Joonas Suotamo didn’t feel pressure while filming one of the most iconic scenes in ‘Star Wars’ history.
The 31-year-old actor plays Chewbacca in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’, and he insisted he didn’t let fans’ expectations weigh him down when shooting the moment his character first met Han Solo – portrayed by Alden Ehrenreich, who has taken over the role from original trilogy star Harrison Ford.
Speaking to Collider, he explained: "You sort of are detached from that. You try to look if you’re doing the right job … But then you’re just trying to survive and make yourself energetic for the next one.
"It’s a constant battle to get the next good shot and the next good performance. So you’re not really thinking that – but you know through doing the best job you can, you’re also giving the fans the best scene they can have."
Despite that, he said filming that scene was his most memorable moment – even if it didn’t go smoothly at first.
He added: "It’s the scene where Han and Chewie meet each other, and I will never forget that. And it’s not a completely positive thing, because it was a lot of being soaked, and … I don’t know if this is spoiling it for anyone, but let’s just say it was a memorable scene and I’m glad we did it first."
Suotamo also played Chewbacca in new trilogy installments ‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Last Jedi’, and he has opened up on the differences that directors J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson and now Ron Howard have brought to the table.
He said: "I can say that each and every one has had a very different approach to working, but each one has delivered on the quality.
"It’s more like these nuances – it’s all part of what the script necessitates for the director to do. JJ was very fast on his feet, thinking, [he] could anything at the last minute because he has this kind of lightning speed mind.
"Rian was very methodical I think, he had a very clear picture of what he wanted. Ron was sort of … he had a sixth sense for everything, and he quickly knew what he wanted in any scene, and could say, ‘OK let’s move on, I’ve got what I needed.’ "
Joonas Suotamo didn’t feel pressure over iconic Star Wars scene
