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Those of us who live and breathe Star Wars can be forgiven for forgetting that some people might not be fans. For people like Mads Mikkelsen, it simply hasn’t been a big part of their lives. In fact, before being cast in Star Wars: Rogue One, Mikkelsen hadn’t even seen a single Star Wars movie or TV show, which led to a somewhat bewildering moment when he got the role of Galen Erso.

“I had not watched a Star Wars film when I got the job,” Mads Mikkelsen sheepishly admitted during a packed panel at Star Wars Celebration 2025. After Lucasfilm pitched him the character and explained that the film was a prequel to A New Hope, he says he “had no idea what they were talking about. And the climax was, ‘And you are the inventor of the Death Star.’ And I went, ‘Alright?’ It didn’t dawn on me until much later that it was the Death Star, right?”

The importance of the Death Star in the Star Wars universe didn’t hit home until after he had read the script and spent the holidays with his brother, Lars. “I’m celebrating Christmas with my brother and his family and my brother got a gift which was the Death Star in Lego, right?”

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It is worth noting that Lars Mikkelsen is also in Star Wars as General Thrawn in Ahsoka and is, in fact, a big Star Wars fan.

“And he immediately left the table and started building. And he just went on and on and I realized, ‘Hold on. I invented it. I can help him build it.”

So it turns out Mads Mikkelsen missed out on becoming obsessed with Star Wars but is such a good actor he makes you believe he could build the Death Star anyway.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.