Maz Kanata’s Role Cut Down as Lupita Nyong’o Fails to Deliver
Apparently winning an Oscar does NOT prepare you to play an entirely CG creature in a Star Wars film. That’s what we’re hearing as Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o role has been drastically cut down in size — and Maz Kanata was short to begin with! After the jump, we spill the beans on The Force Awakens green screen drama.
One of our English nannies brings us this explosive story: celebrated actress Lupita Nyong’o has had trouble channeling the small Jedi-pirate mystic known as Maz Kanata. Since the start of production on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Nyong’o has struggled to bring the character to life.
According to insiders, the actress was doing “really bad Yoda impressions” for the first two weeks. “Unbearable, it was.” Director JJ Abrams quickly enlisted the help of Frank Oz and the Jim Henson Workshop to give Nyong’o puppet acting lessons. Despite never actually being seen in the film, Abrams felt mixing it up with felt creatures would loosen the actress up and get her to bring a spiritual mysticism to the role.
The lessons didn’t get far as Nyong’o and Oz clashed immediately over the tone and mannerisms Maz Kanata should take. Nyong’o wanted the character to be “Yoda mixed with Captain Jack Sparrow” while Oz preferred a more toned down approach akin to the Dalai Lama.
Next Abrams sent the actress to work with mo-cap wizard Andy Serkis, but that also imploded. Nyong’o was enraged to learn that Serkis had a trailer big enough to house a 25-foot tall podium. Meanwhile Nyong’o had a Hobbit-sized hut of trailer. Abrams claimed it would help the actress stay in character.
“She just wasn’t getting it. I think she felt she was too big for the role,” said another insider. In the end, Abrams felt Nyong’o phoned in her dialogue, so he took drastic measures. The director secretly reached out to Angela Bassett to re-record Maz Kanata’s lines. You’ll hear Bassett in the final film, but she will go uncredited to avoid hurting Nyong’o’s feelings. No word on whether Nyong’o will be cut from Episode VIII and her planned cameo in Rogue One.
Stay tuned for updates on this and all the latest made up news from the greatest made up movies in the galaxy.
