Star Wars: Babu Frik and Moaning Myrtle Are Played by the Same Person

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is already into its second weekend at the box office, and it’s introducing quite a lot into a galaxy far, far away. While many elements from the film are being debated about or questioned, one of the film’s new characters has undeniably stolen the hearts of fans — Babu Frik. The pint-sized droidsmith steals essentially every scene that he is a part of, thanks to his unique voice and speaking style, which is brought to life by a surprising person. Babu Frik is voiced by Shirley Henderson, the actress who is best known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise.

For those who might not remember, Moaning Myrtle was a Hogwarts student in the 1940s, who was killed after Tom Riddle enchanted the Serpent of Slytherin. Thanks to the unique layout of Hogwarts, Myrtle became a ghost that haunted Hogwarts’ second-floor girls’ bathroom. Henderson’s portrayal of the character first debuted in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and she then returned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Outside of the Potter franchise, Henderson’s credits include the Doctor Who episode “Love & Monsters”, as well as T2 Trainspotting, Okja, and the Bridget Jones franchise.

While those with an eagle eye on The Rise of Skywalker‘s credits probably spotted Henderson’s role early on, the idea that she played two completely different – but incredibly memorable – characters has been blowing fans’ minds in recent days. And while it’s unclear what the future holds for Babu Frik, he certainly is a character that fans would be interested in seeing again.

“You know, there is an appropriate time. We’re using this appropriate time as an opportunity to see where we’re going now that we’re leaving the Skywalker Saga behind,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy shared earlier this year. “But there’s no question that there’s certain characters that we’ve created certainly in the last three movies that we may very well wanna see down the line in the future.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now.