Paul Sun-Hyung Lee: Portraying Captain Carson Teva in the Mandoverse

The Mandoverse has been an interconnected web of storytelling between The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka—with one character being the constant link between each show: Captain Carson Teva. Former Rebel pilot turned New Republic lawman patrolling the Outer Rim, the character was involved in some of the most pivotal moments in Star Wars history, from facilitating the rescue of Nevarro from Gorian Shard’s pirates, discovering Moff Gideon’s escape and investigating on the overall Imperial Remnant secret dealings, to finally aiding General Hera Syndulla and Ahsoka in their mission to find Ezra Bridger and stop the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Every time Teva shows up, you know something is up! Award winning South Korean-Canadian actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee reflected on his journey into the Mandoverse—from growing up with Star Wars to ultimately portraying the beloved character, Captain Carson Teva. “The Star Wars movies hit at different points of development in my life. I was five years old when my dad took my sister and I to the movie theater to watch Star Wars … that was actually the second movie I ever saw (the first one was Jaws, my favorite movie of all time). My babysitter took us to see The Empire Strikes Back. And for Return of the Jedi, my sister and I were old enough to go by ourselves to see it. The prequel trilogy came out when I just started dating a lovely woman; by Episode II we were married, and by Episode III, we were pregnant. Finally, for the sequel trilogy I took my children to see the movies … it’s come full circle,” he said.

His love for the Star Wars franchise lived on through adulthood, where Sun-Hyung Lee decided to expand his fandom into cosplaying, building costumes for his kids and eventually submitting himself into the 501st Legion for membership as a TIE pilot. Then the unexpected happened, as the now seasoned actor’s career and his love for Star Wars collided. At the 2018 Unforgettable Gala in Los Angeles, Sun-Hyung Lee was approached by none other than Deborah Chow (the two worked together in Toronto 30 years back) for a lifetime opportunity. “[Deborah Chow] said, ‘I was trying to get in touch with you because Dave Filoni saw Kim’s Convenience and really liked your work in it, and he wants to write you something.’ I immediately had a heart attack.” The actor then revealed that he was invited to visit the set of The Mandalorian while Chow was directing her episodes, and that’s where he met Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, and the show’s biggest secret, Grogu. Six months later, Lucasfilm finally made the call, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee stepped into the galaxy far, far away. “It was my first role in the United States as an actor (I’ve worked on US productions before, but always in Canada), and I didn’t have to audition for it. There were many, many times I wept because I was just so happy … I never thought I would ever get this opportunity, to sort of live up my childhood dreams. And there I was, a trained professional, an award winning actor from Canada, coming to the United States in his first ever role being directed by Carl Weathers, and then Peyton Reed, and meeting Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and having all of Hollywood sort of around, it was dizzying,” he shared.

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee confessed that he had no idea what kind of character he was going to play in The Mandalorian—convincing himself that he was going to be under 20 pounds of latex and no one would ever see his face. But then he discovered he was going to play New Republic pilot Carson Teva. “Jon Favreau described him like a beat cop back in New York … he knows the neighborhood, he’s been around for a while, and he knows how to pick and choose his battles. Because he has limited resources, he’s gotta depend on the community to help him out. I kind of took that idea and expanded it because The Mandalorian has such a Western theme to it, so I looked at him more like a Texas Ranger back in the day. These were formidable lawmen who had vast territories that they had to problem solve to keep the peace on their own. They had to rely on their smarts and the community to survive. That’s how I modeled Carson Teva … he’s a veteran of many battles. He’s very passionate about the cause and an honorable man. He knows how to play between the lines because there’s no absolutes when you’re out there with limited resources,” Paul Sun-Hyung Lee reflected.

Little did the actor know that season after season, show after show, Carson Teva was going to become a constant in the Mandoverse. In retrospect, he said, “I had no idea of the importance or what plans they had with the character of Carson Teva. I just knew what part my character played in certain scenes, and the rest was kind of a mystery. But then when the dots started to connect, it was a really cool thing. It’s a great honor to be able to play this character who is sort of the connective tissue between these universes. He’s a man of action who has been searching and digging, he sees patterns, he sees what’s happening. He can’t convince people that it’s as serious as he knows it’s going to be. That’s the dramatic irony, we all know what happens twenty years down the road. He’s kind of like the prophet Cassandra who is just doomed to be ignored even though they can see the future. I still have no idea where this is all leading. I’m just gratified and so happy that Jon and Dave want to keep me on board and play this character who is becoming more and more important in [the Star Wars universe].”

The actor’s performance was elevated on screen by the artistry of the late Shawna Trpcic, who with the help of her outstanding team created meticulously authentic costumes for the character of Carson Teva—from the classic Rebel X-wing pilot orange jumpsuit to the iconic leather jacket. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee emotionally shared his experience working with the Emmy nominated Costume Designer: “First of all, I loved Shawna dearly. She cared so much, and she loved pouring through the visual records trying to get as close as possible to being as authentic, right down to the stitch count of [each costume]. That’s how much she cared. She wanted to do it right for the fans as well. She wanted to pay homage to the source material. That’s the level of commitment Shawna had, and she always had a huge smile on her face and was always so warm and effervescent. Her team, everybody is deeply passionate, and it shows in the work.” He continued, “I cosplayed as a Rebel pilot, and I’ll tell you there’s a difference between buying a jumpsuit that’s off the rack that is, you know, one size fits most, and having one built from scratch that’s tailored to your measurements. And to add on top of that, the different layers of authenticity from the flak vest and chest box to the boots [which got more screen accurate each season]. Stepping into those costumes is like stepping through the looking glass, you know, Alice in Wonderland and all that … you are just so immersed in it. I cried the first time I put on the [X-wing pilot] costume because the dream suddenly manifested itself into something that is a reality … it’s overwhelming.”

The actor revealed that he got to contribute to the design of Carson Teva’s leather jacket, designing the patches: “Production wanted each pilot to design their own patches, so I began a collaboration with Shawna and came up with some ideas. [Carson Teva’s] leather jacket has two patches: one is of a red and blue swirl which, if you look closer, they look like birds, and that’s inspired by the South Korean flag paired with the letters E and Y (in Aurebesh) for East York, which is a community I live in right now; and the other of a Rancor head, which originally started off as a bulldog because in terms of a mascot or a symbol has been a part of my entire life in Calgary where I grew up—but I couldn’t use it since there are no bulldogs in space, so Shawna suggested the Rancor.”

As part of Teva’s X-wing uniform, the character got his own iconic design for the helmet. However, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee shared a fun behind-the-scenes moment that will make any prop enthusiast squeal: “There’s a story behind the replacement helmet that they had me wear to a photoshoot for continuity’s sake. My real helmet was being painted, so as they pulled the temporary one out of the box and my nerd self could not contain himself: it was Biggs Darklighter’s original helmet! To wear that piece of history was truly incredible.”

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee wanted to end the interview connecting with the Star Wars fans: “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how important it was for me that the fans enjoy my performance, that they like my character, that I’m playing a character that belongs in this vast universe. Some people thought I was actually in the original trilogy [laughs], which for me that’s the ultimate compliment. I’m gratified by all the kindness and the encouragement and the fact that people are connecting with my character and with me too because in a sense I’m kind of living out everybody’s dream.”

We can’t wait for Captain Carson Teva’s return in other future Star Wars stories, but in the meantime don’t forget to share your favorite Teva moment on our social media platforms and make sure to stay up to date with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee’s future projects on his Instagram page.

DISCLAIMER: This interview was originally published by Fabio Fiori on TatooineTimes.com.