Modesto actor Timothy Olyphant joins Star Wars universe with new role
Modesto’s own Timothy Olyphant is back in the saddle, so to speak, as a new member of the hit Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.”
The space western set in the Star Wars universe debuted last November on the new streaming service from The Walt Disney Company. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety entertainment trade publications, Olyphant is part of the cast of the second season, which finished shooting in early March.
Much like the first season, details about the show’s second season — including its cast — have been kept largely hush-hush. “Game of Thrones” alum Pedro Pascal is set to return as the titular bounty hunter who becomes the unexpected guardian of The Child, who fans have dubbed “Baby Yoda.”
No information was available on what role Olyphant will play in the series, which became an instant hit for Disney’s fledgling streaming service last fall. But the Beyer High School graduate is no stranger to Western-themed shows. He starred for three seasons as real-life lawman Seth Bullock on the period Western drama “Deadwood” on HBO from 2004 to 2006, and then six seasons as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens on the contemporary Western drama “Justified” on FX from 2010 to 2015.
Last year, Olyphant reprised the role of Bullock for “Deadwood: The Movie,” which reunited the cast 15 years after the original series debuted. His last TV project was “Santa Clarita Diet,” starring for three seasons alongside Drew Barrymore in the irreverent zombie comedy on Netflix. Olyphant also had a role in last year’s Oscar-nominated Quentin Tarantino film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
The Modesto-raised actor’s addition to “The Mandalorian” brings the show’s Central Valley connection full circle. Modesto native son George Lucas created and helmed the “Star Wars” universe until he sold his Lucasfilm production studios to Disney in 2012. The second season of “The Mandalorian” will premiere in October.
This story was originally published May 16, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
