Katy O'Brian thought her Mandalorian character was dead before her season 3 return
Season 3 of The Mandalorian resurrects a familiar — and sinister — face.
Katy O'Brian reprises her role as Elia Kane, a former Imperial officer who's since enrolled in the New Republic amnesty program. But as the season has progressed, Kane has proven that she's not exactly reformed, and she might still have loyalties to her former commander Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). So far, she's wreaked plenty of havoc on Coruscant, from betraying Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi) to manipulating the burgeoning New Republic.
It's a welcome return for the 34-year-old O'Brian, who's built her career on shows like Black Lightning and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Most recently, she also headlined Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, playing the freedom fighter Jentorra. EW recently caught up with O'Brian for our Dagobah Dispatch podcast, where she opened up about returning to a galaxy far, far away.
Lucasfilm Ltd. Katy O'Brian as Elia Kane in 'The Mandalorian'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You joined The Mandalorian season 2 as an Imperial comms officer. What was your reaction when you learned that not only were you coming back for season 3, but you were taking on an expanded role?
KATY O'BRIAN: I was surprised! At first, when I got the news that I was coming back, I didn't know that it'd been expanded. I didn't know that I would be in a totally different uniform. I had no idea what was going on. It was the same time that I booked Ant-Man, and I was told that I was pinned on this project. We wound up filming at the same time, and I was worried it wasn't going to work out, but they made everything happen. So, when I found out, I was like, "That's so exciting!" But I was a little confused because I thought I was dead. [Laughs]
When I finally got the scripts, it was the first time they actually gave me the sides well in advance. I was able to actually see in advance what my lines were and what was going on. And I was just in complete disbelief that I got to have a much bigger role — and maybe be a little bit sketchy at times.
That's got to be fun: Not only do you take on a bigger role in the Star Wars universe, but you get to play a little bit of a baddie.
Yeah! And what I love about this character is I still don't know what my motivations are. You can make all the leaps and assumptions that you want. I think they do that intentionally, so the fans can have to things guess at it. But she's pretty mischievous for sure, which I absolutely adore.
When you started playing this character, she was sort of your standard Imperial officer. But here, we get to peel back the layers and find out a little bit more about who she is. For you, what was fun about getting to play this very manipulative — and as you said, mischievous — character?
It's funny because she really is just letting people guide what they want to do. It's like when somebody asks you: "Man, do you really think I should go out with this person again? The last date was kind of icky." And you're like, "I don't know! What do you think?" And they already know the answer. She's kind of that person. She's really just letting people make the decision they already want to make. I was a psych major, and psychologically, I think she's fascinating. It's a really interesting approach to take with her: She knows how people think.
But also, in my younger days, I used to be a little bit more of a prankster. So, I really love the idea of getting to put that mischievous youth into play here.
I love that episode with you and Dr. Pershing, played by Omid Abtahi. Tell me about working with him — because a lot of that episode is just the two of you.
I just saw an article with Hugh Grant where he talks about people looking at their phones on set all day, and you know, he is kind of right. I feel like oftentimes, you get in these rooms, and you're really excited to meet your costars or whoever you're working with, and they are either into their phones or off doing something else. And it was so not like that with Omid. He was very interested in getting to know me, and I was interested in getting to know him. I felt like we actually got to develop a really good friendship. We got to meet each other's families. And the director's family, Lee Isaac Chung.
At the end of the day, it really did feel like working with a new family, an extended family. We were able to play off each other and be open in terms of what we needed from each other. It was a really lovely relationship off-screen. And then on screen, we all got to really feel the hurt. [Laughs] There were moments where we're just trying not to cry because it's so brutal. But it was great.
I mean, you use a mind flayer on him! It's a little brutal!
I think it's the first time in Star Wars that it's been shown, and I don't know if we know for sure exactly what it does to somebody. So, we're all a little nervous. I'm hoping he's okay somewhere!
Lucasfilm Ltd. Katy O'Brian (right) in 'The Mandalorian'
I'm always curious what it's like to step on to some of those sets. What's it like to be in the middle of Coruscant, surrounded by alien creatures and people in prosthetics?
I absolutely love what they do with the practical effects, the makeup, the robotics. There's that creature on the train, and that was two people inside this giant robotic suit. They were super hot and I'm sure very uncomfortable, but it just added to the otherworldliness. You're seeing the mouth move when these creatures are talking, or you're seeing their eyes go all sorts of different directions. It really does make you feel like you're in a strange new world!
With Coruscant in particular, we had the peak of Umate in front of us, so we did see that. But everything else around us was on the Volume. You'd look around and see all these spectacular buildings because it's there and moving with you, which is really wild. There were even kids running around in the background. It really does its best to take this essentially blue-screen world and make it real. It's insane.
So, this is a really important question. What do those Imperial biscuits taste like?
Someone told me the recipe is out online now! You'll have to look it up. But from what I recall — because again, this was like two years ago — it was just really heavy coconut. I have one in my fridge right now, but I think I'm going to plasticize it and keep it forever. But yeah, it was really, really coconutty. It was pretty dry, and it was surprisingly filling. I think it could actually be used for a ration. It kind of expanded in your mouth in a very interesting way. It was healthy, or at least that's what I was told. It's a very healthy, vegan, gluten-free biscuit, which is what the Empire is all about.
I love that you have one in your fridge right now. I think you're right: You should save it.
Oh yeah. I have one, and I gave one to Omid. And they're ours forever.
I'm curious: Was there a day on set where you totally geeked out?
There were so many little moments. The first day that I got to shoot this episode with Omid, I was really excited because the [director of photography] was Dean Cundey, who has shot every movie known to man. He's come up with some really cool camera techniques. I'm a big horror/slasher fan, and he did the original Halloween, so getting to chat with him was so exciting. And Jon [Favreau] is there pretty much every day to give the rundown of the scene and answer any questions we might have. And I had just seen [Lee Isaac Chung's] Minari and it was just nominated for six Oscars or whatever. So, you're working with all these people who are just phenomenal at their jobs… and then me.
I feel like I'm in a masterclass every single day when I get to work. Not only are you in one of the top shows, but you also learn a little bit more about the behind-the-scenes and what they're looking for in terms of directing, or how the costumes are working, or the set or the Volume. That's what's so special for me, especially as a newer actor — just getting to be there and learn from the best in the business.
Speaking of the costumes, I think I read that in your first scenes, you were wearing an Imperial uniform from the original trilogy. Is that right?
That's what they told me! I believe them, though, because there was a stain on it and a mark where a pin had been. So, I believe it. But they might have also told me that so I would be extra careful. I don't know.
"It's vintage. Please take care of it."
That's what I would do. I would be like, "This is 100 years old, so don't ruin it. Or else."
You're also one of the rare actors who's been in both the Star Wars universe and the Marvel universe. Which one is more secretive?
Star Wars. I don't even get pages if my name isn't on the page. So, I know nothing about what's going on if I'm not physically in the scene. Even then, because my name wasn't on the page where I'm walking into the auditorium, I didn't know that was me walking into the auditorium. I didn't know I was giving Omid biscuits behind the scenes until we were talking about it. There's so much they don't tell you, and sometimes I'm like, "That might've been good to know!" But they're hands down the more secretive.
I mean, you gotta protect those secrets.
It was also frustrating, too, because again, I was swimming in both [Ant-Man and Mandalorian] at the same time. People would be like, "What are you doing? What are you working on?" and I was like, "Oh, nothing." [Laughs] You want to tell them, but it's like, "Well… You'll see it in two years."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For more on The Mandalorian and all things Star Wars, listen to EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast — featuring a full breakdown of every Mandalorian episode and interviews with cast members Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, and more.
