Canadian director Deborah Chow on expanding the ‘inclusive galaxy’ of Star Wars

TORONTO — “Obi-Wan Kenobi” director Deborah Chow says she’s always felt the Star Wars galaxy was “very inclusive,” so she was “heartsick” when one of the show’s actors faced targeted racism and harassment by fans online. 

The Toronto-raised filmmaker added her support for Moses Ingram, who several weeks ago went public on social media with “hundreds” of hateful comments she received after the show premiered in May on Disney Plus.

Ingram, who is Black, plays the Imperial inquisitor, a new villain who joins Darth Vader in hunting down Jedi.

Chow says she wanted the series – which takes place nine years before “A New Hope” – to introduce several characters whose stories and fates weren’t already determined by the existing “Star Wars” canon.

She added that it feels “very natural to have diversity in the galaxy” in the limited series, which released its final episode on Wednesday.

Ingram’s original post indicated she would not be intimidated by hateful comments, but wanted to shed light on her experience and make it clear that she refused to “grin and bear it.”

Her co-star Ewan McGregor, who leads the series, jumped in to defend the Emmy-nominated actress in the days that followed, posting a video calling her a “brilliant actor” and saying the hate “sickened” him.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2022.

David Friend, The Canadian Press