Sasha Banks: How Her ‘Hot Ones’ Episode Helped Her Land ‘The Mandalorian’ Role

Sasha Banks is now part of the Star Wars family as she recently appeared in an episode of The Mandalorian. And the WWE SuperStar and current SmackDown Women’s Champion got the role by eating hot wings. Banks recently revealed that her appearance on the YouTube Series Hot Ones led to her landing a role in the Disney+ series.

“Jon Favreau came to me because he watched an interview that I did with Hot Ones,” Banks said via MovieWeb, “And he really liked me and got my contact information. Then on FaceTime, he asked me to be part of The Mandalorian. I was like, ‘Well, I cannot say no,’ but I was so incredibly nervous.” Banks played the role of Koska Reeves and appeared in the third episode of the second season. She was a member of Bo-Katan Kryze’s Mandalorian crew who helps Din Djarin and Grogu.

Bryce Dallas Howard directed the episode, and Banks credits her for making her feel comfortable while filming. “She walked me through everything, if I had any questions,” Banks explained. “She was there for me. I was just really inspired by her and how she treated everybody. She was so down to earth. I brought a lot of her energy into my work because of how incredibly she treated me. And as you see she is getting so much praise for her work because she is just so special.”

It was reported back in February that Banks was going to appear in The Mandalorian. However, the news was not official until she appeared in the Season 2 trailer back in September. Even though she has appeared in just one episode, Banks realizes how big of a deal it is to be part of the Star Wars franchise.

“It’s a huge deal,” she said. “I still cannot get over it. It still does not feel real to me,” Banks said. “The more interviews I do, the more I feel like ‘Oh, my God, holy s— I’m telling you right now, it still does not feel real to me. It’s frickin Star Wars! One of the biggest franchises in the whole world, one of the biggest universes you can ever be a part of.” Banks can currently be seen every Friday night on SamackDown. She is one of only three females in WWE history be become a Grand Slam Champion.