“She is a very dedicated Padawan,” Keen tells EW of her character.
Shes half-human, half-Theelin, andallJedi.
Well, Jedi Padawan, at least.
Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon in ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’.Christian Black / Lucasfilm Ltd.
And show creator Leslye Headland was insistent on getting Keen to play the part.
“We have to get Dafne, period,“Headland previously told EW.
“I just wanted to see X23 with a lightsaber in their hand.
Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon in ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’.Christian Black / Lucasfilm Ltd.
That has to happen.”
Christian Black / Lucasfilm Ltd.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So what can you tell us about Jecki Lon?
Shes a mixed species part Theelin, part human.
Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, and Charlie Barnett of ‘The Acolyte’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.Rachell Smith
She’s very cool and I have some very cool fights I do with the lightsaber.
I really love her.
She’s a great character and was really fun to play.
Dafne Keen of ‘The Acolyte’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.Rachell Smith
I’m very excited thatthe trailer came out.
I was buzzing for days.
I’d say she is a very dedicated Padawan.
She’s definitely in awe of him in a very kind of sweet way.
It was an hour and a half, two hours in the morning.
It was honestly really fun.
I loved the whole process of it.
It was really freeing not having my face.
It was really nice to just show up at work and be in someone else’s face.
[Laughs]
So did the makeup just totally just change the way you carried yourself?
It completely changed how I moved.
It also completely changed the character.
Leslye is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with.
And I was completely sold from minute one with Leslye.
The way that Leslye wrote this mystery-thriller was so fascinating to me.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
