Get Inside the Mind of General Hux with Domhnall Gleeson
Happy Star Wars Day! Today is the day that Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters! While some of you may have already attended the premieres last night in your respective towns, today is the official release date.
As you all probably know, Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley in the Potter series) plays villain General Hux in the film. Speaking at a Last Jedi press junket, Gleeson gives everyone a taste of the conflicts going on in Hux’s own mind.
It’s more than rage; there’s a desperation in Hux that is very unbecoming. The most interesting version of Hux is battling with Kylo and struggling with power.
Gleeson goes on to state that Hux wants to be a leader and to control Kylo Ren, which is his source of motivation. However, he knows that Hux is very powerful, much more powerful than himself, so becoming superior to him would be a task.
When asked about if he drew any inspiration in his portrayal of Hux from any political leaders of today, Gleeson hinted that Hux’s personality was a bit derivative from real-life leaders but didn’t name any specifics.
Most pieces of great art reflect the times that we’re in no matter when we’re living. There’s never a lack of evil in the world, and there are always people [who] want to do more for themselves than others.
However, it seems that most inspiration behind Hux came from the original trilogy’s Grand Moff Tarkin (played by Peter Cushing). Gleeson does clarify that, while inspiration was certainly drawn from Tarkin, Hux is in no way a copy of him.
Gleeson has previously stated that the immense fame of Star Wars made him worried about having a role in it. He is still extremely grateful to be a part of the beloved franchise, however.
It’s a position of privilege to do Star Wars because of how much it means to people. Harry Potter was a huge film, but it was only going on for 10–12 years. Star Wars has been going on for 40 years.
It certainly sounds like Hux has his work cut out for him in The Last Jedi. What are you waiting for? Head over to your local theater and see him on the big screen for yourself!
