The DVD and Blu-Ray release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is out now, which means we’re getting a lot of fun featurettes and behind-the-scenes treasures like this clip on bringing back Darth Vader. In “Becoming Bodhi,” we get a look at how Riz Ahmed stepped into the role of former Imperial pilot and courageous defector Bodhi Rook.
Co-producer John Swartz talks about being struck by Ahmed’s acting in Nightcrawler, and even when the actor received the role Ahmed continued to churn out audition tapes with different renditions of Bodhi. If that’s not the most endearingly nerdy thing you’ve ever heard, this featurette includes at least four of these tapes with Ahmed performing in various outfits–one of them a makeshift pilot outfit with nothing but a vest and a headband that might also be a tie. Director Gareth Edwards talks about Ahmed flooding his email with more and more clips (Ahmed calls this an “obsession”), saying, “It was like, OK, you’ve got the part, and I got another, like, eight clips saying, ‘Or this, or this, or this.'”
In another animated behind-the-scenes video, Ahmed also talks about his earliest Star Wars memory (we know he has a bunch), and the traits he has in common with Bodhi Rook. They’re both excitable, bad with conflict, and have zero military training. Bodhi, Ahmed admits, is probably a “little braver.”
It’s always a delight to see Star Wars actors act as nerdy as their fans. I mean, wouldn’t you do the same?
(image: screencap)
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