Star Wars' Joonas Suotamo has been unveiled as the archvillain of Willow, which premiered on Disney+ this week.
Standing 6 feet 11 inches tall, the Finnish actor officially replaced the late Peter Mayhew under the Chewbacca suit from The Last Jedi onwards, following a body double role in The Force Awakens two years prior.
Now, chatting to LucasFilm.com, he's opened up about his latest role as The Scourge.
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What can only be described as a golem-esque monstrosity trapped inside a Jigsaw death device, "this sinister being" uses The Gales as his "lackeys" in the show, and "through some dark magic, they've become these really unnaturally strong fighters".
Recalling how he came to be cast, Suotamo said Solo: A Star Wars Story co-writer Jon Kasdan (who showruns Willow) reached out regarding this "beastly, muscular" character.
"Jon messaged me and said, 'I might have a role for you if you're interested,' and it ended up being a fantastic experience."
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The Scourge proved to be a completely different animal to the galaxy far, far away's iconic Wookie.
"Compared to Chewie, the costume was a lot more to put on. I had a team of people following me with different gadgets and gloves and the cage," added Suotamo.
Every morning before the day's shooting began, he'd sit in a makeup chair for between two and three hours, with a team of artists glueing silicone material to his face, all while wearing a muscle suit.
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Evil runs deeper than just visual aesthetics though, as the star explained: "It was new territory for me. I'd grown accustomed to playing these lovable moments, and all of a sudden, that's not my job at all.
"There were a lot of times I would be in the dark, rehearsing my violent outbursts in the suit."
Willow episodes one and two are available to watch now on Disney+ with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
