The Actor Who Plays The Grand Inquisitor In Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Gorgeous In Real Life

With "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" and "The Book of Boba Fett" now firmly in the rearview mirror, it's nearly time once again to head back to a galaxy far, far away on Disney+. The hotly-anticipated "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is next up on the docket, and for prequel and original trilogy fans especially, this series is nothing short of a must-watch. As the title suggests, it centers on the former Jedi master (Ewan McGregor) 10 years after the events of "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" as he does his best to survive under the now-established Galactic Empire while distantly protecting a young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely).

Of course, Obi-Wan Kenobi won't have the easiest time keeping himself safe and comfortable under the Imperial regime. Under this new order, the Jedi are the enemy, after all, with the Empire ruthlessly hunting down those that managed to survive Order 66 to prevent the resurrection of the Jedi Order. Thus, Kenobi will eventually come face-to-face with his longtime padawan and Sith Lord, Darth Vader (Hayden Christiansen), in addition to other Imperial operatives who can and will kill him without a second thought. One such individual is the "Star Wars Rebels" mainstay, the Grand Inquisitor.

Jason Isaacs portrayed the Grand Inquisitor in animation for some time, but Rupert Friend has taken on the job for the character's live-action debut on "Obi-Wan Kenobi." However, don't let his menacing appearance on the show fool you. Friend is much better looking in real life.

No matter the medium, the Grand Inquisitor isn't easy on the eyes. Between his gray-white skin, red facial markings, and piercing stare, he's an intimidating figure even without his helicopter lightsaber ignited. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped "Star Wars" fans from ragging on his first live-action interpretation for "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which does look quite different from "Rebels" thanks to the limitations of real-world prosthetics. Therefore, we can only hope the performance of the much more handsome Rupert Friend as the Pau'an dark side user can sway the opinion of the fandom.

Considering some of the projects Friend has had the chance to show off his acting talents in over the past 18 years, it stands to reason he'll portray the Grand Inquisitor perfectly. As far as his other television credits go, he has enjoyed lengthy runs on the likes of "Homeland," "Strange Angel," and "High Desert," among others, paving the way for some strong appearances at the movies. Friends' most noteworthy titles include "At Eternity's Gate" and "Hitman: Agent 47," with some of his most recent being "Last Looks" and director Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch."

While the overall look of the Grand Inquisitor may not have generated much positive press, surely Rupert Friends' performance will. We'll just have to wait and see once "Obi-Wan Kenobi" kicks off its six-episode run on May 27, 2022.