Peter Serafinowicz may have lent his voice to one of the most iconic villains in the Star Wars franchise, but the actor has now admitted that playing Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace left him underwhelmed (a sentiment many fans share).
During an appearance on the Classic Clown podcast (via SFFGazette.com), the actor reflected on his experience of bringing Maul to life in George Lucas' divisive 1999 prequel movie. Martial artist Ray Park physically portrayed the Sith apprentice, and the villain had only a handful of lines.
Still, his striking appearance and unforgettable duel with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi helped solidify him as a fan-favourite character. Nearly three decades on, he's still making his mark in animation, with Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord proving a critical hit after launching on Disney+ earlier this year.
Serafinowicz explained, "It was weird. This character, Darth Maul, I don’t know what I thought. The design of it. I wasn’t that into it. When I saw the film, it was the biggest disappointment of my life at that point. It really was. I mean, have you seen it? It was so exciting that even being in it, doing this thing, what I thought would be this iconic thing. Just unimaginable. I guess it sort of is [iconic]. I suppose."
When Episode I was released, sixteen years had passed since Return of the Jedi, and Lucas' return to this Galaxy Far, Far Away generated a huge amount of excitement. While the movie proved a massive box office success, reaction from fans was mixed, though they have somewhat softened on it since.
Maul would go on to star in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and Park even reprised the role for a cameo in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story. Serafinowicz was involved with none of those, as Sam Witwer has since taken over as Maul and made the character his own.
"James Earl Jones has got the best voice of any human ever, right?" the actor later added. "Then, suddenly, there I was with George Lucas, and he was like saying, 'Well, Peter, you’re the new James Earl Jones,' and I was like, 'F***ing hell, am I? Then why are you paying me such shit money, George?'"
Now, Serafinowicz is preparing to join another beloved fantasy franchise. He's been cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series, bringing the character to life for the first time after he was cut from the movies.
As for Maul, he is iconic, but Serafinowicz's voice performance has, unfortunately for him, been largely overshadowed by his successor. You can hear more from the actor on his Star Wars role in the player below.