The actor who voiced and supplied the motion capture performance for Grakkus the Hutt opens up about his work on the mixed reality playset.
By Jay Stobie
Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset immerses users in the Star Wars galaxy, crafting an interactive experience that can be explored through three distinct game modes – Adventure, Arcade, and Playset. Beyond Victory is currently on sale on Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets, and ILM.com had a chance to catch up with actor Bobby Moynihan, who voiced and provided the motion capture performance for Grakkus the Hutt. From brushing up on Grakkus’ origins in Star Wars comics to describing his collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic, Moynihan shares his insights on creating the mixed reality playset.
Grakkus the Hutt, a crime lord whose muscular frame sits perched atop cybernetic legs, made his debut in 2015’s Star Wars #9. An avid Star Wars fan, Moynihan was aware of the character prior to taking on the role in Beyond Victory, telling ILM.com, “I knew of the character from the comics. I knew he had robot spider legs. I knew he had a lightsaber necklace.” Once he discovered he’d be bringing Grakkus to life, Moynihan dove deeper into the lore surrounding the Hutt. “I bought the comics and read them,” Moynihan states before jovially reflecting on his early impressions of Grakkus by quipping, “I thought I was not nearly as jacked as I needed to be.”
When it came time for his motion capture collaboration with ILM, Moynihan describes the process in a way only he can, explaining, “I got to do motion capture sitting in an office chair on wheels being pushed by a man with a mask on. I highly recommend it if you get the chance. It was very cool to see it in real time. It felt very Star Wars. I was in heaven. The most challenging part was not peeing for a long time because of the jump suit. And even that wasn’t that bad.”
Asked how he determined the manner in which Grakkus would move, Moynihan declares, “That’s the best part. I don’t have any legs so the extremely talented animators helped me a great deal. But the upper body… that’s all Moynihan.” The actor’s praise for the ILMers doesn’t stop there, as he reveals what made working with ILM and Beyond Victory director Jose Perez III so special, relaying, “I love working with people who adore what they do. Who really truly love the universe they are working and creating in. Jose is the best!”
On a lighter note, Moynihan jests about the traits he feels he infused into his Grakkus performance, teasing that his contributions include, “Lumbering movement. Slight back pain and male pattern baldness.” When it comes to Moynihan’s favorite Grakkus attribute that had already been established in the comics, the actor focuses on the collection of Jedi lightsaber hilts the Hutt wears around his neck. “That saber necklace is a STATEMENT PIECE,” Moynihan proclaims.
As much as he delighted in voicing and supplying the motion capture performance for Grakkus the Hutt, Moynihan’s enthusiasm for Beyond Victory now takes the form of enjoying the mixed reality playset from a player’s perspective. “I have been having an absolute blast playing this game. It’s so fun to be fully immersed in a universe you love,” Moynihan asserts. Summarizing his reaction to seeing Grakkus in the final release, Moynihan emphatically concludes, “Grakkus. Is. Huge.”
Read more about Beyond Victory on ILM.com.
–
Jay Stobie (he/him) is a writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to ILM.com, Skysound.com, Star Wars Insider, StarWars.com, Star Trek Explorer, Star Trek Magazine, and StarTrek.com. Jay loves sci-fi, fantasy, and film, and you can learn more about him by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.
