Werner Herzog’s time on The Mandalorian was short but incredibly memorable. As The Client, he chewed up every single scene he was in, and of course, became instantly memeable with the line “I would like to see the baby,” talking about Grogu.
Herzog recently sat down with Empire for the December 2023 issue to discuss his celebrated career, as he is considered one of the most important directors of his generation. The man was on Time’s 100 most influential people in 2009; he helped shape cinema as we know it today through the art house circuit in Europe. While discussing his projects, Herzog’s time in Star Wars came up, and he revealed why series executive producer Jon Favreau chose him for the series. Herzog shared:
"“Jon Favreau was deeply moved by my films. Once he made a remark that he wanted many, many people to know the face of the man who made all these films that he likes. We should not dismiss Star Wars: they are new mythologies and a new way of seeing our role in the universe.”"
Werner Herzog had previously shared in an interview with the Associated Press that he joined The Mandalorian after reading the screenplay. While he didn’t know much about Star Wars (he had stated in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter he’d never watched Star Wars before), he felt like he could play The Client. “It’s a character in whom you cannot trust, and I said ‘Yes, I can do that.’”
Herzog is one of the defining filmmakers of his generation. We might not have gotten The Mandalorian without his influence on Jon Favreau.
You can read the full interview in the December 2023 issue of Empire, which is out now. Stay up to date with all things Star Wars here at Dork Side of the Force.