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This Is The Droid You’re Looking For! Interview With Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Darth Vader, Yoda, The Force, Jedi, Lightsaber, Wookie, Droid… Star Wars is a 41-year-old franchise so it was a shock to a lot of people that, not so long ago, I hadn’t watched any of the films and I didn’t know what any of that meant. 
 
Phoebe Waller-Bridge who stars in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY hadn’t seen any Star Wars movies when she was cast in the film as L3-37, the newest (but oldest, if we’re talking chronologically) droid in the galaxy.
 
han Solo interview Phoebe Waller Bridge
I had the amazing opportunity to interview Phoebe Waller-Bridge during the Han Solo Press Event and we chatted about her experience playing a droid when she didn’t know what a droid was even going into the audition!
 
I hadn’t seen any of the films. Yeah. I know. I think there’s like  five of us in the world. But I have met one or two on tour. But, I hadn’t. Which I think in some ways might’ve worked in my favor.
 
Going into the audition and playing L3-37 as a person, rather than a droid (which she didn’t know is the Star Wars word for robot), was more accurate to John Kasdan’s vision:
 
She’s built herself to be more relaxed in her voice and her body. I would offer something droid-y, they would be like “stop that, pull that it back. Be more natural.”
 
She was ready to go all the way into the droid character, but she is just perfect as she is!
 
I was ready to do all sorts of preparation for that. I was like, “Do you want me to work out? So I can carry the suit stronger?” And they said, no… that little weird, awkward walk you’re doing is actually perfect.

Phoebe-Waller Bridge is an English actress and writer, known for the award-winning hit comedy TV series “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve.” She shared with us how her work was what inspired Phil Lord and Chris Miller to cast her in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.

Because they’re comedy guys as well, I guess they just stumbled across that. And then they made the link between that character and L3, which I am forever grateful for. And so then I had one audition with them, and it was about an hour of just kind of mucking around with the character, and a bit of improvisation, and just talking about her a bit.

She’s now seen all the Star Wars films and is familiar with C3-PO, R2D2, and BB-8. She’s a Star Wars fan and said she’s still trying to work out the fact that she’s part of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY!
 

 I loved the film so much. I’m completely obsessed now. 

… I did an involuntarily scream when I saw the Falcon and… when I met Chewie. But the big one really came, like, two weeks after we’d wrapped, and then I was just on a bus going to go and get a sandwich for my love somewhere in London. And I suddenly just went, “What just happened?” I called my sister. And I was just like, “Was I just in a Star Wars movie?” She’s like, “Yeah. Love, yeah. We came to set. We saw the whole thing.” My God. How did that happen?

Did you get goosebumps? I get goosebumps thinking about walking the red carpet with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the cast and crew of SOLO: STAR WARS STORY and smiling at one another during the premiere after-party.

I loved the film too, and I thought her character was essential to the story.

I felt like she had a huge amount of heart and passion… and humor as well.

I love L3-37 and if you’re a female Star Wars fan, or a female that has a voice, this is the droid you’re looking for!

L3-37 is Lando’s copilot in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. I love that classic Star Wars person/droid duo dynamic. Here’s some of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s insight into Lando and L3’s complicated relationship:

They’re incredibly close. I think they lean on each other. I don’t think she’s ever met a human who treats her like an equal. And that’s very significant to her. They have a mutual respect for each other, but they also drive each other crazy. A great partnership nonetheless! He’s vague and smooth, and she’s very upfront and bullish about what she thinks is right and wrong.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge particularly enjoyed the concept that L3 is a self-made droid who believes in rights for droids and believes that they’re being treated as “second class citizens.” L3 thinks it’s time to stand up and speak out and free them.

She reconstructed herself. She started out as an astromech droid like Artoo, gave herself a voice and limbs and is able to do lots of things that she wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do. She’s revolutionary, very determined.

She’s like a social justice warrior, and she’s a droid with an agenda that goes beyond her own existence, and that’s very unique.

Of course, let’s not forget that L3-37 is the first significant female droid in the Star Wars universe!

It doesn’t get much cooler. She’s incredibly funny and inspiring, and to play such a strong woman in this universe, albeit she’s a droid, makes her even more unusual as a character and allowed me more freedom and fun with it.

Though Phoebe Waller-Bridge considers herself the poster child for “female droid liberation” even before she played L3-37, she doesn’t feel she’s as sassy as L3.

Han Solo - A Star Wars Story - Group Poster

But she’s got the humor. It was a very fun interview! Her droid suit allowed her to improvise during some comic moments on set.

It was the first time that they’d created a droid that can move properly and be more flexible. And I could move all of my joints. Because she’s a self-made droid, so she created herself to be…as flexible, bigger, faster, stronger, than any other droids that she would’ve met. 

It’s interesting that Phoebe Waller-Bridge wanted to keep her droid suit as a souvenir, but she kept something even better:

I really begged for my little green suit…No, I didn’t. We parted ways. We’re not really allowed to keep anything, but one of the model-makers made me a little, her mouthpiece is a sort of little grill thing, and made me a little brooch out of that. So, I have her mouth. The best bit about her.

I think L3-37’s lines are so epic in the film and I think her mouth – her voice – is definitely something that we needed to see in a female droid.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge credited the brilliance of her character to John Kasdan (both Kasdans, I’m sure), and I think the fact that he allowed for ad-libbing on the set of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, made L3-37 such a fluid character:

We were allowed to go off-beat, once we got the script in the can, then John would be like, “Does anyone else have any ideas?” or “Let’s just be a bit looser with the scene.” And so we did get to do that a few times. And then if anything good came out of it, then they would do a take of that. It was really fun. The whole atmosphere on set was just so fun and encouraging. Everyone was just so excitable, and it was just like, “Ooh, that’s a good idea, let’s do that.” It was really nice.

Ron Howard had amazing things to say about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s impromptu creativity:

Phoebe is hilarious, irreverent, smart and a really exciting new character in the Star Wars universe. She is also a hugely inventive, improvisational talent and a terrific writer, and the writers and I adored what she was able to bring to the character.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is co-arc director of DryWrite Theatre Company. When asked about how she felt about working with Ron Howard, she said:

He’s a master. But also, I was sort of ready to meet “Ron Howard, The King.” And then he comes in, and he’s just like, “Hey. How’s it going?” So friendly! And that makes everyone feel so relaxed, and you can just feel instantly why people want to work with him over and over again. Because he’s so clear. His eye is so brilliant, and he’s incredibly kind, and very, very clever. You feel very safe.

She put into words exactly how I felt when he came in for our interview with Ron Howard. What a humble human being!

It sounds like Phoebe Waller-Bridge really enjoyed creative freedom while working with both Donald Glover and Ron Howard on the set:

They are both so relaxed and such consummate professionals. But there’s a real sense of being able to be really present with both of them, and I really learned that from them. Just letting go of everything and letting your instincts speak first, really.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 10: Actor Donald Glover attends the world premiere of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in Hollywood on May 10, 2018. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Donald GLover

I think everyone will enjoy the chemistry between Lando and L3. There will be many surprising moments on this one!

A view of the Millennium Falcon during the world premiere of ÒSolo: A Star Wars StoryÓ in Hollywood on May 10, 2018..(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages).

So, as you know, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens this weekend! I asked Phoebe Waller-Bridge what she hopes people learn from the film and from L3-37, and I love what she has to say because I see this Han Solo story as a family film that has many themes and lessons we can use in our motherhood journey and also ones that we can teach our little ones:

It’s a film celebrating individuality and individual causes and having courage of your own convictions. I think that would be wonderful. There are so many amazing relationships in it, and I think it’s inspiring, the trust it takes to partner up with somebody, and I hope that inspires them as well.

But also wanting to be careful, because some people betray you. Trust no one. Lovely summer message.

I’m not going to say who betrays whom, but that’s how real life works, isn’t it? I used to say I wish it didn’t happen, but sometimes what we see as betrayal is really a necessary experience to learn who someone truly is and where they should really stand in our lives.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY will inspire you and you will have fun – and you’ll be transported to a galaxy far far away in the Star Wars way we all love! Watch Lando and L3 in theaters everywhere on May 25th!

You can follow the latest updates by visiting the official SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY site, following STAR WARS on Instagram, following STAR WARS on Twitterand liking STAR WARS on Facebook. Make sure you follow the conversation along with #HanSolo and #HanSoloEvent.

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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Interview photos by Louise Bishop of MomStart.com and non-personal photos courtesy of Disney

SOLO: A Star Wars Story - Digital Movie Code Giveaway #HanSolo #StarWars #HanSoloEvent #Giveaway ★ Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM ♥

Tuesday 2nd of October 2018

[…] Emilia Clarke (Qi’ra), Woody Harrelson (Beckett), Paul Bettany (Dryden), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (L3-37), as well as Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Director Ron Howard! And there are LOTS OF […]

Explore the World of SOLO: A Star Wars Story - On Blu-ray NOW! #HanSolo #HanSoloEvent #StarWars ★ Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM ♥

Friday 28th of September 2018

[…] I was so excited to walk the Red Carpet and see the movie premiere and after party in Hollywood, California and to interview the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), his friend and copilot Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), street thief Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), and career criminal Beckett (Woody Harrelson), super villain (Paul Bettany), as well as Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Director Ron Howard! I didn’t get to interview Danny Glover, so that’s still on my wishlist, but I did interview his droid friend, L3 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). […]

Esme Sy

Monday 25th of June 2018

Actress, writer, director, I can't believe I barely know her. She really sounds like one of the nicest people ever. I really should watch Solo soon, hope it's still in theaters somewhere!

Elizabeth O

Sunday 24th of June 2018

Phoebe sounds like an inspiring woman indeed and this was a great interview indeed. I love that she wanted to keep souvenirs I think I would too.

Amanda Rosson

Sunday 24th of June 2018

What a great interview! I absolutely loved Solo and Phoebe's L3 - she added such great humor and heart to the story and I really enjoyed her relationship to Lando!