfect Strangers and Brand New Cherry Flavor. He also has big movies like Bad Times at the El Royale, I Want You Back and Top Gun: Maverick on his resume. A true talent, Jacinto is playing Qimir -- a former smuggler with a dark past -- on The Acolyte.
Rebecca Henderson
Canadian actress Rebecca Henderson spent years starring in under-the-radar dramas and thrillers like Meskada, Compliance, True Story and They Remain. She’s also guest-starred on The Good Wife, Westworld and other notable programs. Henderson may be best known to viewers for her role as Lizzy on Russian Doll, though. And more recently, she’s also appeared in notable films, including the 2021 horror hit Werewolves Within, dramedy film The Good House and the Elizabeth Banks-fronted Call Jane. She’s definitely on the come-up, and her role as veteran Jedi Vernestra Rwoh on the Star Wars show could boost her status.
Charlie Barnett
TV viewers may know Charlie Barnett best for working on NBC’s Chicago Fire, on which he portrayed Peter Mills for three seasons. He parlayed that success into leading roles on the shows Valor, Tales of the City and Russian Doll. Barnett also made recurring appearances on both Arrow, on which he played John Diggle Jr., and the hit Netflix psychological thriller, You. He can also count movies such as Gayby, Men in Black 3, The Happy Sad and The Stand In as part of his body of work. Like a number of his co-stars, Barnett is on the rise, and one would think that Leslye Headland will give him plenty of material to work with in the role of stern Jedi Yord Fandar on this latest show.
Dean-Charles Chapman
If you don’t know Dean-Charles Chapman by name, then chances are you at least know his face. The Brit has rubbed shoulders with a number of notable stars through his roles in the films Before I Go to Sleep, Breathe, The Commuter and Blinded by the Light. However, his most famous cinematic outing may have come in Sam Mendes’ 2019 war drama 1917. In 2022, he took on a somewhat lighter role via the medieval comedy flick Catherine Called Birdy. When it comes to TV, Chapman starred on The Revolting World of Stanley Brown and The White Queen before joining Game of Thrones as Martyn Lannister and later the older version of Tommen Baratheon. As for his turn in the SW universe, Chapman plays the role of Jedi master Torbin.
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva is another one of those actors who has been climbing the ranks for years and is now truly becoming a recognizable name. The Invisible, Noise, Adventureland (which is an incredibly underrated dramedy) and The Lincoln Lawyer are among her movie credits. She’s had recurring roles on television shows like Revenge, The Blacklist and How to Make It in America. She’d eventually become a lead star on HBO’s The Deuce as well as the Netflix thriller series In From the Cold. In addition to Acolyte, she’s also been named a cast member of Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again. Levieva plays the role of Mother Koril on The Acolyte.
Carrie-Anne Moss
That’s right, the Star Wars family now includes a Matrix alum in the form of the great Carrie-Anne Moss. To say that she's done a lot would be an understatement, as her filmography includes the likes of Momento, Chocolat, Snow Cake and Disturbia. But of course, it’s her role as Trinity in the Wachowskis’ prolific film saga that lifted her to icon status. She also has a number of TV shows under her belt like Vegas and Tell Me a Story, with her most famous small-screen role being Jeri Hogarth from Jessica Jones and Netflix’s related-Defenders series. Moss is a perfect fit for George Lucas’ sci-fi franchise, and her character is easily one that I’m most excited to learn about. The veteran actress is set to play Indara, an imposing Jedi, and I'm ecstatic that she gets to wield a lightsaber.
Joonas Suotamo
If it’s not clear by now, this cast is filled to the brim with franchise newcomers, but among them is a veteran of the galaxy far, far away. It was revealed at this year’s SW Celebration that Joonas Suatamo joined the show. The friendly and physically imposing performer – who stands at 6′ 11″ – started playing the role of the mighty Chewbacca in 2015’s The Force Awakens. After sharing the role with the late, great Peter Mayhew in that movie, he reprised it in the other two sequel trilogy entries and Solo. Considering Suotamo's work thus far, it’s fitting that he's playing the Wookie Jedi Master Kelnacca on Acolyte. The Willow alum has put in some great performances already, and I’m excited to see him do more. That includes potentially seeing him wield a lightsaber.
New episodes of The Acolyte hit Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule. As you watch, also be sure to keep track of upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies.
