Actors dressed as "Star Wars" stormtrooper characters line the route to the "Star Tours" ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)
It’s that time again — the period in the day that just won’t seem to end.
It’s a good thing you have the afternoon pick-u-up.
We decided to take on even lighter fare than usual today with a fun gem from actor Billy Dee Williams. Williams played the character Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars” — one of the more innovative films of the modern era. So, we’re not entirely off base.
Spoiler alert: If you are one of the handful of people on the planet who has not seen, read or heard the “Star Wars” trilogy (the first trilogy in our real-world chronology, not George Lucas’s), consider yourself warned. Once you have seen the movie, continue past the jump for Billy Dee Williams’ explanation of a key plot point that has required him to endure years of finger-pointing derision from the film series’s legion of fans.
You know the story: Lando Calrissian betrays Han Solo to the evil Empire, allowing Darth Vader to freeze him in carbonite. Lando proves his loyalty later. But, for some fans, Lando’s attempt at redemption was a day late and a dollar short.
According to Williams, the fans have it all wrong. “I mean, I’d go on an airplane and I’d have the stewardess say, ‘you betrayed Han Solo,’” says Williams during an interview with Wired Magazine.
“He didn’t really betray Han Solo — what he did, he was trying to prevent the complete demise of Han Solo and his friends ‘cause he had no choice.” And, Williams argues, “Lando did stand up to Darth Vader for about two seconds and realize that it could be a huge mistake.”
Whether you accept this rationale or not — it’s definitely one, perhaps not so popular way of looking at the situation. With that said, it probably won’t stop grade-school students and stewardesses from casting accusatory glares.
Now, get back to work.
(Wired)
