Star Wars Rebelshas many memorableEzra Bridgermoments, and without this Dave Filoni instruction, many of them likely wouldn’t exist.Rebelsfollows the six members of theGhostcrew as they navigate the Empire’s reign and their place within theRebel Alliance. The show is beloved by fans and adds so much to the lore ofStar Warsas a whole. With it being over ten years sinceRebelsfirst premiered, it’s seemingly the best time to look back and reflect on the show.
That’s the goal of the newRebelsrewatch podcast,Pod of Rebellion. The podcast features three of the main cast members - Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), and Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger) as well as moderator Jon Lee Brody. ThoughPod of Rebellionis only in its infancy, they’ve already revealed some great behind-the-scenes moments that we can’t get out of our heads. One of these comes from the voice of Ezra Bridger, Taylor Gray, explaining an interaction he had withRebelsshowrunner and currentLucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni.
Dave Filoni Told Ezra Bridger Actor Taylor Gray To Stop Watching Star Wars
But There Was A Reason Behind This
Taylor Gray revealed onPod of Rebellionthat Dave Filoni noticed Gray not getting “inside” jokes about theStar Warsgalaxy that other cast and crew members were getting. Gray admitted he was watching much ofStar Warsfor the first time, meaning that many of these connections to otherStar Warstitles went over his head. Because of this,Dave Filoni pulled Gray aside and told him to stop watchingStar Wars.
Star Wars Rebels Voice Cast - What The Actors Look Like In Real Life
Star Wars Rebels features an amazing cast of live-action and voice-acting all-stars, each who bring an added edge to Star Wars.
Taylor Gray explained that Filoni wanted Gray to have the same cluelessness about the galaxy that Ezra did. There’s an expectation by certain parts of theStar Warsfanbase that expects in-universe characters to know just as much about the inner workings of the galaxy as the audience does. However,Filoni seemingly wanted to push back against that and have Ezra bring this innocence about the galaxy to the show.While Ezra would certainly grow and learn more and more about the galaxy inRebels’ 4 seasons, it’s clear that this was the right move by Filoni.
Filoni Wanted To Keep Ezra Naive
Especially Since He’d Never Been Off Lothal
When considering that Ezra Bridger’s first time off his homeworld of Lothal came in theRebelsseries premiere,it’s clear that Ezra shouldn’t have known about the greater galaxy.Ezra had survived on his own for so long, that he picked up bits and pieces of things going on in the galaxy, likely how he learned (and later adopted) the name Jabba the Hutt. Because the character was so naive, Ezra didn’t understand the context or weight of throwing around a name like Jabba.
Having Taylor Gray just as clueless as Ezra allowed for a more authentic and curious performance, likely one of the things that made Gray so memorable as the young Jedi.
Having Taylor Gray just as clueless as Ezra allowed for a more authentic and curious performance, likely one of the things that made Gray so memorable as the young Jedi. It’s small things like these that makeRebelssuch a beloved series that still has such a loyal following today. Though a little unorthodox, having Dave Filoni tell Taylor Gray to stop watchingStar Warsto improve his performance inRebelswas clearly brilliant.
