Moses Ingram, who is set to star opposite Ewan McGregor in the upcoming sci-fi series Obi-Wan Kenobi, has revealed how the studio warned her about a certain section of the Star Wars fanbase in preparation for the show. In an interview with The Independent, the actor shared how Lucasfilms has given her a heads up about the ‘likely possibility’ of racist backlash once she makes her debut in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars is a beloved IP; however, a number of its fans haven’t exactly been the kindest to the actors who also happen to be women of colour. For example, Kelly Marie Tran, who starred in the science fiction movie The Last Jedi, suffered extreme harassment on social media back in 2017. The attacks on Tran’s race, gender, and appearance caused the star to leave social media entirely in 2018.
So, needless to say, the studio is rightfully concerned that Ingram may be subject to the same unsavoury treatment. “It was something that Lucasfilm actually got in front of, and said, ‘This is a thing that, unfortunately, likely will happen. But we are here to help you; you can let us know when it happens’,” Ingram said.
The actor also clarified that director Deborah Chow has put “the proper systems in place, so I feel safe as we do the work” during production. Ingram is set to portray the Star Wars character Inquisitor Reva, also known as the Third Sister, in the Disney Plus series.
During the interview, the star elaborated on how the upcoming sci-fi series isn’t just a treat for fans but a needed step in terms of representation for the franchise. “Obi-Wan is going to bring the most diversity I think we’ve ever seen in the galaxy before,” she said.
“To me, it’s long overdue. If you’ve got talking droids and aliens, but no people of colour, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s 2022, you know. So we’re just at the beginning of that change. But I think to start that change is better than never having started it.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi will stream exclusively on Disney Plus from May 27, 2022.