“I purposely tried to differentiate him from Chewbacca,” says Joonas Suotamo.
“Being a Jedi, there’s more to that.”
Wookiee Jedi are having a moment.
Kelnacca and Leslye Headland at Star Wars Celebration.Kate Green/Getty Images
And coming soon sometime in 2024 we will be meeting our first-ever live-action Wookiee Jedi.
After all, both the books and the show take place in the same High Republic era.
Hence the creation of Kelnacca, played by formerChewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo.
Joonas Suotamo of ‘The Acolyte’.Rachell Smith for EW
“And we thought it would be cool to do our own version of that.
He has a very different character design.”
But the recent High Republic novels were not the only inspiration for Headland.
“Honestly, I really lovedSoloand I loved Joonas' performance in it.
For the man in the Wookiee suit, playing the character is a dream come true.
“Kelnacca is a Wookiee Jedi,” Suotamo said when he sat down with theDagobah Dispatchbefore theSAG-AFTRA strike.
To get to play a character that can wield the Force is beyond any of my dreams.”
“Being a Jedi, there’s more to that.
And that was the challenge.
It entailed all the training and getting ready with my castmates.
Suotamo owes his new role not just to his showrunner’s vision, but her persistence as well.
“I didn’t think they would let me do it,” says Headland.
For Headland, everything started with the look of the character.
“I especially loved having a Wookiee with the sides of his head shaved.
I’m a very visual person in that way.
So that’s how Kelnacca came to be.”
“I just couldn’t resist being on set with a Wookiee,” admits Headland.
“It was just very, very selfish of me.
Although my wife was very scared of him, which I thought was funny.
And this one is scary powerful as well.
Listen to our full interviews withThe Acolytecast and showrunner on theDagobah Dispatchpodcast.
