Joel Edgerton was just starting his career when he got the call from Lucasfilm telling him he’d be a part of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, he played the young Owen Lars, who’s destined to become Luke Skywalker’s adoptive father. Since the early 2000s, Edgerton’s career has blossomed, though he recently reprised the role of Owen in Disney Plus show Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Now, speaking with The Playlist, Edgerton has reflected on his time in the prequels, and says he saw Obi-Wan Kenobi as a chance to finally do the role justice. So, with his career having taken off, why did he want to return to a Star Wars bit part?
“I thought, ‘This is a chance for me to get it right. Because I was twenty-five or six at the time. I had no idea what I was doing. I only had worked in the theater and done a couple of small roles in films, and I was terrified. So, the whole thing was a bit of a blur. And here I was, getting a chance to sort of say thank you to Lucasfilm and George [Lucas] and everyone there for handing me a chance to break open the doors of Hollywood. And to come back a bit more of a mature actor with a bit more confidence of knowing how I go about things…I feel more confident now.”
In addition, it sounds like working with Ewan McGregor just isn’t something to turn down lightly:
“A reunion with Ewan and Hayden [Christensen] and all these guys – I was like, I shouldn’t question this at all. Even if there’s not necessarily some big meaty challenge as an actor. And I had a fantastic time, man! Just coming out of COVID. We were in L.A. and shooting in this quarry – the director there was incredible, the whole team was amazing, and it was a pleasure to be back at work, and it was a pleasure to be back at work feeling like I was also completing my own little psychological circle, in a way.”
Edgerton may not be done with Owen quite yet. We might get a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi and it seems inevitable that the Lars homestead will at minimum appear, even if the rest of the season two action takes place off Tatooine. We’d love to see more of Edgerton’s Owen, as you could cut the tension between him and Obi-Wan with a knife, with Owen prioritizing keeping Luke safe and being understandably fearful of the trouble a high-profile Jedi in hiding can bring down.
For now, Edgerton is about to star in Apple TV Plus’ Dark Matter, which he refers to as “The Multiverse for the Middle-Aged Man”. This drama will focus on a normal guy dealing with his own complacency, all wrapped up in a mind-bending sci-fi quantum physics situation.
Dark Matter will premiere on Apple TV Plus later this year.