Sasha Banks can thank chicken wings for her role onThe Mandalorian. The WWE superstar appeared on an episode of First We Feast’sHot Onesback in early 2018, which is where Jon Favreau saw her for the first time. Banks battled the spicy chicken wings with host Sean Evans and did a commendable job at doing so, but she had no idea that the appearance was going to lead to a role in theStar Warsuniverse. She explains.
“Jon Favreaucame to me because he watched an interview that I did withHot Ones. And he really liked me and got my contact information. Then on FaceTime he asked me to be part ofThe Mandalorian. I was like, ‘Well, I cannot say no,’ but I was so incredibly nervous.”
As for being nervous,The Mandalorianshowrunner had no idea howSasha Bankscould feel that way. She recalls Jon Favreau telling her, “Uh, you doWWEevery single week and you do that live. You are amazing. There’s a reason why I wanted you to be a part of the show.”
From there, Banks gained the necessary confidence to bring newStar WarscharacterKoska Reevesto life. In season 2, episode 3, Reeves is introduced as a member of Bo-Katan Kryze’s Mandalorian crew, who help out Din Djarin and the Child.
Sasha Banks, aka Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado, credits Bryce Dallas Howard for making her feel comfortable onThe Mandalorianset. “She really, really guided me and really took me by my hand because like I said, I was so nervous. She texted me to verify I was all good,” says Banks. Howard returned from season one to helm episode 3 of the latest season, which has been getting rave reviews fromStar Warsfans. You can read the rest of the praise Banks heaped on Howard below.
“She walked me through everything, if I had any questions. She was there for me. I was just really inspired by her and how she treated everybody. She was so down to earth. I brought a lot of her energy into my work because of how incredibly she treated me. And as you see she is getting so much praise for her work because she is just so special.”
Sasha Banks is still excited about her role in theStar Warsuniverse. “It’s a huge deal. I still cannot get over it. It still does not feel real to me,” Banks said. “The more interviews I do, the more I feel like ‘Oh, my God, holy sh*t’ I’m telling you right now, it still does not feel real to me.” The WWE star continued, “It’s frickinStar Wars! One of the biggest franchises in the whole world, one of the biggest universes you may ever be a part of.” A lot of actors have the same reaction to joiningThe Mandalorian, with fans on board with each new casting and reveal.
The Mandalorianseason 2 continues this week with episode 4, which is directed by Greef Karga star Carl Weathers. While fans are hoping that Ahsoka Tano will be making an appearance in the episode, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni may have waited until episode five to give the character her live-action debut. Filoni directs episode 5, which has many fans under the impression that he will be the one to introduce Tano. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see. You can check out the rest of the interview with Sasha Banks over atVarietyand then see herHot Onesepisode below.
