The Bear star Jeremy Allen White shares first word on Star Wars casting as he says he didn't know exactly who Rotta the Hutt was: "In the moment, almost, I discovered the weight of the character I was voicing"

Jeremy Allen White has broken his silence on his Star Wars casting in The Mandalorian & Grogu. He'll voice Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt from the original trilogy.

"It was exciting. You know, it’s funny, I met Jon Favreau, who directed the film and the series prior, and I’ve been such a huge fan of Jon’s for a very long time, and so we talked about movies and I asked about Swingers," White said during an appearance on Good Morning America, referring to the 1996 comedy written by and starring Favreau.

"And he said, 'Would you like to come in and maybe talk to me about doing a voiceover for Star Wars?' [I said] 'I love Star Wars, I’d be so happy to,' and then, in the moment, almost, I discovered the weight of the character I was voicing."

The movie will be Rotta the Hutt's live-action debut, with the character previously only appearing in the 2008 animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In that film, he's kidnapped by Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker leads an army of clones to rescue him after Obi-Wan Kenobi negotiates with Jabba.

He's all grown up in The Mandalorian & Grogu, though, as revealed at this year's Star Wars Celebration, and the character is set to be something of a prize fighter – i.e., more muscular than his father...

"It’s been a fun process. I came in to do the voice, they hadn’t filmed the movie yet," he continued. "Then they made the movie, I came and did more, I’ll probably have to do a little bit more. I spoke to Pedro [Pascal] the other day, and I think he was doing some more work in the booth and seeing more of the film. I’m very excited to take my kids to see that one. I think it’s gonna be really fun."

Per The Mandalorian & Grogu's official synopsis, "The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu."

Alongside Pascal and White, the movie's cast also includes Sigourney Weaver as a New Republic colonel and Jonny Coyne as an Imperial Warlord.

The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026. In the meantime, get up to speed with our guide to the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.