The Bear Star Jeremy Allen White Breaks Silence on Star Wars Casting, Admits He Only Learned Rotta the Hutt’s Importance in the Booth

Jeremy Allen White finally talked about his Star Wars gig, and yes, it is exactly the kind of curveball casting that makes you tilt your head. The Bear star is joining The Mandalorian & Grogu as the voice of Rotta the Hutt — Jabba’s kid — who is making his live-action debut and, apparently, has been hitting the galactic gym.

Who he is playing (and why that matters)

White is voicing Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son from the original trilogy era. If you only know Rotta from the 2008 animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars, that tracks — that’s the only place he has shown up until now. In that film, Rotta gets snatched by Count Dooku, Obi-Wan negotiates with Jabba, and Anakin leads a clone rescue. Fast-forward to The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Rotta is all grown up and positioned as a prize fighter — meaning he is bulkier and more imposing than dear old dad. That’s a wild swing for a Hutt, which is part of the fun.

How White landed it

On Good Morning America, White said he met with Jon Favreau — who is directing the movie and has been the driving force behind The Mandalorian — and they geeked out about movies. He even brought up Swingers, because of course he did. Then Favreau floated the Star Wars idea, and White jumped at it. Only later did the full weight of the character click for him.

'Would you like to come in and maybe talk to me about doing a voiceover for Star Wars?'

The recording process (aka the nerdy part)

White recorded his first pass before cameras rolled. After the shoot, he went back to do more, and he expects to do another round. He mentioned he chatted with Pedro Pascal recently, who was also back in the booth and getting eyes on more finished footage. White sounds genuinely fired up to take his kids to see it, calling the whole thing a really fun experience.

Where this movie fits in Star Wars

The official setup keeps it simple: the Empire is gone, Imperial warlords are scattered, and the New Republic is trying to keep the peace. Din Djarin and his tiny apprentice Grogu have been tapped to help protect what the Rebellion fought for. So yes, it is still that scrappy, frontier Star Wars pocket — just on a bigger canvas.

• Cast: Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin; Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt; Sigourney Weaver plays a New Republic colonel; Jonny Coyne is an Imperial Warlord.
• Director: Jon Favreau.
• Release date: The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.