The Mandalorian Star Reveals Surprising Cameo in Latest Episode

Star Wars fans have been divided over The Mandalorian Season 3 episode "Chapter 19", but there's one person who has been getting the enjoyment of a lifetime out of it: actor Omid Abtahi. Abtahi plays Star Wars' Dr. Penn Pershing, who first appeared in the first season of The Mandalorian. Pershing was the scientist who specialized in cloning and hoped to obtain the DNA material of Grogu on behalf of Moff Gideon. When Gideon's brigade of Imperial Remnants was taken down, Pershing ended up in the New Republic's Amnesty Program to be rehabilitated. 

Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian explored Pershing's misguided attempts to bring his scientific process to the New Republic – and hinted at lingering dark forces of the Empire that wanted to make sure Pershing's research into cloning didn't get renewed attention.  

While fan theories have pointed out how this chapter of The Mandalorian's story could lead to major pivotal events to come in Star Wars, the immediate response has been that The Mandalorian S3E3 is the least satisfying episode of the series. But you couldn't tell that to Omid Abtahi, who has been having nothing but the deepest kind of fun with his moment in the Star Wars spotlight! 

The Mandalorian Chapter 19 Reveals Surprising Cameo Character

In fact, Omid Abtahi experienced something much deeper than fun while making his episode of The Mandalorian Season 3: he got the deepest kind of fulfillment out of it, by having his son make a cameo appearance! 

"My son got to work as an extra on set," Omid Abtahi revealed in a tweet. The accompanying photo showed him and his son on the Coruscant set of The Mandalorian, where the sole remaining highest mountain peak of the planet is visible through the cityscape. The actor then went on to share a heartwarming anecdote, describing his son's reaction that night, after filming on set all day: 

"After kissing him goodnight that night and turning off the light:
Son: Hey daddy?
Me: Yeah baby?
(beat)
Son: Coruscant is real. I've been there.
Me (teary eyed): Yes you have baby.

Best day of my life.

Thank you Star Wars Universe"

Hearing that context makes it a little bit harder. to hate on Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian, no? The scene that featured Abtahi's son was one of the more divisive ones of the episode: Dr. Pershing is getting a tour of Coruscant from his former colleague in Gideon's battalion, Elia Kane (Katy O'Brian). Pershing and Kane are seen eating a treat that looks like a neon glowing popsicle and is already becoming iconic. The square where the last peak of Coruscant is memorialized has many tourists and visitors happily moving through it – including a kid played by Abtahi's son. Work/life balance doesn't get much better than that. 

The Mandalorian Season 3 is now streaming on Disney+.