Kumail Nanjiani's role in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series has been wrapped in secrecy. But the actor is finally revealing vital details about the character, including his name, base of operations and profession.
"His name is Haja," Nanjiani told Entertainment Weekly. "And he's this guy who works on the streets of Daiyu, which is this new Star Wars location that we haven't seen before that's absolutely gorgeous. And he's the guy who's worked really hard to stay out of the bigger conflicts at play. He just kind of wants to be his own guy. Survival for him is all that matters."
Nanjiani described Haja as a "con-man guy who cons people for money." But despite his efforts to keep a low profile, a run-in with Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) will force him to get involved in the galaxy's larger conflicts.
"Suddenly he sort of gets stuck in the bigger conflicts at play, which is the thing that he really tries to avoid," Nanjiani explained to the online magazine. "So he is this street-level con-man guy who then gets embroiled in stuff that's way too big for him. And he has to make a choice."
Despite being described as having a "substantial" role in the series, Nanjiani has not been a central aspect of the series' marketing and promotional materials. He was not included in the first trailer and the second trailer only featured a brief glance at his character. "This is the first time it feels real," Nanjiani wrote on Twitter after the second trailer debuted. "I'm in Star Wars."
These new details correlate with a rumor from Making Star Wars that speculated that Nanjiani would exist in the part of the Star Wars universe that is "full of crime, scum, and villainy" and be a contact person for the exiled Jedi Master. The rumor also said that Nanjiani would have a connection with Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits, who is rumored to reprise his role from the films) and provide information that would allow Obi-Wan to rescue a kidnapped Princess Leia.
Aside from McGregor and Nanjiani, Obi-Wan Kenobi will star Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader, Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars and Bonnie Piesse as Beru Whitesun Lars. All three are reprising their roles from the prequel trilogy. Newcomers include Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend and Indira Varma. The series premieres on Disney+ on May 27.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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