Watch Emilia Clarke unleash one of the worst Wookiee impressions ever heard
The warm, gargling roar of a Wookiee is one of the most beloved sounds in the Star Wars canon. Who didn’t grow up occasionally letting loose a fluttering, bear-like growl, and maybe have that one friend who was oddly good at it for reasons you didn’t want to pick into too much? On set, new Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo does his own rendition, so actors have something to go off of, but the reality, of course, is that no one can do a good Chewbacca sound. It’s a heavily processed mix of animal sounds that the human throat cannot replicate.
Nevertheless, Emilia Clarke, having spent some time on set with a Wookiee in the new Solo: A Star Wars Story, decided to give a Wookiee impression a shot on national television. In the grand scheme of Jimmy Fallon stunts, this is a pretty straightforward one: Ask a guest to do something that they will not be able to do. Clarke proves unable, as she is a human and not a space monkey, but it’s nice that she’s willing to try.
On the other hand: Benedict Cumberbatch and Domhnall Gleeson? Possibly part space monkey. The evidence speaks for itself.