Amandla Stenberg, who starred in The Acolyte, expressed her disappointment that the show was ending after just one season, saying that the cast had faced harsh criticism and bigotry online, so she was not surprised by it.
Stenberg, who plays twins Osha and May in the Star Wars series, addressed the negativity on her Instagram Stories. She described a wave of “misogyny, prejudice, hate, and deadly language” directed at the cast even before the show premiered.
According to Stenberg, the show’s diverse cast, including South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae and British-Spanish actor Dafne Keen, faced criticism based on their backgrounds, which deeply affected her.
She said, “I will say with complete transparency that this is no huge shock to me, of course, I live in my own bubble of reality, but for those who don’t know, we have been receiving a lot of negative comments ever since the show was announced – when it was still a concept.”
“Nobody even saw it coming. That’s when we started to see an outburst of, I would say, ultra-Orthodox bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language toward us,” Steinberg said.
The Acolyte, created by Leslye Headland, was set in the Star Wars universe roughly a century before The Phantom Menace. Despite positive critical reception, the show faced online backlash, leading to its cancellation on August 19, with no further episodes planned. This decision was taken despite the first season’s unresolved cliffhangers.
The Darkest Minds actress added, “It brought up a lot for me, a lot of social and political dynamics… a lot about my own value system, how I respond to that kind of hate, how I move through the world, and it became undeniable to me at a certain point that in order to continue to be myself, I had to be vocal and honor my value system, even in the context of working for Disney and working within the big, huge IP within the big edgy camp that is Star Wars.”
In her Instagram post, Stenberg thanked the Lucasfilm team and Headland for their support and praised their efforts. She also explained how the current divisive climate, fueled by echo chambers and prejudices, may have contributed to the show’s downfall.
Lee Jung-jae, another cast member, expressed surprise at the show’s cancellation, even though his character died in the final part of the season. He praised Headland’s writing and direction, saying he was looking forward to seeing a second season under her leadership.
The first season of The Acolyte ended in July. In August, Lucasfilm announced that the show would not continue, even though the season ended with unresolved plotlines. Stenberg played twins Osha and May, who had opposite roles in the story. The decision to cancel the series was made after mixed reactions from fans and declining viewership.
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