The Mandalorian and Grogu star Sigourney Weaver says it's "fascinating" that Star Wars, Avatar, and Alien are "considered the same genre" because "they really couldn't be more different"

Sigourney Weaver joins the Star Wars universe in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but, of course, she is no stranger to a huge sci-fi film.

Weaver also stars as Ellen Ripley in the Alien movies and Dr. Grace Augustine/Kiri in the Avatar films, so when we met with her in London to talk about The Mandalorian and Grogu, we asked how joining the Star Wars universe compared to those other legendary sci-fi franchises.

"It's fascinating to me that they're all considered the same genre," she says. "They really couldn't be more different. Alien is a particularly hostile world, a not very nice alien. Avatar, it's the humans who are the bad guys. And in this, you have the Mandalorian, who is a hero, and this little, absolutely adorable, wise-seeming little person."

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Weaver was particularly spellbound by Grogu. "I was very lucky because I didn't really have to act with Grogu. He was sitting in the booth with me," she says. "And I didn't realize then, but he's run by five different puppeteers, and they weren't around, but they were all under the table. And so they kept Grogu so alive that the biggest acting job, frankly, was not being completely riveted by him, but playing the scene. I had asked Jon [Favreau] if I could have a scene with Grogu, because that's the delight of being in this picture, and he was kind enough to make this happen."

In fact, despite Weaver's storied career, Grogu still managed to take her by surprise. "I've done a lot of movies, and I'm just astonished by how evolved he is," she marvels. "It's very hard for me to realize that there isn't a real person inside of him."

Grogu wasn't the only part of the production that felt incredibly real, either. "I think immersive is exactly the word," she tells us of the sets. "I got to walk into a typical Star Wars café with a bartender who had things coming out of his head, and order a drink, surrounded by fellow pilots, and the whole range of different species, and it was such a thrill. I didn't realize that I would have such a full Star Wars experience just from this one movie. You don't have to have seen a Star Wars movie to enjoy it, but it has everything we love about Star Wars."

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives this May 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else in the works, or our roundup of all the ways to watch the Star Wars movies in order.