Veteran actor Richard E. Grant made his debut on the first episode of the second series of The Celebrity Traitors last night, and fans are now rediscovering a heartwarming video of his enthusiastic reaction to seeing a Star Wars film for the first time.
Grant appeared in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as the villainous Allegiant General Pryde. Although critics were lukewarm on the film, which holds a 51 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Grant was praised for his role in the concluding chapter of the nine-part story.
Emotional reaction goes viral
After seeing a screening of the film before its cinema release, the actor posted a breathless reaction on social media. Visibly emotional, he declared: "I've just seen Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and nothing prepares you for this."
He continued: "I cheered, I shouted, I fist-pumped the air, I cried, I stood and cheered. It's absolutely everything that you hope it was going to be. I'm so proud to be in it and I can't wait for you to see it."
Fans share their love
Reddit users loved the clip, with one saying: "I love pure reactions like this that are blissfully unaware of fandom nonsense and online discourse. Also, it's beautifully put and articulates how I feel when I watch it."
Another commented: "I just can't help but really love Grant's genuine delight and happiness with the movie. It really just mirrors a lot of the feelings I had of actual happiness with cheering and feeling excited with the crowded and enthusiastic theatre I was in when I saw The Rise of Skywalker years ago."
Someone else added: "You can say what you want about Rise of Skywalker, General Pryde was definitely one of the best parts of it." However, others were more critical, branding the tone "cringe", and Scottish comedian Limmy created a spoof of the footage.
Traitors role revealed
On last night's opening episode, Grant quickly told viewers how keen he was to be selected as one of the Traitors. He got his wish, chosen alongside Love Island host Maya Jama, with a third Traitor still to be unveiled.
He then told some members of the group about his selection, though the programme's format may leave viewers wondering whether he is executing a cunning psychological strategy. The Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One at 8pm every Thursday and Friday for five weeks, with the finale set for Friday, October 30. An official video podcast, The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, hosted by Ed Gamble, airs after each episode.
