Jon Favreau, pick up — Hannah Waddingham’s knocking on Star Wars’ door

Here we go again — another actor shooting their shot at Star Wars. This time, it’s Hannah Waddingham, who appears to be angling for a spot on the Millennium Falcon (or honestly, anywhere at all in a galaxy far, far away). Waddingham, best known for Ted Lasso and Game of Thrones, didn’t exactly mince her words when she stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show this week.

Turns out, she’s a proper superfan — and she’s not too proud to make an open plea for literally any role under the twin suns of Tatooine. If Jon Favreau’s looking for someone to wipe screens or play an alien with a face like a Picasso painting, she’s game. And if there’s a spare lightsaber lying about, so much the better.

Hannah Waddingham took her Star Wars pitch public during her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show: 'I need to be in any Star Wars... anything. With a lightsaber, without a lightsaber, with a double-ended lightsaber, with a mask, not with a mask, wiping screens, sweeping up, anything, playing one of those... you know the characters like with a great big long nose or like one eye falling off or just anything. Anything to be around anything.'

She’ll Take Anything, Really

Waddingham’s appeal didn’t stop there. She shouted out Jon Favreau directly, just in case he missed the message. 'Okay! Favreau, y'all got that? Print that, yes, print it,' was her follow-up, before she went on to joke about playing someone in Grogu’s orbit — not picky at all, really. The woman’s enthusiasm for the franchise borders on infectious, or possibly unhinged (in a good way). 'I love this. I am obsessed with Star Wars,' she admitted.

Here’s the interesting part: despite her hefty TV and theatre CV, Waddingham isn’t holding out for a major Jedi turn or a recurring Mandalorian gig. By her own admission, if the role calls for wearing a mask, prosthetics, or even sweeping the Death Star’s corridors, she’s up for it.

At 52, Waddingham’s open offer to Star Wars included 'playing one of those... you know, the characters like with a great big long nose or like one eye falling off or just anything.'

Fantasy Credentials and Other Tidbits

This isn’t Waddingham’s first brush with high fantasy or elaborate costumes — far from it. She was Septa Unella on Game of Thrones (no spoilers, but her scenes with Cersei… not exactly family viewing). More recently, most fans know her as Rebecca Welton, the football boss on Ted Lasso.

She’s got music chops, too: in 2023, Waddingham was set to host the BBC Proms’ Fantasy, Myths and Legends concert at the Royal Albert Hall. That one never happened; she pulled out in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strike.

• Hannah Waddingham is openly petitioning for any part in Star Wars — lead, supporting, or sweeping up the set.
• She’s called out Jon Favreau directly, in case he’s recruiting.
• Previous genre credentials: Game of Thrones, Ted Lasso, and a would-be Proms hosting gig at the Royal Albert Hall (cancelled by strike).