Werner Herzog Says Jon Favreau Personally Invited Him to Play The Client in The Mandalorian

Werner Herzog showing up in The Mandalorian as “The Client” is still one of those wonderfully weird Star Wars casting choices that somehow works perfectly. Now, Herzog has explained how it happened—and it turns out he didn’t audition, compete, or chase the role at all.

He was simply invited.

“I Never Competed for That Part”

In a recent chat (via CinemaBlend), Herzog said Jon Favreau personally asked him to join the series—because Favreau is a genuine fan of Herzog’s films and wanted more people to recognize him on sight:

“Well, I never competed for that part. I was invited by Jon Favreau… because he loves my films, and he said people have to see what this man looks like.”

That’s such a Favreau move: “I love your work, please come be an Imperial bureaucrat with terrifying vibes.”

Herzog Was Also Blown Away by the Tech

Herzog also praised how The Mandalorian was made—specifically the immersive “volume” style production (where actors can see the environments around them instead of staring at a green screen). He described it as cinema returning to what it should be, because performers and camera can “see” the world in real time rather than imagining it later in post.

Why This Casting Still Hits

Herzog’s Client isn’t on-screen for long, but he’s one of the key forces that kicks off the entire Season 1 story. He’s the face of the remnants of the Empire that feel organized and quietly dangerous—exactly the kind of tone that helped The Mandalorian land so hard when it premiered.

And the best part? Herzog taking the role wasn’t about Star Wars fandom or franchise hype—it was basically a creative invitation from Favreau.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

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