This one 'Mandalorian and Grogu' line may hit 'Star Wars' fans hard

As much as starships and lightsabers have played a significant role in “Star Wars,” so have the famous philosophical sayings. “May the Force be with you” is the one everyone knows, obviously, but also “Do or do not, there is no try” and “I’m one with the Force, the Force is with me.” More recently, “The Mandalorian” made hay with “This is the way.”

The new film“The Mandalorian and Grogu”(in theaters now) introduces another memorable quote into the mythology: “The old protect the young, then the young protect the old.” It’s fairly simple and straightforward, but powerful in both the context of the movie and the way it may hitlongtime “Star Wars” fans.

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The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) says the line to Grogu, his young adopted son who has an appetite for snacks and a sensitivity to the Force. For three seasons of “The Mandalorian” series, Mando has protected Grogu on their many adventures and even in the movie, makes sure his armor is on tight before heading into a sticky situation. But Grogu gets his chance to return the favor and care for his space dad when something bad happens to Mando.

Pascal admits he was “very moved” when he read the line in the script but it also “transcends ‘Star Wars’ in a relatable way for audiences. For obvious reasons, it's such a true evolution to so many human relationships, especially that of parents and child. It's an incredible principle: We are meant to protect the young, and, therefore, earn their protection in return when needed. That's the way it should be.”

Forco-writer and director Jon Favreau, what makes “Star Wars” enduring is “how much people feel connected to it still,” he says. Everything’s “cascaded down” from George Lucas’ original films, and then just as now, fans see themselves in it.

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“When you're young and you're watching Luke looking up at the binary suns and wishing that he could get off the planet, that's a feeling that audience members felt in their life,” Favreau explains. “That’s part of what those mythic stories are. It's what we struggle with in our normal pedestrian lives put in this large scale, so that you could appreciate it and study it, and then you could learn from the lessons of the generations that preceded you because it's presented to you in such a fantastic way.”

But now, “as we get older as 'Star Wars' fans, we're not looking up wondering what's it like to get off this planet,” Favreau says. “A lot of us are parents. A lot of us have aging parents. We're in a much different place in our lives, but we still connect with ‘Star Wars,’ and we still connect with these stories to add context to it.”

Favreau feels the relationship between Mando and Grogu is what connected multiple generations to “The Mandalorian” show: “The young people will watch it through the eyes of Baby Yoda, of Grogu, and the adults will be looking at it like, ‘Hey, there's a cool dad.' "

The movie also embraces the intergenerational exchange in a deep way, especially with that one line.

“We’re not going to be here forever. Our kids are going to be here when we're not,” Favreau says. “Of course, it's heightened and stylized in this, because (Grogu’s) going to live for centuries. But we all feel a version of it.

“These things that we're dealing with, when we see it portrayed in the context of a fable or a story, it engages us more. That’s what I think George set out to do and why it's still relevant today.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Mandalorian and Grogu' adds new 'Star Wars' quote to mythology

byDamon Long

in

May 24, 2026

This one 'Mandalorian and Grogu' line may hit 'Star Wars' fans hard

As much as starships and lightsabers have played a significant role in “Star Wars,” so have the famous philosophical sayings. “May the ...

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From Costars to Best Friends: 14 Lifelong Friendships That Started on Set

Some actors don't just play best friends in films and on TV — they're BFFs in real life, too!

Okay, so some also played siblings or mortal enemies. Still, the idea's the same: Between long days filming, attending worldwide press tours or simply bonding over their shared experiences, many castmates haveformed lifelong friendships.

Celebrity bestieslikeMichelle WilliamsandBusy Philippsfirstmet while working on the teen dramaDawson's Creekin 2001 and have remained inseparable ever since, with PhilippstellingPage Sixin March 2025 thatthey've "been there" for each other"through so many different moments in each other's lives."

Meanwhile,Vampire Diaries' starsPaul WesleyandIan Somerhalderturned on their humanity IRL, forming a brotherly connection andlaunching their own bourbon brandin 2021. Far from the only two to go into the spirits business together,Breaking BadbestiesBryan CranstonandAaron Paulco-own the mezcal and tequila company Dos Hombres.

"We became family onBreaking Bad, and this has given us a reason to keep creating together," Paul told PEOPLE in April 2026 of their business, joking that Cranston is "stuck with" him. "He's like a brother to me."

From costars to platonic soulmates, these famous duos and tight-knit casts became real-life support systems for each other well after the director yelled "cut."

Parks and Recreation's Kathryn Hahn and Amy Poehler

Amy PoehlerandKathryn Hahnfound a kinship while costarring on the hit NBC seriesParks and Recreation, but Hahn "didn't anticipate" they would stay friends after the show ended in February 2015.

"I've been in a lot of projects where you get, like, intimate really fast, and then everybody says goodbye," Hahn said during an episode ofGood Hang with Amy Poehlerin April 2025. "I did not anticipate that you would want to continue to be my friend after we did it! And then the fact that it's gotten deeper and deeper ... I'm so grateful for you in my life."

Poehler added, "We've been through a lot of tough times together. We've been very honest together. I think we've really taken great pains to see each other."

"It's so important to have women in your life that aren't family, to grow old with in a way that — it's like you said — feels very honest and also hilarious," Hahn said. "But also doesn't feel like we have to keep up anything together, like, keep up any sort of front. ... Like to walk into these next chapters together just feels like it's not as terrifying."

Victorious' Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande

Ariana GrandeandLiz Gillieshave come a long way since sharing the stage in13: The Musicalon Broadway in 2008. The longtime friends went on to star together on Nickelodeon'sVictorious, where Grande starred as Cat Valentine and Gillies played Jade West, and have remained close ever since.

Over the years, they've continued to support each other's careers, from Gilliesjoining Grande for a dueton herSweetener World Tourin 2019 to Grandewatching her pal performin the Off-Broadway revival ofLittle Shop of Horrorsin 2025. (They evendressed up for Halloween togetheras characters from the 2000 filmBest in Show.

"We make a real effort to see each other," Gillies told PEOPLE in November 2024. "We laugh, we reminisceand we make new memories. I think a lot of the time, when you have friends from childhood, you need to make new memories to keep a friendship going. Otherwise, you're just reminiscing about the past and getting together once a year."

She continued, "I see Ariana all the time, and we're constantly doing things, having new experiences and adding chapters to our book. I'm so grateful that we've been able to share in this wild ride together, and I can't wait to see what's next."

Grande is a pro at making BFFs on set — she's alsofamously closewith herWickedcostarCynthia Erivo, whom she met while filming in 2022.

The Parent Trap's Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter

They may haveplayed on-screen rivalsChessy and Meredith inThe Parent Trap, but Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix have been joined at the hip ever since.

Sincestarring in the beloved 1998 remake, the two actresses have fostered a decades-long friendship that, according to Walter, has always come naturally.

"People always talk about, 'Oh, you make time for your friends, and you have to make it important,' " she told PEOPLE in September 2023. "It was never a chore. It was never something that I had to schedule."

She also referred to Hendrix as her "life partner," saying, "She just was the person that I called. Everybody has a person they check in with about everything in their life. And Elaine is it for me."

In May 2026, Walter revealed during an appearance onThe Viewthat Hendrix had played a major role in her landing her celebrated role as Melissa onAbbott Elementary.

When the hosts asked for her advice to those trying to make it in the industry, Walter said, "Don't quit," before explaining who made sure she didn't.

"And there have been many times that I wanted to, andI called my best friend Elaine Hendrix, the mean girl fromParent Trap, and I say, 'I'm done. I'm out. I'm moving to Atlanta with you,' " Walter recalled. "And she says, 'Don't quit.' And she read with me forAbbott, and she was part of the reason why I got that job."

Not only have there been several cast reunions over the years, but the pair also had a major TV moment together when Walterjoined Hendrix onDancing with the Starsto pay homage to theirParent Trapdays during season 34's "Dedication Night."

Dawson's Creek's Busy Phillips and Michelle Williams

Philipps and Williams have been BFFs sincemeeting on the setofDawson's Creek, and their working relationship has since developed into one of Hollywood's longest-lasting friendships.

Over the years, they've stood by each other through career highs, personal heartbreaks and motherhood, with their daughters considering each other as "sort of like cousins, in a way."

"We just know each otherand get each other in such a deep, fundamental way at this point," Philipps toldPage Sixof Williams. "When you have a friend like that, you're blessed."

Williams echoed that sentiment in December 2016 when she told PEOPLE they're "in love" with each other, adding, "She's proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man!That's the love of my liferight there."

The two have also become fan-favorite fixtures on red carpets over the years, including theCritics' Choice Awards2023. In January 2019, Philipps revealed that she evenhas one of Williams' Golden Globes at her home.

Alias' Victor Garber and Jennifer Garner

It makes sense thatVictor GarberandJennifer Garnerformed a close bond while playing father and daughter onAlias,and that connection has only gotten stronger over the years.

Since starring together onJ.J. Abrams' hit spy series from 2001 to 2006, the pair have supported each other through major life events andsweet reunions. Garberofficiated Garner's June 2005 weddingtoBen Affleck— and remained a presence through their divorce — and Garnerwatched him perform for several stage productions.

YearsafterAliasended, the duo reunited on-screen in 2023 for Apple TV'sThe Last Thing He Told Me— and for Garner, it was a joyful full-circle moment.

"We've wanted to work together again, obviously, forever. The only problem was, I couldn't stop smiling at him," GarnertoldEntertainment Weeklyat the time, adding, "I was just grinning ear to ear.I was so happy he was there."

In March 2024, Garnercelebrated Garber's 75th birthdaywith a sweet tribute post on Instagram, writing alongside photos of herself and Garber, "Everything's better when I'm next to you, Spy Daddy. Happy Birthday, @therealvictorgarber! 🎈♥."

Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul

Cranston and Paul gaveEmmy Award-winning performances as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, respectively, on the AMC crime dramaBreaking Bad, but their connection is far from an act.

Over the years, the pair hasexpressed appreciation for each otheras friends, mentors, godparents, business partners in Dos Hombres andone-time bartendersforDrake.

"Bryan, he is my mentor, one of my best friends on the planet," Paul told PEOPLE in June 2023. "I've learned so much from this guy. To be able to tackle something yet again with him, that was really our own brainchild — a dream come true."

Echoing a similar sentiment, Cranston shared, "equally, I love this guy," adding that he was overjoyed to be able to work together again afterBreaking Badended in 2013.

The Office's Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer

Their characters onThe Officewere far from forever friends, butAngela KinseyandJenna Fischerforged an unbreakable bond behind the scenes throughout the mockumentary sitcom's nine-season run.

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"We had this really fun friendship," Fischer told PEOPLE in February 2021 about the origins of their connection. "You don't expect to make a friendship like this when you're older."

Since the NBC show ended in 2013, Kinsey and Fischer have maintained the show's legacy through their podcast,Office Ladies, on which they share stories and exclusive commentary from their time on set. The duo even coauthored a book, titledThe Office BFFS, detailing their personal experiences and favorite memories from filming the hit series.

The Cheetah Girls' Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams

Sabrina BryanandKiely Williamsstarred in all threeCheetah Girlsmovies in their Disney days of the aughts. They also performed and recorded music together in the girl group of the same name.

After the film franchise ended, the "Cheetah Sisters" kept up their friendship, with Bryan and Williams remaining as tight as ever. Williams even served as matron of honor when Bryanmarried Jordan Lundbergin October 2018.

They've continued to lean on each other as they'veraised their kids. In April 2019, Williams shared a nostalgic video of the twoserenading her daughter Rowanwith a Cheetah Girls hit-turned-lullaby via FaceTime.

BryantoldE! Newsin February 2024 that Williams "has been one ofmy best friends since the start to end."

"From the first movie, we really connected. And we were so sad when filming ended because we thought that was gonna be it," Bryan continued. "And then when we picked up with doing performances and then into the Christmas tour and beyond — continuing seven years — we've stayed so close."

Friends' Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox

The cast ofFriendshas certainly lived up to their show's name.

The six stars —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlancand the lateMatthew Perry— reunited several times since the series finale in 2004, including for the much-anticipated 2021Friends: Reunionon HBO Max.

"It was great, we really did get along," Kudrow shared during a late 2024 appearance onDax Shepard'sArmchair Expertpodcast. "We also worked hard at being friends. That six-way relationship took some work, and we did it."

However, it's the duo behind on-screen BFFs Rachel Green (Aniston) and Monica Geller (Cox) that stands out as the sitcom's closest cast members.

Cox and Aniston's friendship has proved strong over the years. The pair reunited in April 2022 for charity, with Aniston posting a videoon Instagramof themwearingFriends-themed shirts.

They've also shared earnest moments from their time spent together during the holidays.

"We just have fun, we laugh, we're inseparable, and it's great," Cox previously toldTV Weekof the pair's dynamic.

The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley

Somerhalder and Wesley played bloodthirsty brothers on TV, and afterThe Vampire Diarieswrapped in 2017, they maintained their friendship off-screen. Their relationship even inspired the name of their bourbon brand, Brother's Bond.

In March 2021, the castmates-turned-business partners discussed their friendship and entrepreneurial evolution, telling PEOPLE that the collaboration felt natural given their shared love of bourbon and complementary personalities.

"This is not like a friendship.This is like a brotherhood; it's like a marriage," Somerhalder said. "We've been in it together for so long."

EdTV's Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson

Woody HarrelsonandMatthew McConaugheyhave been thick as thieves since starring together in 1999'sEDtv. They reunited in 2008'sSurfer, Dudeand on the first season ofTrue Detectivein 2014.

According to Harrelson, the longtime friends are working on a new TV project together that's set to debut in the fall of 2026.

"We play ourselves, and it's fiction, likeCurb[Your Enthusiasm], in a way," theHunger GamesalumtoldDeadlinein May 2026. "We play ourselves, but everything's fictionalized."

When asked if the show, aptly titledBrothers, would address the rumor that he and McConaughey were related — something the two actors haveteased in the past— Harrelson admitted, "That's going to factor in. Yeah, that's definitely going to factor in."

"I've known him since '97," he said of his friendship with McConaughey. "We've had a lot of fun together ... I love him like a brother, for sure."

Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams

Working on a show likeGame of Thronesis sure to bind actors together, and that was especially true forMaisie WilliamsandSophie Turner, whoplayed sisters Arya and Sansa Stark, respectively, for all eight seasons of the HBO show.

Their tight friendship has beenwell documented over the years, as the two grew up together on set.They evengot matching tattooscommemorating the date they were both cast onGame of Thrones: "07.08.09."

While discussing her hopes of producing and directing in the future during aVogueParisconversation withPhoenixcostarJessica Chastain, Turner shared that she hoped to work with Williams again.

"My best friend Maisie, she and I have a very intense friendship,a friendship that I haven't hadwith any of my other girlfriends before," Turner said in June 2019. "We felt like we wanted to write a movie about a friendship where it's kind of like you're soulmates, but you're friends, and it's like this beautiful connection, but it can also be quite destructive."

In 2017, Williams spoke just as highly of Turner during an appearance on the U.K.'sThis Morning, per theDaily Mail.

"It was so wonderful to have someone my age plucked out from normality into this world," she said, referring toGame of Thrones' massive success, whichthrust both women into the spotlightas teenagers. "It's really lovely to have someone to hold my hand through this. She's like my big sister."

TheModern FamilyCast

After playing one of TV's most beloved families for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020, theModern Familycast has remained incredibly close.

The series starredEric Stonestreet,Jesse Tyler Ferguson,Ed O'Neill,Sofía Vergara,Julie Bowen,Ty Burrell,Sarah Hyland,Ariel Winter,Nolan Gould,Rico RodriguezandAubrey Anderson-Emmons.

Over the years, they'vereunited for special occasions, including Hyland's August 2022wedding ceremonyand an on-screen family gathering at Vergara's home in 2023. Though everyone can't always attend every get-together — especially Burrell, who often misses due to scheduling conflicts, though he didhave a reunionwith on-screen wife Bowen at the University of Oregon in 2025 — the group stays connected.

In January 2025, Stonestreet confirmed to PEOPLE that the cast has a group text chain while sharing that they "are such a close unit."

"We all are in communicationwith each other," he said. "It was no doubt from the beginning of that."

Recalling one of his first memories of the cast, Stonestreet added, "This is dark and macabre, but I remember thinking, 'Wow, I have a whole lot of new people that I'm going to grow old with and know for the rest of my life.' "

The Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsCast

The only thing more magical than the Traveling Pants is the real-life bond between the four "sisters" who wore them:Blake Livelyas Bridget,Alexis Bledelas Lena,America Ferreraas Carmen andAmber Tamblynas Tibby.

The four actresses met filmingThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—the 2005 flick based on the novel series of the same name — and they've continuouslyshown their love and supportfor each other.

"We have aSisterhoodtext[group chat] that's been going for 20 years now," Ferrera told PEOPLE in January 2024. "We've all had kids. We've all gotten married. We were at each other's weddings. We've been through a lot of life together."

During an appearance onThe Tonight Showin April 2018, Bledel shared the group's interest in athirdSisterhoodmovie, saying that revisiting the franchise "would be the best thing."

Read the original article onPeople

byDamon Long

in

May 24, 2026

From Costars to Best Friends: 14 Lifelong Friendships That Started on Set

Some actors don't just play best friends in films and on TV — they're BFFs in real life, too! Okay, so some also played s...

Read More

Trump talks up his ballroom plan dozens of times but plays down Americans' economic pain

By Steve Holland, Andy Sullivan, Richard Cowan and Nandita Bose

The site of ongoing construction of the planned White House ballroom in Washington

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - Standing in front of the White House ballroom construction site, U.S. President Donald Trump appealed for patience from Americans struggling with soaring gas prices as he sought to justify the cost of a project critics call a vanity effort.

"This is peanuts," he said on Tuesday in an apparent reference to the economic damage inflicted on the U.S. by ‌the Iran war. "I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. It won't be much longer."

The moment crystallized concerns among some in his Republican Party, who worry that the billionaire president's focus on the ballroom ‌appears insensitive as Americans struggle to fill their gas tanks ahead of November's midterm elections.

A Reuters review of Trump's public comments shows he has mentioned the ballroom - either via speeches, social media posts, or in comments to reporters - at least 40 times this year, including nine times this month alone. By comparison, he ​mentioned it 35 times in all of 2025.

He is prone to launching into sales pitches for the ballroom at any moment, whether talking to reporters on Air Force One, speaking to guests in the Oval Office or posting on his Truth Social platform.

A White House official rejected Democrats' contention that the ballroom is a vanity project.

"This is about legacy, not vanity," the official said. "The president is deeply passionate about this and wants to get it done."

It is hard to quantify how many times Trump has talked about the economy, but as gas prices have spiraled, he has repeatedly played down the economic impact of the war, counseling patience and offering little acknowledgement of Americans' financial strain.

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation," he said earlier this month in a viral off-the-cuff comment about the war's economic ‌impact that was seized on by Democrats. “The only thing that matters when I'm talking about ⁠Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon."

SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SAY BALLROOM IS A DISTRACTION

The Reuters review shows that the ballroom, reconstruction of the Washington Reflecting Pool and plans for a 250-foot Independence Arch in the capital are top of mind for a president whose second term has been dominated by legacy-building projects.

Even amid crises and diplomatic summits, Trump has kept the ballroom at the forefront. Within ⁠hours of an apparent assassination attempt at a Washington hotel, he used the incident to argue for building one. After his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump posted on Truth Social that the trip reinforced his case.

“China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.!” Trump wrote alongside a photo of him and Xi outside Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People.

In Republican-led focus groups, however, voters are expressing concerns over the ballroom and the arch, a senior Republican campaign operative told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss the matter.

"For voters, the message that is ​coming ​from the White House is Trump is focused on vanity projects and foreign policy, and those are things that voters don't care about," the ​operative said.

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Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said in an interview that the attention being given ‌to the White House ballroom is "absolutely" sucking up more time than it should.

"It would sure be nice if the public understood that the ballroom itself was private money," Lummis said.

Trump says he has raised $400 million from wealthy donors and his own money for the ballroom. The Secret Service, however, has requested $1 billion in taxpayer money to fund security enhancements for the ballroom and the White House complex, a plan that lawmakers, including Republicans, have balked at.

Anxious Republican lawmakers and senior White House aides have for months urged Trump to focus more on the economy as voters look ahead to November, when Republicans are expected to face a difficult fight to retain control of Congress.

"Trump continues to talk about things that no one cares about," said a Republican strategist involved in efforts to help Republicans retain control of Congress. The strategist spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the matter freely.

Trump's answer to questions about economic concerns is to repeatedly declare victory over inflation, despite official data showing otherwise. He has deflected ‌questions about economic uncertainty by boasting about a rise in the stock market and billions of dollars in foreign investment.

A January prediction from the ​White House that Trump would make weekly trips to promote Republican candidates and address economic concerns has not panned out.

After a flurry of weekly travel ​early in the year aimed at promoting his economic record, Trump has largely stayed at the White House or ​at his Florida weekend retreat since he launched the Iran war on February 28. He has made only a handful of domestic trips since then.

CHINA TRIP, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

As Trump faces a series of political ‌and policy challenges — including war with Iran, rising fuel costs, and dwindling popularity — he has increasingly ​turned to visiting construction sites tied to his initiatives, using them ​to underscore progress and reassert control over his agenda.

On Tuesday, he took reporters on a tour of the ballroom construction site and proudly described some of its planned security features. A week earlier, he rode in his armored limousine to inspect renovations at Washington's Reflecting Pool - which he has spoken about seven times this month alone.

Democrats who are trying to break Republicans' dominance in Congress in November say Trump's focus on legacy projects offers hope.

"I can't imagine that ​at a time when people are trying to figure out how to pay for their ‌groceries that are exorbitantly high thanks to Trump's tariffs that they're (Republicans) focused on a ballroom," Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia told Reuters.

"Tone deaf is an understatement."

With polls showing a solid majority of Americans opposed to ​the ballroom, the message appears to have gotten through to Republicans. The $1 billion proposal was dropped last week - at least for now - from a spending bill in the Senate in a major setback for Trump.

(Reporting By ​Steve Holland, Andy Sullivan, Richard Cowan and Nandita Bose; Additional reporting by Bo Erickson; Editing by Ross Colvin and Alistair Bell)

byDamon Long

in

May 24, 2026

Trump talks up his ballroom plan dozens of times but plays down Americans' economic pain

By Steve Holland, Andy Sullivan, Richard Cowan and Nandita Bose The site of ongoing construction of the planned White House ba...

Read More

The best 'Star Wars' Easter eggs hidden in 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

Spoiler alert! We're discussing a few plot details from "The Mandalorian and Grogu" (in theaters now), so turn away if you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want to know.

As long asthe Mandalorian and Groguhave been traipsing around the galaxy, "Star Wars" fans have been pointing at the screen and proclaiming, "I understood that reference."

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" is packed with scenes that echo classic moments from "Star Wars" history. The snowy opening action sequence evokes the Hoth battle that started "The Empire Strikes Back," and when the Hutts make Mando fight a giant snake, it's like a mashup of the trash compactor from "A New Hope" and the Rancor pit from "Return of the Jedi."

But beyond the obvious callbacks, "The Mandalorian" has always been a gold mine of more obscure "Star Wars" references, Easter eggs and cameos for diehards to eat up, and the film is no exception. Here are the best ones you may have missed.

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Martin Scorsese's character is related to Jon Favreau's from 'Solo'

Martin Scorsesehas a fun role as an alien fry cook, who gives Mando information on his quest. The legendary filmmaker's character is an Ardennian, a monkey-like alien species created for the 2018 Han Solo spinoff movie "Solo: A Star Wars Story."

In "Solo," Han met an Ardennian pilot named Rio Durant, who was voiced by "Mandalorian and Grogu" director Jon Favreau.

But these two aren't just the same species. Scorsese's character is named Hugo Durant, so he is apparently a relative of Rio Durant from "Solo" (though Rio doesn't appear in "Grogu" after dying tragically in "Solo"). The first name of Scorsese's character is presumably a nod to the director's 2011 movie "Hugo."

Sigourney Weaver's deck of cards has a link to Han Solo

When Mando tellsSigourney Weaver's Colonel Wardhe'll take out "every bad guy in your deck of cards," he isn't being metaphorical: She has a literal deck of cards, each of which has the name of an Imperial warlord on the New Republic's radar.

These are modified versions of playing cards from a deck of sabacc, the card game Han Solo was playing when he won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian, as mentioned in "The Empire Strikes Back" and depicted in "Solo: A Star Wars Story."

The cards Ward shows Mando come from an adapted sabacc deck that the New Republic created. According to the 2024 book "The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire," each card in the deck features "the last known image of a wanted Imperial fugitive," and the goal was for these cards to circulate throughout the galaxy and help the wider population to identify the Imperials.

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A fight sequence brings a classic 'New Hope' prop to life

Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) is forced to fight in what is dubbed a Dejarik match, where creatures are unleashed in an arena.

It's called that because Dejarik is the holographic game Chewbacca and R2-D2 played on the Millennium Falcon in "A New Hope" in the scene where C-3PO memorably recommends that R2 "let the Wookiee win." The game, which popped back up in "The Force Awakens" and "The Rise of Skywalker," uses holographic versions of alien creatures as the pieces.

So in "Grogu," the arena fight with all the creatures is essentially a Dejarik game come to life, to the point that the arena's floor is even designed to resemble a Dejarik board.

Rotta the Hutt's baby photo is a sneaky callback

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" isn't our introduction to Rotta. Jabba's son was also a significant character in the 2008 animated film "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which involved Rotta being kidnapped by Count Dooku. But Rotta was still a baby in that movie, making him essentially Baby Jabba, years before we had a Baby Yoda.

So in "Grogu," when the Hutt twins show Mando a hologram of Rotta and note he has had a growth spurt since then, it's both a joke about how out of date that image is and a nod to how he looked the last time fans saw him. The hologram in "Grogu" is an impressively faithful recreation of Rotta's appearance from the "Clone Wars" movie.

Fan-favorite animated characters jump to live action

Speaking of "The Clone Wars," "Star Wars" fans who only watch the live-action material may not even realize Embo, the bounty hunter who captures Mando, is a returning character.

Embo was introduced on "The Clone Wars" animated series in a 2010 episode. The show established Embo's relationship with the Hutts, for whom he worked as a bodyguard, and he also had wolf-like pet on the show like he does in the movie.

Zeb, the purple alien from the New Republic who teams up with Mando, isn't new, either. He's from the Disney XD series "Star Wars Rebels," which featured Zeb fighting the Empire alongside fellow rebels Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, all of whom were brought to live action in the "Ahsoka" show.

A prequel alien species makes a return

A number of familiar alien species pop up, but there's one in particular that prequel fans should get a kick out of. The scary-looking fellow who Mando encounters on his way to see Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne) is an Iktotchi named Hogsbreth, played by Matthew Willig. That's the same kind of alien as Saesee Tiin, a member of the Jedi Council in "The Phantom Menace."

Carl Weathers gets a touching homage

Fans picked up on this one when it appeared in the trailer, but during the sequence after the gladiator battle where the creatures get loose, a sign can be seen written in Aurebesh, the "Star Wars" galaxy's fictional alphabet. Translated to English, it reads "Weathers Apollo," a nod toCarl Weathers. The "Mandalorian" actor, who also played Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" movies, died in 2024 at age 76.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'The Mandalorian and Grogu' Easter eggs 'Star Wars' fans will love

byDamon Long

in

May 23, 2026

The best 'Star Wars' Easter eggs hidden in 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

Spoiler alert! We're discussing a few plot details from "The Mandalorian and Grogu" (in theaters now), so turn away if yo...

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5 Biggest Bombshells from “The Crash”,“ ”Including How Davion Flanagan Almost Didn't Get Into the Deadly Car

'The Crash' tells varying accounts of what happened to Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan when they were killed by Mackenzie Shirilla in a high-speed crash

NEED TO KNOW

• The Netflix documentary includes interviews with people sharing various accounts

• Some of the victims' family members believed in Shirilla's innocence up until her trial

The Crashtells the tragic story of howDominic RussoandDavion Flanaganwere brutallykilled in a high-speed car crashin July 2022.

The Netflix documentary, which hit the streamer on May 15, shows the different perspectives of what may have happened whenMackenzie Shirillawas driving the young adults home, and hercar sped to 100 mph and slammed into a brick wall.

As the documentary unfolds, it includes interviews withShirilla's friends and family members, who gave various accounts and new information as to what happened. Shirilla was ultimately arrested in connection with Russo and Flanagan's deaths, convicted andsentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison.

Here are all the biggest bombshells fromThe Crashdocumentary.

Flanagan wasn't originally supposed to drive home with Shirilla

On the night of July 30, 2022, Russo, Flanagan and Shirilla were attending a "sleepover" at a friend's home when they decided to leave around 5 a.m. the next day. However, only Shirilla and Russo were originally supposed to leave at that time, according to their friends in the Netflix doc.

Flanagan's friend, Bubba Turner, said that he and Flanagan had actually made plans for the morning on July 31, so he was planning on driving Flanagan home from the party. Unfortunately, at the last moment, Flanagan changed his mind.

"It was right before they left, me and Davion were talking, he was supposed to work on my truck with me the next morning, and I offered to take him home," Turner recalled. "It was set that he was coming home with me, and like last minute he goes, 'I want to shower and maybe sleep for a little bit.' "

Turner remembered Flanagan giving him a hug and telling him he loved him before he left.

"He goes, 'I love you.' I was like, 'Love you too, bro.' Very weird. It was the first time we said we loved each other for awhile," he said.

Flanagan ultimately sat in the back seat of Shirilla's car.

Russo's family initially sat with Shirilla’s family at the trial

In the months after the crash, authorities conducted a thorough investigation to determine what caused the fatal incident. Initially, several of the victims' families assumed that the car had malfunctioned or that Shirilla had been under the influence of substances.

Even after Shirilla was arrested in connection with Flanagan and Russo's deaths, Russo's family maintained a close relationship with her family in the belief that it was still an accident.

When her trial began in August 2023, the Russos were still in touch with Shirilla and even stood near her family in the courtroom.

"I felt bad for her," sister Christine Russo recalled. "I just kept thinking, 'She killed the love of her life and a friend. 'I felt terrible for her.' "

She added, "We still thought she had been drinking or there were drugs involved. They were kids, accidents happen all the time like that. You never in a million years think this girl killed your brother. You just don’t think that way."

Russo's dad, Frank Russo, even recalled telling Shirilla, "I said, 'Kenzie, it’s OK, you gotta try to get through it,' it is what we were all trying to do, and I was trying to be helpful to her, too."

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However, the Russos' opinion changed when they saw videos of Shirilla previously threatening Flanagan.

"I was disgusted, and I really think it just really made me mad," Christine said, while Frank said the entire situation was a "big slap in the face."

Shirilla's parents claimed she was the one in danger in the highway incident, not Russo

Throughout Shirilla's trial, her parents,Natalie and Steve Shirilla, maintained that theirdaughter passed out from a medical emergencyand didn't intentionally crash the car.

In addition to Shirilla's family believing that she wasn't at fault, they also believed that she was the one in danger — not Russo.

One particular moment from the documentary featured a story in which Russo reportedly called his mom after he was driving with Shirilla, and the teen allegedly told him, "I’m going to wreck this car right now."

However, in the documentary, Natalie and Steve claimed that they had evidence that their daughter actually texted Russo's mom and said that Russo was the one threatening to crash the car.

Natalie alleged in the doc that she had screenshots that showed her daughter telling Russo's mom that her son was the one "trying to end my life."

Scott Flanagan said he has the capacity to forgive if he knew the truth about what happened

Flanagan's father, Scott Flanagan, appeared inThe Crash,where he criticized Shirilla's behavior while also begging her to tell the truth about what happened. Shirilla has repeatedly maintained her innocence.

"I have the capacity for forgiveness," Scott said. "I just want to know the truth of what happened that night, and I would be eternally grateful for her to actually tell us how those last few moments were — no matter how damaging to her they might be — to say just to say the truth and let us know and let us grieve properly and have some closure."

He added that his "biggest hope" for Shirilla is that "she does change" and isn't "babied" by her parents while in prison.

Shirilla's friends claimed she was taking a break from smoking before the crash, though THC was in her blood following the incident

Shortly after Shirilla's car was found at the scene, officers found psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana and a digital scale in the car and suspected that drugs were involved in the crash.

Shirilla's blood work later came back positive for THC — the primary compound found in marijuana — but negative for alcohol or psilocybin.

Although Shirilla was akin to smoking marijuana in the past, her friends claimed that she was not smoking the night of the crash. The friends also reiterated that nobody participated in taking mushrooms that night.

"Kenzie didn’t even smoke that night," Turner claimed. "She was on a smoke break, 'cause she was coughing up black mucus or blood mucus something. It was really bad."

Meanwhile, her other friend there, Rosie Graham, reiterated Turner's statement and doubled down that it got "too late" to take mushrooms, so that's why they were found in the car.

Read the original article onPeople

byDamon Long

in

May 23, 2026

5 Biggest Bombshells from “The Crash”,“ ”Including How Davion Flanagan Almost Didn't Get Into the Deadly Car

'The Crash' tells varying accounts of what happened to Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan when they were killed by Mackenzie Shi...

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Explainer-Despite Trump's pressure, Cuba may not turn out like Venezuela

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been stepping up pressure on Communist-controlled Cuba, after using the military in January to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Here is why Cuba may not be Venezuela 2.0, even though Caracas had been a key supporter of the island's government.

WHO WOULD TAKE OVER?

In Venezuela, then-Vice President ‌Delcy Rodriguez took over as U.S. forces seized Maduro in a lightning raid on Jan. 3 and has served as acting president since.

Rodriguez was Maduro's deputy, but there is no similar ‌deputy to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, or former President Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president the U.S. indicted this week in a bid to increase pressure on Havana.

"The security apparatus in Cuba has dismantled, systematically dismantled, every alternative or potentially alternative power ​source," said Orlando Pérez, an expert on U.S.-Latin America relations at the University of North Texas in Dallas.

Venezuela also has a popular opposition leader, Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, who won elections in 2024 but was not allowed to take power and hopes to return to her home country this year for free elections. Cuba has no similar figure.

Raúl Rodriguez Castro, grandson of the former president, met this month with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during a rare visit by a U.S. spy chief to Havana, fueling talk he might agree to work with Washington.

But the younger Castro has no formal position in the Cuban government and is not expected to betray ‌his family. He attended a rally in Havana on Friday to protest ⁠his grandfather's indictment.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND RISKS?

Cuba has been a U.S. antagonist for decades, since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Trump is strongly supported by hardline Cuban-Americans in Florida, who have pushed for U.S.-instigated regime change for decades. The Republican U.S. president has made clear he wants to see change in their homeland.

In the ⁠past, Cuba was seen as a threatening Soviet satellite, an uncomfortably close 90 miles from Florida, and more recently as a potential site for Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. But Russia's attentions have shifted elsewhere since the fall of the Soviet bloc, and Cuba's economic problems have diminished its ability to confront the U.S.

Experts say instability in Cuba also threatens a migration crisis. Its people have been living largely without power due to the U.S. blockade ​and ​could opt to flee the island in case of war or chaos.

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Cuba's military is more ideologically entrenched and cohesive ​than Venezuela's and more likely to put up a fight. Dozens of Cuban agents were ‌killed in Venezuela in January when they were providing security for Maduro, but survivors would have learned from that raid how U.S. forces operate.

Cuba is also seen as more advanced in surveillance and intelligence, especially after years of cooperation with Russia and China.

WHAT WOULD CUBA BRING TO THE U.S.?

Venezuela has natural resources, and U.S. companies have been lining up to produce oil in the South American country, which has seen exports jump.

Cuba does not have any similar resource. Its state-run tourism industry was behind other Caribbean destinations in price and quality even before this year's steep downturn, which has been exacerbated by shortages tied to Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign, a U.S. blockade and threats of tariffs for countries that provide it with fuel.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an outspoken Cuba hawk who is also national security adviser, is seen as the ‌force behind the Trump administration's Cuban policy.

Rubio, a Florida native and the son of Cuban immigrants, has run for ​president before and is expected to seek the office again. A major change in Cuba could burnish his political ambitions, but ​a failure poses major risks at a time when the U.S. faces huge budget deficits ​and is already waging a campaign in Iran that has been estimated to cost billions of dollars per day.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL ISSUES?

Washington's ability to change relations with ‌Cuba is limited by the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which ties the lifting of ​a decades-long U.S. embargo to specific political change such ​as the creation of a democratically elected government.

Trump changed U.S. business relations with Venezuela by removing Maduro, leaving its government in place without even announcing plans for free elections.

In Cuba, he could not legally do so without a dramatic shift by Cuban officials, who have refused so far to cooperate.

Cuba's situation is more complicated because the country's economy lacks a private sector. It ​is dominated by Gaesa, a military conglomerate subject to U.S. sanctions that ‌controls most of the island's top hotels, largest port, top commercial bank and a vast array of supermarkets, gas stations and remittance businesses.

Washington also justified the Venezuela raid by saying ​Maduro's government was involved in "narcoterrorism." Cuban officials have not faced such charges, and in fact its government says it has been cooperating with the U.S. against drug trafficking.

(Reporting by ​Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Sarah Kinosian and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Sergio Non and Sanjeev Miglani)

byDamon Long

in

May 23, 2026

Explainer-Despite Trump's pressure, Cuba may not turn out like Venezuela

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been stepping up pressur...

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Investigation into Ex-Prince Andrew Will Assess Claims of Sexual Misconduct, Police Say

The former Prince Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released after 11 hours in custody

NEED TO KNOW

• In an update on Friday, May 22, Thames Valley Police said they are also assessing "reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes"

• Andrew's arrest came after amid authorities' investigation into a claim he shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein in his previous role as U.K. trade envoy

The U.K. police investigation into the formerPrince Andrewwill look into claims of sexual misconduct.

On Feb. 19, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wasarrested at his home on the Sandringham Estateon suspicion of misconduct in public office.

His arrest came amid authoritiesinvestigating a claim that he shared confidential information with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epsteinin his previous role as a U.K. trade envoy. He wasreleased after about 11 hours in police custody. Two of Andrew’s homes were also searched. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

In a news release shared on Friday, May 22, Thames Valley Police (TVP) announced that they were continuing their investigation, sharing that “in addition to the investigation into misconduct in public office, the assessment of reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes is ongoing.”

PEOPLE contacted a representative for Andrew on Friday, May 22, but did not immediately receive a response.

This comes after a second woman came forward in late January to allege that she was sent to the U.K. by Epstein to have sex with Andrew,PEOPLE previously reported.

According to theCrown Prosecution Service (CPS)in the U.K., an individual can also be found guilty of misconduct in a public office if they use their position “to instigate (or attempt to instigate) sexual or otherwise inappropriate relationships.”

The release added that following Andrew’s arrest and the search of his two properties, “we have been working with the United States Department of Justice to get further information that may be related to this investigation. We have also been working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the United Kingdom and have sought early investigative advice from them as we would in serious, complex, or sensitive cases.”

“The investigation is examining a number of aspects of alleged misconduct following the release of files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act in the United States,” the release added. “We are also speaking with a number of witnesses, however as per national guidance we cannot confirm or deny the identities of these individuals.”

The woman's lawyer, Brad Edwards, told theBBCon Jan. 31, “We’re talking about at least one woman who was sent by Jeffrey Epstein, over to Prince Andrew. And she even had, after a night with Prince Andrew, a tour of Buckingham Palace.”

The lawyer alleged that Andrew entertained the unnamed woman at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, in 2010. She was in her 20s at the time, per the outlet.

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Edwards also represented the lateVirginia Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to London to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.

Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025. Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations andreached a settlementwith her in 2022.

In their release on Friday, TVP said, “We have engaged with the woman’s legal representative to confirm that, should she wish to report this to police, it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and her life-long right to anonymity under UK law.”

“We recognize how difficult it can be to speak about experiences of this nature, and any contact with police will be led by her wishes, when and if she feels ready and able to do so,” they added.

Police have also called for anyone with information related to their investigation to come forward.

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Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement, “Our misconduct in public office investigation is continuing. Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation.”

“Our team of very experienced detectives are working meticulously through a significant amount of information that has come in from the public and other sources," Wright added. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into all reasonable lines of enquiry, wherever they may lead. We encourage anyone with information to get in touch with us through the normal non-urgent contact channels, such as the Thames Valley Police online portal.”

In October 2025, Andrew’s brotherKing Charlesstripped him of royal titlesas his links to Epstein came under renewed scrutiny.

Andrew's relationship with the American financier, who died while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019,set a step back from royal life and public dutiesthat November.

Read the original article onPeople

byDamon Long

in

May 22, 2026

Investigation into Ex-Prince Andrew Will Assess Claims of Sexual Misconduct, Police Say

The former Prince Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released after 11 hours in custody ...

Read More