Static Media
Renowned actor Giancarlo Esposito is no stranger to playing the villain. His portfolio boasts an array of antagonistic roles such as Gus Fring in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” Sidney Glass in “Once Upon a Time,” Lex Luthor in “Harley Quinn,” and Stan Edgar in “The Boys.” Rather than avoiding similar roles, Esposito embraced them, culminating in his portrayal of Moff Gideon, the primary antagonist in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”
As Gideon, Esposito exudes a menacing aura. He is responsible for the Great Purge of Mandalore, where he took the Darksaber from the Mandalorians after promising to spare them, only to break his promise and exterminate as many as he could. This led to Bo-Katan Kryze vowing to retrieve the Darksaber. Despite the character’s depth, Esposito had a single, crucial condition before accepting the role – it involved his costume.
Gideon’s Cape was Esposito’s Sole Requirement
Lucasfilm
During a visit to “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, Esposito confessed to having a single major requirement for playing Moff:
“My only request is to have a cape. As soon as they agreed, I was sold! This show allowed me to relive my childhood. It rekindled my dreams and sense of wonder, making me believe that I could journey anywhere in the universe, carrying my dreams, hopes, and imagination.”
Esposito’s childlike enthusiasm significantly influenced his portrayal of Gideon. He fit the role of an old school, possibly queer-coded, Disney villain, taking joy in his actions. The costumers fulfilled his cape request, even giving him a Darth Vader-like makeover with custom Beskar armor in season 3. His stunning performance was rewarded with the opportunity to play in beautifully designed costumes.
Esposito’s Request was Quite Relatable
Lucasfilm
Acting is a unique profession, letting you play pretend with the best costumes, props, and settings. For Esposito, who frequently plays characters on the darker side, escaping into fantasy is likely a welcome break. His desire for a cape is understandable. After all, who wouldn’t want a cape, especially in “Star Wars”?
Esposito’s enthusiasm was so infectious he became a bit of a risk to certain props, particularly the prop Darksabers. He accidentally destroyed all but the last Darksaber, causing some anxiety for the prop team. Sadly, his stint in the “Star Wars” universe might be over as Gideon appeared to be killed off in “The Mandalorian” season 3. However, as it’s “Star Wars,” there’s always a chance for the return of the most disliked moff of Mandalore.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
