Young actor Jamaal Avery Jr. is just getting started in the entertainment industry, but he’s already set to appear in the upcoming musical remake of The Color Purple and has guest-starred on ABC’s smash-hit mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary.And just recently, Avery made his debut as the voice of ambitious Jedi youngling Kai Brightstar in Lucasfilm’s new animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, which premiered on Disney Junior and Disney+ for Star Wars Day (May the 4th) this year.
This week I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Jamaal Avery Jr. via zoom to discuss his role as Kai Brightstar, his relationship with the Star Wars franchise before being cast, and his favorite Star Wars jokes to tell to his crew and castmates.
Watch "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" interview with Jamaal Avery Jr., voice of Kai Brightstar:
Mike Celestino, Laughing Place: What was your relationship with Star Wars before you were cast in this show? Were you a fan?
Jamaal Avery Jr.: Yeah, I was a fan before I was cast in Star Wars: Young Jedi [Adventures]. Before I found out that I was cast for the show, I was into The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, basically that whole timeline. I was kind of obsessed with that era of Star Wars, so when I found out I was part of Star Wars I was really excited.
LP: How did you get started in your acting career? What made you want to go down the path of performing?
Avery: Well, I was watching Disney Channel this one time, and I was like, ‘Hey, I want to do that.’ So my parents did everything they could do at the time, with the tools they had, to get me in the position where I could do it. At first I started off modeling a little bit. I guess going up in front of a whole bunch of people that I’ve never met a day in my life, walking out and showing that I’m all that [laughs], that kind of boosted [my] confidence more, and it also helped with the facial [expressions] you have to show sometimes for acting.
LP: What was the audition process like for Young Jedi Adventures and how much did you know about the series going in?
Avery: The audition was kind of funny– the first time I got it, I looked through the script [and they didn’t tell me it was Star Wars-related]. I’m like, ‘Okay, Kai Brightstar.’ I was super confused. ‘So, it’s a kid with a sword that glows and a giant bear that’s super strong.’ [laughs] ‘And they have these powers that help them move stuff.’ Now that I think about it, it screams ‘Star Wars! Jedi!’ But I was standing right there reading it like, ‘Okay, that’s cool. I have no idea what this is for, but I’m gonna do it.’ It was all technology-based, and the funniest thing ever is they had a ship and it went into [hyperdrive], and they had the robots, and [the stage direction] said ‘think R2-D2 sound for robot.’ [laughs] I’m like, ‘Okay, so they want to be like Star Wars.’
LP: What appeals to you about Kai Brightstar as a character?
Avery: What appeals to me about Kai Brightstar as a character is just the way he goes into situations with the best hope, and tries to find the best thing in everyone he meets. He was always excited to try new things [and] meet new people. He may struggle and then he may want to do things alone, but at the end of the day he’ll figure out that he doesn’t really need to do it by himself, and that you can really do anything you put your mind to.
LP: How do you feel about some of the other characters on the show like Nubs and Lys?
Avery: Like everyone else, I love Nubs. [laughs] I’ve been waiting for them to drop all the Nubs merchandise so I can stack it up in my room. I’m gonna have a whole bunch of Nubs, Lys, Nash, and everybody. I just like all the characters. I like how Lys is super calm and patient with people she meets, and how much she loves animals, Nubs in general– everything about Nubs, and Nash– how she’s always there for her new friends. I also [like] RJ; I just like the whole cast. It’s all super cool, and they all mix together really well.
LP: Sometimes your characters get to interact with Master Yoda, one of the most famous Star Wars characters there is. What was that like for you as an actor?
Avery: That was really fun. When I read the script and found out that Kai Brightstar got Master Yoda’s training lightsaber, I kind of freaked out for a second. I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna go in there and act cool– act like nothing happened.’ It was really cool to me.
LP: Tell me about working with the other cast members. Were you recording your parts remotely or did you ever get to be in the same room?
Avery: When we were recording, it was all remotely. We didn’t really meet [at that point]. We met each other in different ways. I first met Emma Berman, who plays Nash, at D23 [Expo], and then I met Juliet [Donenfeld], who plays Lys, by accident because we ran into each other at the recording studio. We didn’t know we were in the same show; we were just like, ‘Hey.’ [laughs] And then I met Trey [Diaz Murphy], who plays Taborr, really recently.
LP: What about the creators of the show– the writers and directors? What has it been like working with them?
Avery: It’s been a really fun experience. When I went into the recording studio, sometimes I’d tell jokes about Star Wars and stuff, so we’d all have fun. [There were] a lot of funny bloopers about the lines. One of the jokes [was] ‘What vehicle do Jedi younglings get when they first get to the Jedi Temple?’ And I would say ‘A toy Yoda.’ [laughs] It was a lot of wordplay.
LP: Well, it sounds like you had fun making the show. But what were your favorite parts when you finally got to watch it?
Avery: I love everything about the show in general, and I think one of my most favorite moments is obviously when Master Yoda gives Kai Brightstar his training lightsaber. I thought that was a really cool moment. I also liked a little bit before that when Kai chose to save his friend Nubs rather than save his lightsaber, which he [first] made the mistake of doing the wrong one. I just thought that was meaningful; I actually really liked that. Another thing is I liked doing the speech when Kai Brightstar was explaining to the Junk Giant that just because Taborr was about to throw you out doesn’t mean you’re trash– people still love you. I thought that was really cool.
LP: If you had to convince another kid to watch this show– someone who didn’t know anything about Young Jedi Adventures– what would you tell them?
Avery: I would say [there’s] a giant lovable bear that everyone loves, they have lightsabers, Master Yoda’s there… I feel like once you say ‘Master Yoda’ everybody’s about to watch it. [laughs] It’s a Jedi show for kids, and it’s before [the Skywalker Saga], so they’re safer. They’re on the safer side. [There’s] no Sith.
LP: You mentioned that you got to attend D23 Expo. Have you had any memorable interactions with Star Wars fans yet?
Avery: Yeah, me and Emma Berman were walking out and this person asked us for a picture. We were like, ‘Okay, yeah. Sure.’ So we were taking pictures with them, and then another person came. A couple seconds later, there was a whole line going from us to the parking lot. I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ So my cheekbones were really hurting after that hour. [laughs]
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is now available to stream on Disney+.