Rupert Friend

Rupert Friend is an actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He portrayed The Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Biography

The actor Rupert Friend was cast to play the The Grand Inquisitor in the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series. He said that getting to be a part of Star Wars was a "complete boyhood dream come true." Friend would constantly "geek out" on the set and he nearly fainted when he was handed his lightsaber. The actor was excited about playing a character who has never appeared in live-action and said standing next to Obi-Wan Kenobi was amazing. Friend wanted to honor the Grand Inquisitor as he saw him, so he almost deliberately didn't watch Star Wars Rebels. Friend, director Deborah Chow, Dave Filoni, and the crew wanted a fresh portrayal that was faithful to the character's spirit without doing an impression of the animated version. Writer Joby Harold wrote that the Grand Inquisitor enjoys the sound of his own voice and talks a lot, so Friend spoke like someone who likes their own voice.

Rupert Friend and Sung Kang on the Tatooine set

Rupert Friend and Sung Kang on the Tatooine set

Friend said that the Inquisitor's backstory as a former Jedi brought an "enormous kind of feeling of power beneath the performance." Friend's lightsaber prop was shifted to accomadate his hands. The actor enjoyed going through lightsaber training with the stunt guys who are master swordsmen and masters of several forms of martial arts. The make-up and prosthetics took four hours to apply every day. Most mornings, Friend had three people working on him until the rest of the crew arrived. He thought it was a thrill to see "this extraordinary creation come to life before [his] eyes each morning." All of the armor together weighed about 45 pounds and the cape was weighted with chains to move in "a badass way." Friend felt invincible with the costume on. Between takes, the crew rushed to Friend to cool him off with neck fans they invented, though the actor still sweated a lot on set.

Friend had a good time with Moses Ingram and Sung Kang, the actors who played the Third Sister and Fifth Brother, respectively. Friend loved how the three Inquisitors and their weapons are distinct. He said that he would be completely open to playing the Grand Inquisitor in another piece of Star Wars because he loved playing his role and would like to see what would happen if he interacted with other characters. On March 29, 2021, Lucasfilm Ltd. confirmed Rupert Friend as a cast member of the live-action Disney+ television series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Sources

Appearances