One notable scene in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire was particularly challenging for star Ed Skrein. The new Netflix sci-fi epic, which was directed by Zack Snyder, follows a warrior named Kora (Sofia Boutella) who gathers forces to fight back against the corrupt Motherworld and its army, the Imperium. Skrein plays Admiral Atticus Noble, the right-hand man of Balisarius (Fra Fee), Kora’s adoptive father who recently led a coup to seize the Motherworld. In one key scene, an seemingly dead (and nude) Noble is revived by being plugged into various wires and sunk into a vat.
Looper recently sat down for an interview with Ed Skrein in honor of the release of part one of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. He revealed that his nude scene was challenging to film because it was a five-day shoot during which he was sick, though not with COVID-19. He said that for actors, “the challenges are what you want,” but he did find it difficult for them to “cover me in K-Y jelly” before he pretended to be electrocuted against a hard metal surface. Read his full quote below:
That was an interesting five days because I was pretty much by myself. I was the only cast member there, although we had some [actors in costume as] priests, Semitic priests. It was a strange thing. Also, we were right at the end of COVID restrictions, so we were all still doing COVID testing. The irony is that I was really sick that week, but I didn’t have COVID so I was allowed to work. I was in there and I was naked. They would cover me in K-Y jelly so I was all shiny and slippery, and I was sick. It wasn’t fun … and then pretending to be electrocuted and all of that stuff on that metal grate — that was actually metal; it wasn’t like a soft plastic to pretend. It was challenging. But as an actor, the challenges are what you want. That’s what was so incredible about Noble. I think I would’ve felt the same reading Kora’s lines with the view of playing it, although I don’t think I would’ve been quite right casting for Kora.
Why Ed Skrein’s Rebel Moon’s Role Was One of His Most Challenging
Ed Skrein joining the Rebel Moon cast gave him one of the most complex roles he’s ever played, far beyond the complications with his nude scene. At first glance, the character seems like a basic archetypical henchman, but throughout the movie Noble showcases how he is just as cruel and dangerous – if not more so – than Balisarius himself. The fact that he was seemingly defeated at the end of the movie but was somehow resurrected in the aforementioned nude scene showcases that there is much more to explore with this character.
Rebel Moon: What Actually Happens to Admiral Noble At the End?
The end of Rebel Moon reveals a surprising twist about Noble, creating a lot of questions about what happens to him and what’s next in the sequel.
Skrein will be reprising his role as Noble in the upcoming Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, which will likely explore more about the nature of his seemingly unending servitude to the Imperium that can extend even beyond his apparent death. The surprisingly grim reality of Noble’s ties with the corrupt empire will give Skrein more dimensions of the character to explore. This kind of depth is something that hasn’t necessarily been afforded to him in previous onscreen roles.
Before starring in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, Skrein played multiple villains. However, neither his Alita: Battle Angel Hunter-Warrior Zapan nor his Deadpool villain Ajax offered him the same amount of complexity. He has also played heroes in movies such as The Transporter Refueled, but so far no major roles of any moral alignment have offered him quite as much range as Noble, in spite of any behind-the-scenes issues with Snyder’s new epic.
Rebel Moon
From director Zack Snyder comes Rebel Moon, a sci-fi action movie set in the depths of space and following a colony that is facing the threat of Regent Balisarius. Sofia Boutella plays a warrior charged with recruiting others in the fight against the tyrant, and his unstoppable forces that are dead set on conquest.
- Release Date
- December 22, 2023
- Director
- Zack Snyder
- Cast
- Djimon Hounsou , Sofia Boutella , Charlotte Maggi , Ray Fisher , Jena Malone , E. Duffy , Staz Nair , Doona Bae , Sky Yang , Charlie Hunnam , Cleopatra Coleman
- Rating
- PG-13
- Genres
- Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Sci-Fi
- Writers
- Shay Hatten , Kurt Johnstad , Zack Snyder
- Studio(s)
- The Stone Quarry , Grand Electric
- Distributor(s)
- Netflix
- Franchise(s)
- Rebel Moon
