The actor, who happens to be John Wayne’s grandson, physically embodies the helmeted Mandalorian, voiced by Pedro Pascal.

Mandalorian and Grogu’s Brendan Wayne says he had ‘tears coming out of the helmet’ during this emotional scene

The actor, who happens to be John Wayne's grandson, physically embodies the helmeted Mandalorian, voiced by Pedro Pascal.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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May 24, 2026 3:00 p.m. ET

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'Mandalorian and Grogu'. Credit:

- Brendan Wayne, who physically embodies the Mandalorian, says he cried while filming an emotional scene in the new movie.

- “It's the ultimate sacrifice, but it's a no-brainer," says the actor, who also happens to be John Wayne's grandson.

- *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, starring Pedro Pascal as the helmetless version of the character, is now in theaters.

**This article contains spoilers for *The Mandalorian and Grogu.***

Did you get teary-eyed when Mando sacrificed himself to ensure that Grogu and the Anzellans escaped Nal Hutta in *The Mandalorian and Grogu*? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Brendan Wayne, the actor who physically portrays the bounty-hunting Mandalorian in the new movie and its Disney+ series, tells* * that he had an emotional reaction while filming the heartbreaking scene.

“I had tears coming out of the helmet, like I could feel them, you know?” Wayne says. “Grogu and I have become such friends because he's an extension of the five or six people on any given day that are working with him, and their personalities come out, and our relationship since 2018 has just grown, grown, grown, grown, grown."

The actor, who also happens to be John Wayne's grandson, has been playing the Mandalorian (when he's wearing his helmet) since season 1 of the show. He's part of a three-person team that brings the character to life, alongside Pedro Pascal, who voices Mando and plays him when the helmet is off, and Lateef Crowder,* *who handles the stunts.

Mando and Grogu.

Over the years, Wayne has forged a genuine connection with the Mandalorian's little Force-wielding apprentice (and the puppeteers who operate him), which made telling Grogu to flee the planet without him that much harder.

“In that moment, having lived eight years with them, to be like, 'Hey, no, you got to go get in there.’ And knowing I'm gonna go die for this kid at that moment, because that's what Mando has to choose at that moment: I'm going to die for you to live well,” he says. “It's the ultimate sacrifice, but it's a no-brainer.”

He continues, "The only sadness Mando feels isn't his loss of life, but more that he's not going to be there for Grogu's life — I’m gonna get emotional now! — and that's a fear that I think we can all relate to."

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Grogu and the Anzellans travel to Nal Hutta to rescue Mando after he’s captured by fellow bounty hunter Embo for double-crossing the Hutts. They are successful in their mission… until they lead Mando back to their teeny tiny little ship that cannot fit him. (Wayne confirms Mando really couldn’t have wedged himself in there, either: “I might have been able to get a shoe. Definitely not the jet pack. None of my accessories.”)

Wayne believes Mando hoped Grogu wouldn’t be the one to venture out and save him after he was taken.

“As a parent, you want your kids to go on, do better, not be bogged down by me, you know?” he says. “When we get old, and those infirmities we get, we constantly want to be like, ‘Hey, go get out of here. Go live your life. I'll be fine. I'll figure it out.'”

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Which leaves Grogu in the difficult position of listening to his dad's orders or facing the unknown alongside him. “What the kid had to decide in that moment was: Do I have the courage to stand and fight? Do I have the love to stay and fix? And do I have the strength to endure what could be heartbreak?” Wayne says. “And those moments occur when you watch the movie.”

Concept art of Mando and Grogu from 'The Mandalorian'.

Jon Favreau, who created *The Mandalorian* and directed and co-wrote its big-screen adaptation, tells EW that Mando never thought Grogu would be prepared to come to his aid at such a young age.

“I don't think that he expected him to be this ready this early, and I think that's what makes this type of story interesting,” he says, pointing to the cycle of the old protecting the young and vice versa depicted in the film.

The director adds that Grogu "stepped up" and "made a lot of right choices" after choosing to stay and help cure his dad of his dragonsnake poisoning. "He was resourceful, and so, like any other mentor relationship, your respect grows, and the responsibility grows," he adds.

*The Mandalorian and Grogu* is in theaters now.

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