It was only a matter of time, but Jonathan Rhys Meyers is the winner of the “Who Will Be The First Rumored New Star Wars Trilogy Cast Member” sweepstakes. The lucky young actor is Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who is reportedly in talks withe Lucasfilm/Disney for a major, though unspecified, role in the new trilogy of films announced last film.
The rumor comes from Latino Review, so that automatically raises a red flag. However, Bleeding Cool is reporting from their own sources that “the actor’s agency has been approached about the role, but it doesn’t sound to us as though actual contract negotiations have started. We may not be privy to the latest, though, I have to admit.” So there may be a ring of truth to the story, just inflated by Latino Review’s hype machine.
Rhys Meyers doesn’t strike me as a bad choice, though I’ve not seen much of the limited work he has already done. He had a supporting role in Mission: Impossible III, directed by Episode VII helmer J. J. Abrams, before going on to headline Showtime’s The Tudors series. He is set to star in NBC’s Dracula this fall, though since that is set to be a 13-episode series, it shouldn’t prove much of an impediment to his potential Star Wars filming schedule.
If true, expect an official announcement when his deal is closer to being finalized.
