Carl Weathers Had A Brilliantly Simple Mantra For Directing Star Wars
Carl Weathers, the legendary actor known for his roles in movies like "Rocky" and "Predator," has only just passed away at the age of 76. Though not talked about nearly as much as his on-screen work, Weathers was also an accomplished director and called the shots on many shows during his decades-long career, including "Hawaii Five-O" and "Law & Order." In recent years, he's played Greef Karga on the "Star Wars" TV show "The Mandalorian." Even then, however, Lucasfilm made use of his talents behind the camera as well, with Weathers directing not one but two episodes documenting the galactic adventures of Mando and Grogu.
Most recently, Weathers directed an episode titled "The Foundling," which aired as part of the show's third season in 2023. Speaking to Hype Beast after the episode premiered, the actor-turned-director explained his approach to directing specifically in the "Star Wars" universe," which is no small thing. In short? His philosophy boiled down to not getting in the way of a good thing:
"With every show, there's a certain tone that is in the writing, and with 'The Mandalorian' it is very much what 'Star Wars' already is, the job is not to mess it up. It is all about putting the pieces in the right place, supporting the talent to tell the story as artistically as you can. So far — with two episodes directed — I've managed to not screw anything up, so I'm feeling pretty good about that."
Weathers also directed a season 2 episode titled "The Siege." That episode saw Mando and Grogu reunite with Greef Karga and Cara Dune on Nevarro to make repairs on Mando's ship before being talked into going on a mission at an old imperial base. In both cases, the episodes were received well by critics and fans alike.
'Offer the opportunity to give a great performance and you can have success'
When it comes to "The Foundling," Weathers found himself with a unique opportunity to give "Star Wars" fans a welcome gift. The episode features a flashback to Order 66 and shows us how Grogu was saved from the slaughter of the Jedi by none other than Kelleran Beq, played by Ahmed Best — the actor best known for portraying Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy. It provided Best with one heck of a redemption arc and the show with one of its most impressive action sequences to date.
In that same interview, Weathers discussed directing that episode and the opportunity to revisit this important moment in the history of the franchise. In talking about this, he also touched a bit more on his philosophy as a filmmaker, which is all about allowing actors the space to deliver a great performance:
"For me, it was fantastic. It encompassed both a part of the lore of 'Star Wars' and a segment that many fans wanted to learn more about, and I had a great combination of both dramatic and action sequences to play with. I had the great honor of having Ahmed Best return to the 'Star Wars' universe, creating a moment that people really loved — seeing him and Grogu together, that was perfect. I love what Ahmed brought to it, it was a great example of how you offer the opportunity to give a great performance and you can have success."
For many viewers, the show's third season was a bit of a mixed bag overall. But Weathers delivered one of the biggest crowd-pleasing moments and saved the day from behind the camera as a director, rather than in front of it as one of Mando's most trusted allies.
"The Mandalorian" is currently streaming on Disney+.