The Willow TV series is well into production at this point, and Lucasfilm has made a historic addition to the cast. Talisa Garcia, best known for her work in drama series Baptiste, has been added, making the first trans actor to be hired by the studio, or Disney.
Deadline reports her coming on board, where she’ll play the Queen and the mother of Tony Revolori’s character. It’s understood that it’s a “small speaking part”, that only lasts a single episode. That would track with the show currently being in post-production, making her addition either something that happened late in the day or just a performance that wasn’t locked into the edit until recently.
Garcia’s hiring is the first time on record that an openly trans actor has been brought on by Disney to portray someone who is cisgender. Deadline states that there was much support and adulation behind-the-scenes on the move, everyone no doubt aware of the positive change this could help make for not just the House of Mouse, but the industry at large.
The upcoming Willow show is a sequel to the 1988 fantasy movie of the same name. In that film, Warwick Davis stars as Willow Ufgood, a farmer that helps shield a small child from the evil Queen that wants to take over the world.
The Disney Plus series was announced in 2020, with Davis back in the lead role. Jon M chu was directing, before stepping away due to the birth of his child, and Jonathan Entwhistle took over. Jonathan Kasdan and Wendy Mericle are showrunners.
We’ll keep you informed on when you can expect to see Willow. In the meantime, check out the best adventure movies.