Fans are rediscovering an emotional video Richard E. Grant shared after seeing the final instalment in the Star Wars saga, following his debut on the second series of The Celebrity Traitors.
The Celebrity Traitors returned to screens last night with a host of famous faces taking part in the murderous mind game. The first episode of the follow-up to last year's hit, which saw Alan Carr pull off a sensational victory, aired last night and immediately had fans talking.
Grant's Traitors Role
Among the celebs taking part this year is veteran actor Richard E. Grant, known for films including Withnail and I and Gosford Park, along with TV appearances in Dr Who, Game of Thrones, and Downton Abbey. He quickly had viewers obsessed by openly telling everyone how desperate he was to be picked as one of the Traitors.
He got his wish, as he was picked alongside Love Island presenter Maya Jama - with a third Traitor yet to be revealed. He immediately told some members of the group he'd been picked, although the nature of the show might leave some questioning if he's playing a clever mind game.
Star Wars Reaction Resurfaces
Richard appeared in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - the final chapter in the story which began back in 1977 - as Allegiant General Pryde. After seeing a screening of the film before it was released, he posted an enthusiastic video to social media.
Breathless and clearly emotional, he says: "I've just seen Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and nothing prepares you for this. 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."
Although critics were less enthusiastic about the film, which has a 51 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest of the nine-film saga, Richard was praised for his villanous portrayal of General Pryde, and fans were delighted by his sincere enthusiasm.
Fan Reactions and Parody
Writing on Reddit, one said: "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." They added: "He’s also a delight in the behind-the-scenes doc. A veteran actor who's seen and done a lot in his career but he still couldn't contain his excitement and childlike wonder while he was on set."
Another wrote: "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. Really takes me back, and I'm happy to see that this guy has a lot of the same happy sentiment that I had."
And someone else said: "You can say what you want about Rise of Skywalker, General Pryde was definitely one of the best parts of it." But others were less complimentary, branding the breathless tone of the video "cringe". Scottish comedian Limmy even recorded his own parody of the clip.
Although The Rise of Skywalker was not the final Star Wars film - the Mandalorian and Grogu hit screens this summer, and another, Star Wars: Starfighter, is to be released next year - it was the concluding chapter in the story which began with Star Wars: A New Hope. Disney, which owns the rights to Star Wars, has said more films are in the pipeline.
