Christian Slater’s most recent return to Lucasfilm called for far more physicality than his introduction in the Star Wars galaxy in 2021. In the Willow series, now streaming on Disney+, Slater’s Allagash, the “raconteur” rogue who once fought alongside Madmartigan, is a mix of warrior and wit wrapped in a slightly-mad package. And after one faux fight scene called for a particularly fierce headbutting, Slater was left with a real black eye.
“Yes, yes, that did happen,” Slater tells Lucasfilm.com with a laugh, although he declines to say if it was Amar Chadha-Patel’s towering Thraxus Boorman who delivered the perhaps too-realistic choreographed blow. “I’m afraid to confirm or deny. I don’t want to get anybody in trouble, but you know, look, it was a very physical, active [production]. He and I were going at it. We were having a good time! As goofy as some of the fight was, there were still some moments that were pretty hairy. So next thing you know, I was in the make-up trailer — we were all covered in dirt and everything and looking pretty filthy — and I just kept wiping my eye going, ‘What? This dirt won’t come off!’”