Korean star and Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae is starring in his first Star Wars series “The Acolyte,” which is now streaming on Disney+. 

In the original, live action series from Lucasfilm, he will be playing Jedi Master Sol, becoming the first Asian Jedi Master. 

“The Acolyte” revolves around an investigation into a crime spree that pits Jedi Master Sol against a dangerous warrior from his past. 

"The Acolyte" is now available on Disney+ (Disney+)

Korean actor and Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol in "The Acolyte" (Disney+)

Lee Jung-jae at the launch event for "The Acolyte" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23 (Photos by Alberto E. Rodriguez and Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney)

The cast includes Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas. 

In an interview with Manila Bulletin on June 4 before the release of the series, Lee Jung-jae talked about being in a Star Wars series, his preparations and essaying the role of a Jedi Master. 

He felt mixed emotions when he was offered the lead role in “The Acolyte.” 

“I was overjoyed, very excited and also a little bit worried. So it was just a mixture of a lot of emotions and I also felt a little bit rushed because I got to thinking I really have to start with the preparation process,” said Lee Jung-jae. 

In 2022, Lee Jung-jae won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for “Squid Game” at the Primetime Emmy Awards. 

Lee Jung-jae also talked about being the first Asian actor to play a Jedi Master in a Star Wars live action project. 

“When I look at all of the Jedi characters that you see throughout the Star Wars saga, whether it's the costume or the martial arts, I think they definitely remind you of the Eastern warrior,” he explained.  

He added, “And I think because this story takes place earlier than any other era in the Star Wars saga, you could say that I'm one of the oldest Jedi there are. And I think because of that, maybe that's why the creators thought to cast an Asian actor, why they thought it was a good idea.”

"The Acolyte" (Disney+)

The 51-year-old actor, who started his acting career in the 90s, most notably in the “Sandglass” drama, said it was a huge honor to be a part of “The Acolyte.”  

“And personally it was the fact that I was cast as that role, it was a huge honor and a source of joy for me so I really wanted to do a great job and portray the character so that I could make my character Sol someone who's very meaningful among the vast universe of the different characters and also the Jedi characters in the Star Wars universe,” he said. 

To prepare for his role in the Disney+ series, Lee Jung-jae said they went to the United Kingdom to undergo training including practicing the action scenes and doing weight training to build stamina. 

“So before we began principal photography, about two months prior, we went to the UK to take part in a training camp and we had two sessions per day, two training sessions, morning and evening,” he said. 

He added, “And we would have different programs. So some programs would incorporate the entire action sequence with a lot of different action scenes. Sometimes it would focus more on the details, a particular action in a more detailed way.” 

The star also trained for martial arts and sword fighting. 

“And then there was another program where it taught us to train for the very basics, so the fundamental martial arts and the fundamentals of sword fighting as well. And then we also had a session where we would just do weight training in order to enhance our stamina so all of these very detailed and a variety of various programs helped us a lot in the preparation,” he said. 

The training and behind the scenes of "The Acolyte" (Disney+)

Headland praised Lee Jung-jae for his acting. 

“Lee Jung-jae knows how to switch from being emotionally available and vulnerable to being completely guarded and in control. He knows how to be formidable and intimidating, and then he can switch to being just absolutely heartbreaking in terms of how fragile he is. I don't know many actors who can do that,” said Headland, according to “The Acolyte” production. 

Headland described “The Acolyte” as “a mystery thriller that invites audiences into the gray areas of universal themes, such as power, right and wrong, light and dark, and is designed to make audiences really engage in the struggle to balance the duality.” 

“Star Wars: The Acolyte” is now streaming on Disney+ with the first two episodes.