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The Star Wars movie franchise, its cast and fans are speaking out in support of actor Moses Ingram, who said he was targeted by a wave of online racist abuse for his role in the new series “Obi-Wan Kenobi”.
When Ingram made his debut as the character of Reva Sevander, one of Darth Vader’s inquisitors in charge of hunting down Jedi, on Friday’s highly anticipated Disney Plus show, the star described a torrent of threatening and racist messages on Instagram. One said his “days are numbered.” Another called it a “diversity rental.” Other messages used the word n.
Moses Ingram’s relentless journey from West Baltimore to Hollywood
Ewan McGregor became the last co-star to express his support, saying he was “sick” of the way Ingram was treated and said the messages were “horrible”. He called Ingram, who also starred in “The Queen’s Gambit,” one of Netflix’s highest-rated programs of all time, a “brilliant actor.”
“I just want to say that as the main actor in the series, as the executive producer of the series, we are with Moses,” he said in a video posted to his Star Wars Twitter account, which has since been viewed by more than 5 million people. . times.
“We love Moses, and if you send him messages of harassment, you’re not a Star Wars fan,” he said.
McGregor’s support came after the Star Wars franchise targeted those harassing the star. “We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family,” the franchise tweeted on Tuesday, adding that the producers were “excited for Reva’s story to unfold.”
“If someone wants to make her feel somehow unwanted, we only have one thing to say: we resist,” the tweet said.
There are over 20 million sensitive species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be racist.
– Star Wars (@starwars) May 31, 2022
Ingram used his Instagram stories to describe the abuse last week, saying he felt “there is nothing anyone can do to stop this hatred” and that the comments were fueling self-doubt. “I even ask my purpose to be here in front of you saying this is happening,” he said in the video, which is no longer visible because Instagram stories expire after 24 hours.
“I think what bothers me is this feeling that I’ve had inside me, that no one has told me, but this feeling that I have to shut up and take it. That I just have to smile and endure it. And I’m not built that way, ”Ingram said as he thanked his fans for supporting him.
On social media, many used the hashtag #WeLoveYouMosesIngram to share their admiration for the 29-year-old, whom they called “talented” and “an icon.”
Star Wars, which has long faced issues of race and gender, has pledged to increase diversity in its cast amid reaction.
British black actors John Boyega and Thandiwe Newton and Kenyan Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o have entered the Star Wars universe in recent years. Kelly Marie Tran, who became the first Asian-American actress to land a major role in Star Wars, said she was also a target of trolls on social media and deleted all of her Instagram posts in 2018 , which led to speculation that the abuse he suffered online was the catalyst.
Kelly Marie Tran has deleted her Instagram posts. Is it linked to harassment of Star Wars actresses?
Addressing the move in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter last year, Tran said he decided that the Internet was not “good for my mental health. Obviously I’ll leave that.”
And Boyega, who told GQ magazine that he faced death threats during his time playing former Stormtrooper Finn, delivered a passionate speech in front of thousands of people at a large Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park. of London in 2020 after the death of George Floyd.
“I need you to understand how painful it is to remember every day that your career means nothing,” the actor said before telling the crowd around him, “I don’t know if I’ll have a career after that.” .