The Mandalorian is, for many, one of the main draws of joining Disney Plus in the UK, the first-ever live-action Star Wars TV series, taking place between the end of the original trilogy and the start of the sequel trilogy.
Created and written by Iron Man director Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian follows the titular bounty hunter on his journey throughout the galaxy, trying to protect a precious asset from various villainous groups.
With many viewers getting hooked to the new series after joining Disney’s Netflix rival, many people are asking – wait, who is actually under the mask of The Mandalorian?
With most of the cast being recongisebale from a host of well-known properties and franchises from Game of Thrones to Fast and Furious, we thought we’d break down everything you’d need to know about The Mandalorian cast and where you’ve seen them before.
Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian
Most people will probably recognise Pedro Pascal’s face – but sadly, we don’t get to see a lot of it (as in, at all) during The Mandalorian, since the character is bound by an oath to never take his helmet off.
But where have you seen Pedro before? Game of Thrones fans will definitely recognise him as the fan-favourite Oberyn Martell, who made a great impression during the show’s fourth season before being swiftly killed off in one of the show’s most gruesome death scenes (and that’s really saying something).
High-fantasy epics aside, Pedro’s also had starring roles in Netflix’s Narcos, as well as the feature-film Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
Werner Herzog as The Client
Werner Herzog can always be relied upon to give us The Fear, whether he’s in front of or behind the camera.
For many film aficionados, the German’s presence in The Mandalorian as The Client will be a welcome one, especially since he’s not most well-known for his acting chops.
As a director, he’s heralded as a founding figure of the New German Cinema movement and some of his most well-known films include Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre and the documentary Grizzly Man.
Gina Carano as Cara Dune
Gina Carano plays Cara Dune, a soldier-turned-mercenary for the now-forgotten resistance against the Empire. In The Mandalorian, she teams up with the titular hero in an effort to protect The Asset.
Gina first emerged as a talented MMA fighter in the States, before dipping her toe into the acting world.
Fans will most likely recognise her from her supporting roles in both Fast and Furious 6 and the first Deadpool movie as a villainous sidekick, but it’s The Mandalorian which sees her take her biggest starring role to date.
Carl Weathers as Greef Karga
We’re introduced to Greef Karga in the show’s very first episode, and to say he has a strained relationship with the eponymous bounty hunter would be somethign of an understatement.
But if you didn’t recognise Carl as Greef, then we’re pretty sure your parents would. He notably starred as boxer Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies, and made an appearance in the first Predator film as Al Dillon.
Outside of action films, the most modern reference for Carl’s work would probably be his role as an exaggerated version of himself in cult hit Arrested Development.
Taika Waititi as IG-11
This may only be a voice role, but we’re sure you recognise that Maori timbre, right?
That’s because IG-11 is actually acclaimed director Taika Waititi, best known for his surrealist horror-comedy What We Do In The Shadows and his (very successful) journey into blockbuster territory with the acclaimed Marvel threequel Thor: Ragnarok.
He’s also one of the most acclaimed members of The Mandalorian’s cast, this year he received his first Oscar win for the screenplay dark-comedy Jojo Rabbit.
Natalia Tena as Xi’an
Another Games of Thrones alumni here, this time playing Xi’an, who shares an intimate past with The Mandalorian himself.
Prior to this role, Natalia Tena will be reocogniseable as the Wildling Osha from HBO’s high-fantasy epic, which she starred in from seasons one to six.
Aside from this, Natalia also played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, and recently had a starring role in the YouTube original series Origin.
Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon
Now, if you’re watching along in real-time on Disney Plus UK, you won’t recognise the character of Moff Gideon yet (yet!) but trust us, your time will come.
Gideon is the Big Bad of The Mandalorian universe, and to prove to you the threat he poses, he’s played by Giancarlo Esposito, who potrayed one of the greatest villains in all of TV history.
Of course, we’re talking about his role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but the 61-year-old is also known for portraying the Magic Mirror in Once Upon A Time, as well as starring in the short-lived Netflix drama The Get Down.
The Mandalorian chapters 1-4 are available to stream now via Disney Plus. Chapters 5-7 will be released in weekly intervals.
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