The Book Of Boba Fett Stunt Coordinator J.J. Dashnaw Celebrates Working With Temuera Morrison - Exclusive
Perhaps one of the more surprising stories in pop culture is that of Boba Fett. The armored bounty hunter gained a cult following in the early 1980s, even though his appearances in the original "Star Wars" trilogy were extremely limited and he seemed to meet his demise after falling into a Sarlacc pit in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi." Nonetheless, the character's popularity endured. But it wasn't until the prequel trilogy film "Star Wars: Episode II — The Clone Wars" that he appeared in a live-action "Star Wars" movie again, this time as a young boy.
"The Clone Wars" marked another milestone: the first appearance of actor Temuera Morrison in the "Star Wars" franchise. Morrison portrayed Jango Fett, who acted as Boba's father even though Boba was actually his clone. Given that genetic reality, Morrison has also been tapped to play the adult version of Boba ever since the 2002 movie was released. The character wasn't seen in live-action again until the second season of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" in 2020, which led directly to his very own spin-off, "The Book of Boba Fett," in 2021. The series fills in much of Boba's recent history while also following his decision to take over the throne vacated by Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine.
It's a story full of action and adventure that brings a whole new dimension to the character. The person responsible for designing that action was stunt coordinator J.J. Dashnaw, who also served as Morrison's stunt double when Boba Fett was in full armor. In a conversation with Looper, Dashnaw discussed working with Morrison and how he felt when he put on Fett's iconic costume.
'That kind of leadership on set is contagious'
Temuera Morrison has a long history with "Star Wars" and Boba Fett, and J.J. Dashnaw said he continues to be incredibly dedicated to the role. "I can't say enough good things about this man," Dashnaw enthused. "What a talent and professional he is, not to mention a hard worker. This man was in makeup for two-plus hours every single day, and not once did he complain. To have that kind of leadership on set is contagious. Everybody works harder when the main person is that person not complaining and out working as hard as everybody else."
While Dashnaw clearly had a blast working with Morrison, he also had the opportunity to play Boba himself when the character performed stunts in full armor. As "Star Wars" fans would expect, putting on Boba's armor was a special experience. "Anytime we get into [a] wardrobe of that kind of coolness, you always feel cool," Dashnaw shared, "but I was also trying to study the way [Morrison] moves because I didn't want as soon as his helmet came on [for him to be] a totally different guy. So I would watch Tem a lot on set walk around. That was probably the biggest-pressure part of it, to try to make it look like it's the same person when he's in full armor."
Although Dashnaw was nervous about matching Morrison's movements, it turns out one thing he didn't have to worry about was the armor limiting his ability to move. "[The armor] does look constrictive, but believe it or not [it's] very, very comfortable," Dashnaw revealed. "The wardrobe department did an amazing job putting this outfit together. My helmet actually had a fan kind of air condition thing in it, even, so I didn't fog up."
"The Book of Boba Fett" is available to stream on Disney+.