‘The Mandalorian’ Suit Actor Brendan Wayne Died Three Times While Filming Season 2, and the Story Is Devastating

Most ‘Star Wars’ fans know Pedro Pascal as the voice and face of Din Djarin. Far fewer know the name of the man who gave the character his body, his walk, and his warrior’s stillness.

Brendan Wayne, grandson of Hollywood legend John Wayne, has been inside the Mandalorian armor since the very first episode, and the story of what happened to him during the making of ‘The Mandalorian’ is one of the most harrowing survival accounts in recent television history.

Wayne and stuntman Lateef Crowder contribute to the physicality and stunts of Din Djarin, with Wayne primarily taking on the role in seasons 1 and 3, and Crowder performing the impressive fight scenes throughout all three seasons, while Pascal provides the voice. It is a deeply collaborative arrangement that most audiences have never heard of, which is precisely what makes Wayne’s near-death experience so striking.

At the start of production on season two, Wayne experienced a life-threatening medical emergency. A hernia patch had torn his intestine, causing severe sepsis. Wayne spent 42 days in the ICU, during which time he said, “I died three times, I think, while I was there. Just died.”

Wayne explained he initially thought he had kidney stones, but a trip to the emergency room revealed something far more serious was going on. What followed was weeks of uncertainty, surgeries, and, by his own account, multiple moments where his life hung in the balance.

What makes the story even more remarkable is how quickly Wayne returned to the production after his discharge. Wayne described being eager to break out of the hospital, and went on to reveal that he visited the set soon after he was discharged to see Timothy Olyphant, who plays Cobb Vanth. Just ten days after being cleared, he returned to production, and rather than taking it easy, spent his first five days working fifteen-hour days.

He also revealed that he had to wrap himself every day during the production of season 2 because of an open wound that had not yet fully healed. The image of someone quietly nursing a serious injury while wearing full Mandalorian armor for fifteen-hour shooting days is one that has resonated deeply with fans reacting to the clip online.

Wayne auditioned for the role in 2018, and brings authenticity to the character by honoring the cowboy code instilled in him by his mother. His connection to the legacy of John Wayne is something he has never forced, but it shows up naturally in the way Din Djarin carries himself on screen.

Wayne himself has explained, “You see the angles when he sits at his hip, there’s a reason why people say, ‘That looks like John Wayne.’ It’s because it’s me. That’s just my natural resting body.” It is a quiet, fascinating layer to one of the most beloved characters in the current ‘Star Wars’ universe, and a reminder that performance is often invisible work.

Because Wayne was hospitalized for much of ‘The Mandalorian’ season 2’s production and was unable to wear the suit, Pedro Pascal stepped in for almost its entirety of that season. The very season fans now associate most closely with Pascal in the armor was, in a very real sense, shaped by Wayne’s absence and the medical battle he was quietly fighting off set.

Share your thoughts in the comments about whether you knew Brendan Wayne was the man inside the Mandalorian suit, and what this revelation means to you as a fan of the show.