“The Acolyte” star Amandla Stenberg is shocked over the observation that her show is the “gayest” Star Wars – but not for the reason you may be expecting.
“I think that Star Wars is so gay already,” Stenberg told TheWrap’s Drew Taylor in a recent interview. “I mean have you seen the ‘fits? We’d be like ‘Look how gay this is’ and send each other reference photos.”
“Are you telling me, with a straight face, that C-3PO is straight?” series creator Leslye Headland asked.
“They’re a couple. That’s what I think,” Taylor said. That response prompted Headland to confidently declare that it’s “canon” R2-D2 is a lesbian.
The funny exchange began when Taylor said that “The Acolyte” is the “gayest” installment in the sci-fi franchise”by a considerable margin.” After this assessment, Stenberg immediately started to vogue as Taylor asked Headland if she was excited about this element of the series becoming a “talking point” and if this was a “fun element” to bring to the series.
“No! I don’t think so. And yet people have told me that it’s the gayest Star Wars and I’m frankly …” Headland said, pausing for dramatic effect.
“You’re offended?” Stenberg asked.
“Into it,” Headland said. Watch the full silly exchange below.
Prior to creating “The Acolyte,” Headland was best known for co-creating the trippy Netflix hit “Russian Doll” alongside Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. She also wrote and directed the 2012 film “Bachelorette,” based on her play of the same name, as well as the 2015 comedy “Sleeping With Other People.”
The sixth live-action Star Wars series to premiere on Disney+, “The Acolyte” is set toward the end of the High Republic era and roughly 100 years before “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” It follows a Jedi Master who investigates a series of crimes that bring him to a former Padawan. Along the way, the sinister forces that are at play are revealed.
In addition to Stenberg, the series stars Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman and Joonas Suotamo.
New episodes of “The Acolyte” premiere on Disney+ weekly on Mondays.
