Brendan Wayne, John Wayne’s Grandson And Stunt Performer For ‘The Mandalorian’ Discusses How Din Djarin Was Inspired By John Wayne

The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin is often described as the most overtly Cowboy-Esque character in Star Wars. With his gunslinger posture and audible spurs on his boots, it’s not hard to see that comparison. And in a recent panel at FAN EXPO Canada, Brendan Wayne, the stunt performer who doubled for Din Djarin actor Pedro Pascal alongside Lateef Crowder, discussed how the character was inspired by western legend John Wayne, known for roles in several John Ford movies like Stagecoach and The Searchers, and his Oscar-winning role in True Grit. Brendan, who is John Wayne’s grandson, began the discussion by saying:

“Genetically, as hard as I tried to go away from the idea of my grandfather, he’s 6’4” I’m never going to be him, so I thought I’d be something else — I was always taught to be your own man.”

Whether intentional or not, Brendan Wayne’s comments echo a similar phrase said by Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, in the recently released The Mandalorian and Grogu. Brendan Wayne then continued, saying: “He’s J.W. [John Wayne]. He’s Duke, that’s great. But it has no effect on me other than a positive one in my life.”

Brendan Wayne then went into detail about the intentional physicality he brought to the role of The Mandalorian on screen. Here’s his full quote:

“When I was doing Mando, they wanted me to slow down, and we looked at it like a samurai. If you study them, every movement matters – a samurai doesn’t cut to injure, a samurai cuts to kill. So, the idea with Mando was: if he moves, it has to mean something. That slowdown brought me back to something my grandfather learned early on — they told him, ‘The more you slow down and shut up, the better this movie is going to be.’ His advice [to me] was always, ‘talk low, talk slow, and don’t say a lot.’ That’s Mando in a nutshell. So it brought me back to my roots without me looking for it, without me even trying.”

The Mandalorian and Grogu, the most recent release featuring the character, will be available to stream on Disney+ starting September 2.