Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen has discussed the racist attacks his co-star Moses Ingram has been receiving during her time as Reva on Disney Plus' Obi-Wan Kenobi. The limited series follows the titular Jedi as he is thrown back into conflict with the Galactic Empire after being in hiding for many years after the events of Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars has been on a roll recently with the amount of content it's been dropping. The shows have demonstrated the lasting power the franchise has, as the televised series are able to go more in-depth with the lore and minor characters that the movies may not really get to. Fans and creators have both preferred the televised episode format as a very great change of pace. After all, The Mandalorian has become widely celebrated following the show's debut.
Picking up off the show's success was The Book of Boba Fett, and now Obi-Wan Kenobi looks to join the party. Bringing back the original actors for Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) was a big surprise for fans. However, there's a subsection of inappropriate and immature fans who have been outright disrespectful to Reva actress Ingram (Queen's Gambit, Candace, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Ambulance, and Love Theory). Speaking on the racist attacks that Ingram has suffered was Christensen, who went on to say to Entertainment Tonight, "I’ve heard a little bit about that and, obviously, it really saddens me. I think the world of Moses. She’s not only a lovely person and human being but an incredibly talented actress."
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Christensen continued by praising Ingram's performance in Obi-Wan Kenobi. "The first time I saw the first couple of episodes, I was blown away by her performance and just thought that the subtleties and nuances that she brought to this character were there and really impressive," he said. "So, I mean, I hope by the end of the series, people are coming around. I think she’s done a great job and I think [Reva] is an important character and people will come to realize that."
It shouldn't have to be said, but regardless of an actor's performance, there's no excuse for death threats or the kind of hateful speech that transpired during the episodes' release. People need to recognize that Ingram is playing a character, this world of Jedi and Sith doesn't exist, and commenting on the actors is not attacking the characters. Ingram is incredibly talented and has demonstrated her incredible skill in each project she's been a part of. Her performance as Inquisitor Reva, a.k.a. Third Sister, has been phenomenal. She really brings the sense of fear that is required to play a Sith character while also being able to perform the action scenes to the highest quality.
Had this been anybody else, the internet would come to the talent's defence, but so far there haven't been many people standing up for the actress, which is incredibly disappointing. People need to start defending Black women from attacks like this and it needs to happen now. There's no excuse or justification for fans going out of their own way to send a hateful comment to somebody who is just doing their job. This same kind of behaviour is what caused Kelly Marie Tran and Daisy Ridley to leave social media.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is currently streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: Entertainment Tonight