For many fans, the ultimate dream is to play a part in a galaxy far, far away. For Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, that dream became a reality when he was cast as Captain Carson Teva in the “Mandoverse.” From patrolling the outer rim in The Mandalorian to appearing in The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, Lee’s New Republic X-wing pilot has become a crucial thread tying the live-action Star Wars series together.
In an exclusive conversation with Temple of Geek, Lee opened up about his surreal journey from a lifelong fan and cosplayer to an official part of Star Wars canon, sharing how a 25-year-old connection and a love for the franchise changed his life forever.
Actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee on getting the role of Captain Carson Teva in the Star Wars Universe
Before joining the New Republic starfighter corps, Lee was celebrated for his role as Appa in the hit comedy series Kim’s Convenience. As the show gained momentum internationally on Netflix, Lee found himself at the 2018 Unforgettable Gala in Los Angeles, a celebration of Asian North Americans in media. It was there that destiny intervened.
“This woman jumped in front of me,” Lee recalled. “And I hadn’t seen her in like 25 years. She says, ‘Paul, do you remember who I am?’ That woman was Deborah Chow.”
Chow, who would go on to direct episodes of The Mandalorian Season 1 and helm the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, had worked with Lee decades prior on a short film in Toronto’s Chinatown. When they reconnected at the gala, Chow had no idea that Lee was a die-hard Star Wars fan with multiple screen-accurate cosplays at home.
“I grabbed her arm,” Lee laughed. “I was like, ‘Debra, you realize that I have like eight cosplay costumes at home that are screen accurate?'”
Chow revealed she had been trying to contact him because Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni had seen Lee in Kim’s Convenience and wanted to write a role specifically for him. After texting photos of his cosplay to Chow to pass along to Filoni, the response from the creative team was immediate amazement.
Stepping Onto the Volume: “I Was Five Years Old Again”
Two weeks after the gala, Lee visited the set of The Mandalorian, stepping onto Industrial Light & Magic’s revolutionary digital soundstage, the Volume.
“The first time I ever walked onto the Volume… my head was bursting and I couldn’t say anything to anybody,” Lee said. Six months later, the official offer arrived for a character codenamed “The Foodie Pilot.”
When it came time to shoot his scenes in the X-wing cockpit, a practical prop grandfathered down from the production of Rogue One, Lee felt a profound sense of nostalgia.
“When I was five and six and seven, I used to imagine I was an X-wing pilot,” Lee shared. “I had this cardboard box that I sat in and I drew with magic marker all the controls. And so I was five years old again… except all these dials and switches and knobs are practical.”
Filming inside the Volume provided a completely immersive experience. Lee described a moment between takes when the crew, affectionately dubbed the “Genius Bar,” simulated a barrel roll on the massive LED screens surrounding the stationary cockpit. “I felt like we were just going, and I was like, ‘Whoa!’ Director Peyton Reed told me, ‘If you start getting sick, don’t look at the stars, just look down on your instrument panel.'”
Crossing Paths with Every Generation of Star Wars
What began as a planned two-episode appearance quickly evolved. Lee was continuously asked back, bringing Carson Teva into The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.
In Ahsoka, Lee found himself in a high-stakes New Republic Senate committee scene that placed him alongside legacy actors and characters from every era of the franchise.
“You had Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. You had Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. You’re sitting next to Chopper and Hera Syndulla,” noted Temple of Geek.
Lee admitted the sheer scale of that moment didn’t fully register until later. “It’s so surreal. I saw C-3PO was going to be in it… I thought it was going to be a body actor, my buddy Chris Bartlett, and then Anthony Daniels would do the voice work. But Dave [Filoni] was like, ‘No, Anthony Daniels is coming in.’ I almost died. That’s OG C-3PO!”
On Fandom, Andor, and Different “Flavors” of Star Wars
As a fan, Lee possesses nuanced takes on the current state of Star Wars storytelling. He expressed immense admiration for the critically acclaimed series Andor, praising the performances of the cast and the weight of its thematic writing.
“That one speech that Luthen Rael gives… that is such next level in terms of real-world application to a situation that takes place in a galaxy far, far away,” Lee noted. However, he emphasized that the franchise thrives because of its stylistic diversity.
“Do I want all my Star Wars to be like that? No, I don’t. You have to have all of that. And it doesn’t make The Mandalorian any lesser… They’re different shows, and they want different things. Because this is good doesn’t make this bad.”
Ultimately, Lee views the expanding narrative bridge between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens as a massive achievement, crediting Dave Filoni with establishing a cohesive structure that will eventually tie the original and sequel trilogies together smoothly.
Looking Forward to the Future
When asked which upcoming projects excite him most as a fan, Lee pointed directly to the big screen. “The Mandalorian & Grogu movie is first and foremost because it’s the closest,” he said, while also keeping an eye on projects in development from creators like Donald Glover and Taika Waititi.
Regardless of where the timeline goes next, Lee remains incredibly humbled by his place in the community. “Every time I’ve been asked to be on set, the experience has always one-upped the last one,” Lee said. “It is one of the singularly happiest moments in my life. Getting to work on Star Wars is the pinnacle.”
