Donald Glover’s Mom Told Him ‘Don’t Mess This Up’ After He Was Cast As Lando Calrissian

Donald Glover is on the precipice of superstardom, and he just might be there already. His FX series Atlanta is a critical and commercial hit with its unique brand of black culture, intelligent social commentary, and surrealism. It’s his finest work yet, be it in film, TV, or music, and he’s got a humongous 2017-18 on the horizon as he’s set to star in Spider-Man: Homecoming and in the Han Solo film as Lando Calrissian.

Glover sat down with Ellen Degeneres on her show to talk about it all, revealing that his first toy as a child was a Lando action figure. Donald also said his mother was sensitive about him playing the iconic role, as the original star Billy Dee Williams was special to her. “I told my dad immediately,” he said. “My mom was in the background like ‘Don’t mess this up,’ because Billy Dee, that’s hers.”

He also talked about Atlanta, which he created, directs, writes, and stars in. “I just wanted to make Twin Peaks. with rappers,” he said, laughing at the idea that people didn’t even know what Twin Peaks was when he mentioned it. “I wanted to show how it was growing up in Atlanta. I always had these weird feelings, I was like ‘how do I exude that?’ We tried to get it. I think it feels good.”

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