The recent Star Wars celebration in Southern California was a big deal: a celebration of the Star Wars fandom, a gathering of passionate fans of the galaxy’s stories, and a dump of news about upcoming Star Wars projects. In the process, the first two episodes of the new Disney + Obi-Wan Kenobi series were screened for critics and fans before it hit the streaming service. And while the program’s reviews were mixed with positive ones, there was too much contempt for the newcomer to the Moses Ingram franchise. She plays the inquisitive Sith Reva Sevander, and after the episodes, some fans bombarded her with racist and hateful messages on social media. First, the official Star Wars account supported Ingram. And now it’s the lead actor, Ewan McGregor, who condemns this speech and defends its co-star.
Here’s Ewan McGregor’s Tweetwith a video message of condemnation and support:
A personal message from Ewan McGregor. pic.twitter.com/rJSDmj663K1 June 2022
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It’s never okay to attack an actor because of a character they play on a Star Wars TV show. Point. Nothing in Star Wars is so important that you have to send a hate message to an actor who plays a villain in a new Disney + series. It is not constructive. It is destructive.
And this is how Moses Ingram said he felt after the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In an Instagram story posted to his official account, the actor shared direct messages telling him that “the days are numbered” and that “he will not be loved or remembered” for the role he plays in the show. As Moses Ingram admits that hundreds of similar hate messages were sent to him, he also informed his followers:
I also see those of you putting on a cloak for me. And that really means the world to me. Because, you know, no one can do that. There is nothing that anyone can do to stop this hatred. And so I wonder what my purpose is, and even to be here in front of you, saying this is happening. I really do not know.
Unfortunately, Moses Ingram is not the first actor to receive harsh and relentless criticism for a role they played in a Star Wars project. Obi-Wan Kenobi star Hayden Christensen, who reprized her role as Anakin Skywalker, spent decades hearing from Star Wars fans how much they hated her performance in the prequel trilogy. Criticism basically it forced him to stop acting. And then there’s Ahmed Best, the actor who played Jar Jar Binks for George Lucas and admitted years later that the criticism from the fans continued to affect him, and affect your psyche. In 2018, Best even admitted that he planned to commit suicide thanks to the reaction it has taken to play the role.
Fortunately, Ewan McGregor and some of the Star Wars community are defending Obi-Wan Kenobi co-star Moses Ingram, whose role in the show could end up being significant, as we’ve only seen two episodes of six. . Fandom can be quick to make hasty judgments. But hate speech directed at an actor playing a role in a fictional story is unacceptable, and the best thing is that the powers that be in Star Wars cut this tragedy off suddenly.