Anna Daniels
Undisputedly, the most iconic helmet-bearer in Star Wars is the one and only Darth Vader. But the galactic big bad isn’t the only — or the most colorful — character in the franchise’s universe to wear some dazzling headgear. Of course, the entire stormtrooper ground force wears the standard black and white helmet, and more notable individual wearers include the legendary Boba Fett, the Mandalorian, and Captain Phasma. For the actors behind each, putting on their respective character’s mask has been a uniquely different yet meaningful experience.
Beyond Baby Yoda‘s ability to win the hearts and minds of literally anyone who lays eyes on him, Pedro Pascal’s helmeted bounty hunter on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian has quickly become popular among fans. In a Vulture interview with Pascal’s body-double, John Wayne’s grandson Brendan Wayne, it was revealed that a significant number of the show’s scenes were filmed using Wayne in the full suit. And yet, in an interview with Collider, the former Game of Thrones actor pointed to his experience trying on one specific piece of the character’s armor as the moment he “knew” he was fully in the universe and the character.
“Putting the helmet on, for sure,” Pascal said. “They had it handy, in our first meeting, to see if it would fit, and it fit perfectly. Very simply, trying the costume on, for the first time, and looking in the mirror, you can’t see very well in the helmet, but I got a pretty clear impression of it.”
Gwendoline Christie, another Game of Thrones alum, played J.J. Abrams’ favorite Episode 7 character, commander of the First Order stormtroopers Captain Phasma. Between her appearances in the sequel trilogy’s first and second chapters, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, we never once see Phasma take off her helmet. For the actress who plays her, it was an exciting experience for the freedom it allowed her and her female character, especially when it came to being viewed and judged by audiences.
“I thought it was a really interesting opportunity to play a female character where we formed an opinion of her based on her actions rather than the way she has been made flesh,” Christie told Entertainment Weekly. “And that concept within a Star Wars movie, a mainstream phenomenon, was very modern and interesting and exciting. … To be in it as that kind of character – she’s a woman, she’s in armor, the armor isn’t sexualized, and in the film we don’t see the actor’s face – I thought that was an exciting, modern concept.”
In her interview with USA Today, Russell admitted that she found the experience of wearing Bliss’s helmet “empowering.” While she didn’t quite go as far as Christie in her statement, the Rise of Skywalker star’s comments allude to similar feelings as Christie. Russell’s decision to keep on the helmet — which she said “wasn’t light” — was about something different than just a playful power trip, feeling like the character, or even representation. By opting not to remove it between takes, the actress was also able to help reinforce her role in something bigger.
“When you step on a Star Wars set, you’re not imagining something. The world is there,” Russell told USA Today. “They created it. Some crazy snowy planet with hundreds of Stormtroopers and creatures, there’s so much art involved. That’s why I wanted to wear the helmet — because I wanted to show up and do my part.”
Written by: Looper
