Multiple stars from Disney‘s The Mandalorian have made comments about their armored suits during the production of each season. Emily Swallow, who portrayed The Armorer throughout the series, recently had much to share about her unique experience, especially when it came to the difficulties of wearing a mask on set.
During Swallow’s appearance at Oz Comic Con in Melbourne, Australia, last weekend, the actress discussed wearing The Armorer’s mask and how it differed from her previous acting roles. She mentioned that the part was particularly challenging as she is naturally expressive and animated. However, she had to trust herself to convey the character’s essence without relying on facial expressions.
“It was very strange at first. I’ve done mask work in theater, but I’ve never done anything on camera in a mask, and there is the added obstacle of not being able to see much. It’s very disorienting. But that’s where the trust came in. I had to trust that if I had done all of my preparation and I knew what she was feeling in this moment and I knew how she would respond to people, that would come across even if you couldn’t see my face.”
Swallow also revealed some of the difficulties faced by herself and the other Mandalorians on set. She recounted an incident during season one where a serious scene with Pedro Pascal turned comedic and how the Mandalorians inadvertently bumped into each other.
“We’re across from each other on this table and we’re both trying to make sure your knees don’t go over your toes, all that. I’m trying to sit down, and repeatedly, we’d just hit helmets and it’s supposed to be this serious moment and we just cracked up, and there’s constantly Mandalorians constantly running into each other. It’s like The Three Stooges that you don’t get to see.”
Pascal claimed he couldn’t see while wearing the Mandalorian suit; Swallow shared that breathing was also tricky, especially when it became foggy inside. This may explain why Mandalorians frequently collide with one another.
“It can be hard to breathe in there, especially when you exert any form of effort and then the plastic where you’re able to see out of gets all foggy and you’re very discombobulated”
When Swallow spoke to WeGotThisCovered during the event, she’d described donning the suit as “awkward.” Still, she praised the editing team for removing all those moments to make everyone look so dignified and serious. Fortunately, she became used to it wearing it, especially during her time at Fan Expo back in March when she wore her costume on the convention floor, giving her a greater appreciation to all the Mandalorian cosplayers out there.
“Oh it’s so awkward. I mean, you can’t see anything, you’re constantly running into things, it’s hilarious, it’s very silly. But that’s why it’s good that they have editing and if we fall over, they just take it out. It was definitely different but I’m used to it now. I did have to be careful where I was going though because a convention was packed and I don’t want to run into people. I’ve always had a huge appreciation for the cosplayers because they spend all day in their costumes and they have to stand there and wait in line. I have deep respect for that.”
As for The Armorer’s future — it remains uncertain. It was confirmed in the past that Din Djarin and Grogu’s story would continue and that the fourth installment has already been written; it’s up to Lucasfilm if they want to include The Armorer in that story as well. For now, you can see her as you rewatch all episodes of The Mandalorian from seasons one to three — streaming now on Disney Plus.