It’s not every day you get to share a moment in time with a genuine cinematic icon. When you say the name Sigourney Weaver, absolutely everyone has a movie of hers they cherish. From terrified thrills in Copycat to massive blockbusters, she has been a fixture on our screens for decades. I had the absolute delight of sitting down with her to chat about her legendary career, her deep appreciation for Ireland, and her exciting leap into the Star Wars universe, in the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, now in cinemas everywhere.
Before we talk about her jumping to hyperspace, we have to acknowledge her legacy. Weaver is widely celebrated as the "Sci-Fi Queen". She revolutionized the genre and pioneered the modern action heroine with her fierce portrayal of Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). She even scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress when she reprised the role in James Cameron's Aliens (1986), a massive milestone for a science fiction film.
Her footprint across pop culture is staggering. Over the years, she’s given us Dana Barrett in the beloved Ghostbusters franchise, Gwen DeMarco in the brilliant sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest (1999) and most recently, Dr. Grace Augustine in James Cameron's colossal Avatar series.
Now, the sci-fi royalty is officially joining the Star Wars galaxy! Directed by Jon Favreau, the epic new adventure, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, sees legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his tiny apprentice Grogu helping the New Republic fend off scattered Imperial warlords.
After all her years in the sci-fi landscape, I had to ask: does joining Star Wars still give her goosebumps?
"I certainly do," Weaver beamed. "I think I got a special kind of goosebumps because I didn't honestly anticipate Jon Favreau, who I admire so much, getting in touch with me and inviting me to join Mandalorian and Grogu."
For Weaver, the connection to the franchise goes all the way back to the beginning.
"I saw the first one, I guess it's A New Hope, in 1977 in a fabulous, filled theater. It still is so unique, even in the sci-fi landscape, because everyone's getting along. For the most part. Except for the evil warlords and stuff."
As a bit of a self-confessed @winewanker, I pitched a theory to her. To me, The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like a big, bold Barolo—deep colour and tough tannins on the outside (the fighting machine), but full of warmth, fruitiness, and character deep down (the beautiful relationship between Mando and Grogu). Where does her character fit into that tasting note?
"Jon Favreau would love that metaphor, since he's such a wine buff himself," she laughed. "I really admire all the women who are now in the armed services in many countries. And I feel that women have a particular gift for leadership and for staying cool during situations of some stress."
While keeping plot details under wraps, she gave us a brilliant tease of her dynamic with the galaxy's favourite little green guy.
"She's also a very good judge of character, which she kind of has to be because she can't look in the eyes of this dude. And the little guy seems mostly interested in having snacks. But she goes with her gut and she sends these guys out."
Being a proud Aussie-Irishman, I had to take the opportunity to clear up a long-standing rumour for our listeners here at nova.ie. For years, there have been whispers that Weaver spent time in Dublin doing acting classes at the famed Abbey Theatre.
"I have not. It is a great regret of my life," she confessed, definitively putting the rumour to bed. "I have been actually over the decades offered a couple of jobs at the Abbey, which I couldn't take. But I hope I get offered something again because Irish actors are so wonderful... I keep waiting for enough time to really go around Ireland and walk on the coasts and all that stuff. I'm sort of protecting it and trying to go at the right time of year."
Weaver noted that even though her part in the new film isn't huge, it was incredibly thrilling to play a commanding role and fly an X-wing! But did she pull a classic actor move and pocket a souvenir from the set?
"I did not! First of all, I think they'd miss it. They'd say, 'Hey, we're missing an X-wing costume.' No, but it was a thrill to have it on. There are some wonderful cameos in there... I was in very good company flying my X-wing."
She also revealed she's more than ready for the famously passionate Star Wars fandom, having attended the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo last year.
"Honestly everybody was in a costume. And there were so many colors of lightsabers. And I don't know, I think red is bad... The passion of the fans of all ages, their commitment to this world is really impressive and lovely."
Fingers crossed she gets that trip to the Irish coast soon, perhaps we can finally share that bottle of Barolo...with Jon Favreau...and let Disney foot the bill!
