For weeks, there have been rumors that Amandla Stenberg will play two roles in the upcoming Star Wars: The Acolyte. The franchise even heightened the claims when it dropped a new teaser last week, with a removed subtitle naming Mae as Osha. As this leads to speculation that Mae and Osha are twins, showrunner Leslye Headland finally confirms the Disney+ series’ massive twist.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Headland revealed that The Acolyte would tell the story of twins Osha and Mae. The show will unravel the mystery surrounding the twin sisters as a series of Jedi murders happen in the galaxy far, far away.
“You have to reach deep down to get the confidence to do a show like this one, where you are working in an established IP, and then, at the same time, you need to tell a story that's personal to you,” she said. “It's hard to really describe how you pull that out of yourself.”
Who are Osha and Mae in Star Wars: The Acolyte?
According to Stenberg, her two characters were “separated by tragedy” when they were young. Osha joined the Jedi Order under the guidance of Jedi Master Sol but left due to “internal turmoil” after finding it hard to connect with the Force in the way she was destined to.
Just when everyone thought Mae was dead, she was alive and would be seen on the warpath in the new Star Wars series. Playing the duality of Osha and Mae, Headland revealed she was impressed by Stenberg’s acting abilities by not letting herself “get too hemmed in by a particular career path.”
“She always struck me not only as an incredible actor, but she always struck me as a really self-possessed person whenever I saw her in her interviews and the music that she creates,” the series creator said.
Playing her roles as Osha and Mae, Stenberg added that she thought a lot about yin and yang and its physical and energetic embodiments, adding that her characters were connected by a sisterly love but divided ideologically. She also thought about her favorite part of the Star Wars universe, the nature of the Force and the meaning of being on the dark and light sides, to portray her twin characters perfectly.
The Acolyte cast praises Leslye Headland's Take on the New Star Wars Series
The Acolyte cast has nothing but praise for Headland's take on the new Star Wars series. Stenberg highly regarded the showrunner, calling her work “intellectually really complex” but emotionally simple. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Sol, called the project “very unique,” while Rebecca Henderson, who portrays Vernestra Rwoh and is married to Headland, heralded the show as a “masterpiece.”
For Manny Jacinto, whose character is Qimir, being a part of The Acolyte was a “pinch-me moment.” As they got committed to their characters, themes, ideas, and scenes, he revealed they couldn’t help but stare at each other, unable to believe they were in a Star Wars show.
This massive twist has been hiding in plain sight, with The Acolyte poster featuring two sides of Stenberg’s characters. However, it looks like this isn’t the only twist the show will feature. As the Sith Lord at the end of the series’ official trailer is yet to be revealed, more big revelations may happen when its set release date of June 4, 2024, on Disney+ finally comes.
