Jodie Turner-Smith opens up to ET about her role in Disney+ upcoming series, 'The Acolyte,' premiering June 4.
The Acolyte isn't a horror series, but Jodie Turner-Smith may have turned her daughter off for good with the trailer for her upcoming Disney+ series.
Turner-Smith sat down with ET to chat about the new series set in the Star Wars universe, during which she recalled introducing her 4-year-old daughter -- Juno Rose Diana Jackson, whom she shares with her estranged husband, Joshua Jackson -- to the first full-length look at the Leslye Headland-created TV show.
"She actually has been introduced to Star Wars and... she really loves to listen to stories and she loves movies; she's like fully indoctrinated into Disney at this point," Turner-Smith tells ET's Ash Crossan. "There is this really cute cartoon Disney cartoon, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, [and] she loves it. And so that was actually kind of her introduction."
Although Juno was "already in" the Star Wars fandom, she wasn't quite prepared for her mother's latest project.
"I did make the mistake of showing her the trailer and she was like, 'Scary!' I was like, 'Sorry,'" the 37-year-old confesses. "That was probably bad parenting. But [Young Jedi Adventures] was her introduction, so Disney, please hire me to be the voice actor for [the series], thank you! I need to make something that my daughter can watch."
Described as a "mystery-thriller," The Acolyte takes viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era with the story of a former Padawan (Amandla Stenberg) who reunites with her Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
Along with Turner-Smith, Stenberg and Jung-jae, the series' cast includes Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Margarita Levieva and Joonas Suotamo.
When ET spoke with Turner-Smith about her role during the Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London, England last April, she was so excited to talk about being part of such a huge, lasting franchise.
"I'm like, 'I'm in f**king Star Wars,'" the British actress exclaimed, relieved that she can finally talk about being a part of the Disney+ show. "Like, people kept asking me about it before… I'm like, 'No, I'm doing this amazing project with really great artists and a director I love and actors I'm obsessed with.'"
It's like, 'OK I'm making this story and it's about the story and it's just right here.' And then you come here [to the Celebration] and you feel the energy of the fans and it's like… I mean, you know how many times I've put my heart and soul into a project and then nobody saw it?" Turner-Smith added.
"So, to put my heart and soul into a project and have it be held so intimately by so many people is, like, wild. And I'm really grateful for that," she continued.
Over a year later, Turner-Smith and Henderson tell ET that they still can't reveal much about the series, which will premiere on the streamer on June 4. But what they can share is that The Acolyte will examine the Jedis from a new perspective.
"Others feel that only the Jedi should wield the Force and so, here you have a group of people who are just trying to find their way of life and they challenge the binary -- this idea of the light side and the dark side that they don't fit into at all," Turner-Smith shares. "But you know what do people do when someone or something challenges the light within you? They try to destroy it, feeling that that will protect them, you know? So it's all just one big misunderstanding."
Henderson chimes in, saying that the Jedi are still seen as a force of good during "a time of peace."
"[But] something is happening that has shaken them up. It's been a time of peace for so long and so they are attempting to contain what's happening as well as they know how," she adds.
"But it also represents that any institution has to be questioned when examined, and held accountable," Turner-Smith offers. "I think that's something this show is kind of pointing to, that we must examine our institutions."
The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ June 4.
RELATED CONTENT:
