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Donald Glover has been cast in a Star Wars movie, and the pressure is on — particularly from his mom.
He’s set to play Lando Calrissian — the role originated by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back — in an upcoming Star Wars spin-off film centering on a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Glover shared his parents’ reaction to the casting news.
“I told my dad immediately,” said Glover, who noted that his dad gave him a Lando action figure – his first toy – when he was a child. “He was like, ‘Aww.’ My mom was in the back; she was like, ‘Don’t mess it up! Don’t mess this up!’ ‘Cause Billy Dee — like, that’s hers.”
Glover’s casting in the film was long rumored before it was announced last week. “It’s really crazy,” he told DeGeneres. “I don’t know. I’m very honored. It’s a very big deal.”
“It’s not weird,” said DeGeneres. “You say it’s crazy, but you kind of put it out there that you want to be in Star Wars, you put it out there that you want to be in Spider-Man, and both of those things happened.”
Glover has campaigned for years to play the webslinger, and this summer was cast in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming in a yet-to-be-announced role. (Tom Holland plays the titular superhero.) The actor and musician is also known for his role in the cult comedy Community and as his musical alter ego Childish Gambino. Glover’s hip-hop comedy Atlanta, which follows two cousins as they navigate the Atlanta rap scene, debuted this fall to critical acclaim on FX.
Watch Glover’s conversation on Ellen in the video above.
Donald Glover Comments on 'Star Wars' Role for First Time
