James Arnold Taylor will be best known to many of you for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Clone Wars. The actor has since played the Jedi Master in countless animated series and video games, and in Angel Studios' King of Kings, he lends his voice to Matthew, Thomas, Phillip, and the Young Jesus.
We recently had the good fortune to sit down with Taylor for a conversation about his work in the animated Biblical epic. Needless to say, we had to ask about whether he'll return as Obi-Wan in a future Star Wars project.
"[Adopts Obi-Wan's voice] 'Well, the Force is strong with you my friend. I don't know.' You never know how Obi-Wan will appear again," he teases in the video below. "I'm very blessed to be part of a lot of things, from LEGO Star Wars where Obi-Wan has popped up recently in things. And you never know, he may pop up again at some point. I would hope so."
"I love the stories that they've been telling with everything from Tales of the Jedi and such, and Obi-Wan had a little cameo appearance in that and pops up in video games from time to time. It's been 23 years that I've been blessed to voice Obi-Wan Kenobi in one way or another and share that role with Ewan McGregor and Sir Alec McGuinness. I get to play old Ben and young Ben in many different ways and times throughout the years, and I always get excited when [the phone rings]."
"Hopefully, there will be some more opportunities for that, but I certainly am involved in the world of Star Wars. Once you're involved, you never stop," Taylor continued. "From hosting events like Star Wars Celebration for many years and Star Wars Weekends at Disney World and then, of course, being involved with Rise of the Resistance too. Jedi Master Plo Koon as well. There's very cool stuff in the world of Star Wars."
We'd say it's inevitable that the actor gets another chance to head into a Galaxy Far, Far Away. He's been sharing the role with Ewan McGregor for a long time and has received plenty of praise from the Obi-Wan Kenobi star.
While Obi-Wan might be the actor's most iconic performance, we'd be remiss not to single out Ratchet, too. Taylor has been lending his voice to the beloved Ratchet & Clank co-lead since 2002, but if and when Rift Apart finally gets a sequel, will he be back? It's long overdue, after all.
"Man, I couldn't agree with you more on that. I think it's been 21 plus years I've been voicing Ratchet and 20 games. We had movies and a TV pilot, but the last game, Rift Apart, was fantastic," Taylor said. "Where's the time gone? It was three or four years ago now, but I'm really hopeful we get another Ratchet & Clank game soon."
"I was just at Insomniac Games celebrating their 30-year anniversary. Yuri Lowenthal who is wonderful as Spider-Man, we all came together. And David Kaye as Ratchet and we kept trying to get to them and say, 'So, what do you think?' They kept their mouths shut, especially with the way the last game ended, [I hope] we'll another Ratchet & Clank at some point. Hopefully, they'd call David and I in to do the voices still. I can still do the voice!" he concluded.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart remains one of the best and most innovative games of the PlayStation 5 era, and a follow-up has to be somewhere on the horizon. Needless to say, Taylor and Kaye reuniting is a must.
You can get a better idea of what to expect from Taylor in King of Kings by watching the movie's trailer below.
A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.
King of Kings arrives in theaters on April 11.