Donald Glover Explains What It’s Been Like Playing Lando In New Han Solo Film

Few casting decisions in the Star Wars universe have been as perfect as picking Donald Glover to play a young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo film. Although we’re always happy to be surprised by a casting decision, hearing that the star of Atlanta, Community, and Magic Mike XXL would step into the shoes defined by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back sounded too good to be true. Luckily for Glover and fans alike, this role isn’t something the actor is taking for granted.

When speaking with Deadline, Glover explained, “This is probably one of my favorite experiences ever. For working under, like, a huge conglomerate, it’s actually been quite an enjoyable, artistic thing. I get to play him in a way that I think is honest and true and cool. And it’s great ’cause I didn’t have to write anything, I’m focused strictly on being this guy. And I really respect him and I respect the actor who played him before.”

More than just doing a Billy Dee Williams impression, it sounds like Glover is trying to help expand on everything audiences knew about the character.

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“I’ve learned a lot about this character, so it’s actually been really fulfilling and nice to just turn off everything else and focus on just being someone. So it’s been cool,” Glover revealed.

Glover adds, “I think even Han isn’t as complicated as Lando is. From the first time you meet him, you don’t know whether to trust him or not, and you’re constantly not knowing whether to trust him. I like that about him.”

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The actor knows what’s at stake with this role, so he’s not taking the challenge lightly.

“Lando seems to be a lot of people’s favorite character. It’s cool. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also very exciting. He was my favorite character too,” Glover confessed. “I grew up on Star Wars. It’s just cool to see him again. I feel like people like him ’cause he has a lot of style, but also he’s a complicated character in this world.”

The Han Solo movie will be released May 25, 2018.