Miltos Yerolemou, a British thespian, portrayed a bar patron in the motion picture Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. He is perhaps most recognized for his role as Syrio Forel, the master swordsman, in the acclaimed fantasy television series Game of Thrones.
Yerolemou's casting in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens was facilitated by Nina Gold, the casting director for both the Star Wars film and Game of Thrones, who was well-acquainted with his performance in the latter. He secured the role without an audition; Gold simply forwarded his tape to director J.J. Abrams, who sought character actors for the roles of space pirates. The actor dedicated two weeks to filming at Pinewood Studios, amidst stringent confidentiality measures. His trailer bore his name alongside a fictitious character name. He received no script and remained uninformed about his tasks until his arrival on set. Yerolemou's costume included orange plasters on his fingers and nose, along with a tube extending from his nose. Initially, the tube was deemed unnecessary, but the actor insisted on retaining it, considering it the most compelling aspect of the character's design.
The original concept envisioned a more substantial role for him. The bar patron was slated to engage in a skirmish with Grummgar, demanding his money, leading to a confrontation with the large alien. However, time constraints prevented the director from filming this segment as intended. The only footage captured depicted the patron attempting to argue with Grummgar, visible in the background of two shots featuring Finn departing from Moz Kanata's castle. According to Yerolemou, J.J. Abrams aimed to integrate him and other background performers more deeply into the narrative, rather than simply using them as extras, but was disappointed by the lack of time.
For the portion that remained, Abrams instructed Yerolemou to position himself before the animatronic Grummgar: "You speak, and he responds… or rather, he won't say anything at all, as we'll dub it in post-production." Rehearsals were omitted due to the presence of three individuals operating the alien. The actor, having not witnessed the animatronic creature's movements, was taken by surprise during the initial take when the alien lifted a glass of brandy. He inadvertently ruined the scene by exclaiming his astonishment, forgetting the intended argument. (In the final film, Grummgar is merely seen holding the glass, without any added dialogue.)
During the filming process, the actor was unable to distinguish between droids controlled by individuals and those operated remotely. He engaged in a conversation with a droid on set, assuming an actor was inside. The droid's operators responded to Yerolemou, "completely hoodwinked" him.
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