50 Roles for 50 Actors: Dream casting the Star Wars saga

Dream casting the Star Wars saga: Kyle Catlett as Young Boba Fett 

Everything I said about child actors back up in the slide on young Anakin Skywalker still applies. At best, they’re a gamble—there’s no guarantee that even experienced kids will measure up to their reputations when the cameras start rolling. Still, we can take our best shot and hope for the best.

Kyle Catlett is a young actor who made a splash on The Following, a Fox drama series about the hunt for a cult leader. Catlett played the cult leader’s son and helped ground what could be a bit of an overblown drama.

Through all the show’s histrionics, Catlett’s character maintained an innocence and optimism that made him endearing. That could make Young Boba’s final scene in Attack of the Clones, where he cradles his dead father’s helmet in his hands, especially heartbreaking. (By the way, was Jango’s head still in the helmet when that happened, because if so, that moment is even more creepy).

Ultimately, though, it’s hard to gauge exactly how well any child actor will perform. The best casting choice here would be “Look at a lot of kids and pick the one you think is best,” but it’d hard to find an image to go along with that.

Next: Jedi Master Windu