Donald Glover Reveals How He’s Preparing to Play Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars” Film
NBC/Paul Drinkwater(LOS ANGELES) — Atlanta star Donald Glover won the Golden Globe for best actor in a TV comedy on Sunday — and his show took Best Comedy to boot — but he’s already thinking about another big role he’s set to play.
Last year, Disney announced that the actor had been cast as young Lando Calrissian in an upcoming Star Wars film centering on Han Solo’s early days, and Glover talked about the role backstage Sunday night at the awards ceremony.
Glover told reporters that the job is a “big deal” to him, in part because an action figure of Lando — a fellow scoundrel and Solo’s longtime frenemy — was, “literally the first toy I ever got.”
“It’s hard,” he said of playing such an “iconic” part. “You want to live up to their expectations, but all you can really do is live up to your own.”
To prepare for the role, played originally by Billy Dee Williams, Glover joked that he’s on a strict diet.
“[I’m] not getting to eat anything enjoyable for the rest of my life,” he joked. However, he’s also focused on making his time on set as enjoyable as possible.
“I really just want to have fun,” he said. “The directors, Phil and Chris, they’re amazing, Glover said of filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, of LEGO Movie fame. “I love the guy playing Han,” Glover added of Alden Ehrenreich, enthusing, “It’s gonna be a good time.”
The still-untitled Star Wars “anthology” film is expected to have a 2018 release date.
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