Posted in: Disney+, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: Carrie-Anne Moss, disney, star wars, Star Wars: The Acolyte, The Acolytle

The Acolyte: Carrie-Anne Moss on Indara, Series Pitch & Jedi Training

Carrie-Anne Moss on the rigorous training she underwent to play Jedi Master Indara in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte and more.

Carrie-Anne Moss is certainly no stranger to mega franchises given her involvement in The Matrix as Trinity and the Netflix end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Jeri Hogarth. She joins the Star Wars universe as Jedi Master Indara with abilities closer to her Trinity in Showrunner Leslye Headland's Disney+ series The Acolyte. Set approximately 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace (1999) – at the end of the High Republic era – the series follows respected Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), investigating a series of crimes that bring him into conflict with a former Padawan learner Mae (Amandla Stenberg). In the following highlights, Moss discusses the pitch from Headland, fighting in Jedi robes, her lightsaber, and more.

The Acolyte: How Carrie-Anne Moss Took the Red Pill for Star Wars

When recalling Headland's pitch, "It was really when she described the story within the fight – because a good fight has a story. I love understanding the arc of a fight. When she described it to me, I was like, 'I wanna be her. I wanna be in those shoes and discover that.' Talking to [Leslye], she's so creative and able to articulate her vision very clearly. You feel that way occasionally when you have someone who has created a story – when you talk to them, you know right away. I felt that a few times in my career with some of the big things that I've done: 'Memento,' 'The Matrix.' You're talking to the filmmaker and just go, 'Oh, they totally get it.' They know it so well that I trust them. And you don't always feel that – it's kinda rare, actually. It's a pleasure to sign on and be a part of that."

In describing Moss's character, the Jedi Master Indara, "We meet her in a mysterious way, and initially through a very powerful fight. She's very physically strong; she's very mentally strong. I loved a lot of things about her. But [particularly] the containment. I love that word. I love words. And that word, 'containment' – even just saying it, I can feel what I had to access to play her. You're fighting against so much to keep it right here [points towards her center], but also to have the power. When you have power through containment, that's my sweet spot. This was, I think, one of the most contained characters I've ever played."

When it came to fighting in Jedi robes, "It was tricky. My physical blocks actually came from the costume. It's really important to practice in the costumes," Moss said. "They're heavy. There was a boning in the bodice – actually, the costume injured me the most because I didn't have any movement in a certain area of my back, in my shoulders. That was something I had to do a lot of recovery with. The costume gives you the character. It definitely gave the image, but to actually be free within the fighting; it was a challenge. Between action and cut, you go into this zone – it's only when you go back to your hotel room you're like, 'Oh my gosh. This is really hurting.'"

Moss had an interesting choice as a training tool to get proficient with a lightsaber. "The lightsaber was really important to me. I felt like a little kid who just wanted to do it so right. I could have almost cried. I don't usually feel that way. I had to say to everybody, 'I want to get this so right that I may have to make some mistakes first.' The weight on my shoulders – and on my heart – that I felt to do the lightsaber well was something I didn't expect. Like, 'If this is not great, I'm really gonna cry.' So I practiced a lot in my hotel with a broomstick. I think we did end up reshooting that, actually. I said to Leslye, 'Let's just keep shooting. It has to be great. You have to promise me that we'll keep doing it [if it isn't right].' It's much more challenging than it looks. Making it look effortless – like I could just do it in my sleep – was the most stressful moment I had in the whole thing."

For more, including why Star Wars resonates with Moss as a fan, what the franchise has in common with The Matrix, how "Resurrections" energy helped get into The Acolyte, and more, check out the entire Empire interview here. The Acolyte, which also stars Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Joonas Suotamo, premieres with its first two episodes on June 4th on Disney+.

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