Fans are convinced that an incredibly talented Amandla Stenberg was not at all done justice in Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte

leslye headland-amandla stenberg-the acolyte

As fans see more of Amandla Stenberg’s talents, they are convinced that Leslye Headland and the writers did not do justice to the actress. Fans shared a video of Stenberg playing the Star Wars theme on violin at The Tonight Show, which showed how much of a fan she actually was. However, her acting chops in The Acolyte were far from the talent seen in this show.

Amandla Stenberg in a still from The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/LucasfilmAmandla Stenberg in a still from The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

Fans blamed Headland for not giving her actress better resources and advice during the run of the show. The Acolyte was canceled after the first season garnered low viewership and poor audience ratings. Stenberg blamed the toxic fandom for the cancelation, sharing that it wasn’t a huge shock considering the rampage of vitriol from fans.

Amandla Stenberg’s Talent Makes Fans Turn Against Leslye Headland And The Writers

Amandla Stenberg and Leslye Headland on the set of The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/LucasfilmAmandla Stenberg and Leslye Headland on the set of The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

Amandla Stenberg appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in June and shared her experience in The Acolyte and the Star Wars conventions afterward. Stenberg then went on to surprise everyone when she showed her talent with the violin to the audience.

The in-house band Roots provided her with a violin and she performed a beautiful rendition of the Star Wars theme. One fan reshared this video amidst the criticism against the actress. The fan shared that the multi-talented Stenberg did not deserve the hate from the fans.

Other fans responded to this video, sharing that they did not deny the fact that Amandla Stenberg was talented. However, one fan shared that she was not done proper justice in her debut role. There were scenes where she maintained a stiff expression and the creator of the show, Leslye Headland, never bothered to do a retake. The fan blamed Headland for failing Stenberg.

Other fans also agreed that the creator and the writers let down the talented actress. Some fans also wished that Stenberg got more opportunities in the future where she could prove her talents. Some of the fan reactions read:

The Acolyte started off to a strong start with the first two episodes generating 4.8M views on its debut (via Deadline). The series broke into the Nielsen Top 10 originals chart in its premiere week but dropped out of it in week 3. The series did not make a comeback until the season finale, which marked the lowest viewership for a Star Wars series finale.

Amandla Stenberg Blamed Toxic Fandom For The Series Cancelation

Amandla Stenberg in a still from The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/LucasfilmAmandla Stenberg in a still from The Acolyte | Credits: Disney+/Lucasfilm

Amandla Stenberg opened up about the cancelation of her show, The Acolyte, on her Instagram story (via Culture Crave | X). Stenberg shared that the show had been receiving hatred ever since it was just a concept and hence the cancelation didn’t come as a shock.

Stenberg shared that she and the cast members had faced attacks from some fans, which she described as “a rampage of hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred, and hateful language.” Stenberg added that she did not expect the hatred to affect her although she anticipated making some people upset.

She shared that the attack came from “alt-right” groups and thanked everyone who supported The Acolyte team in the face of the brutal attacks. Stenberg added that it was an honor and dream to be part of the Star Wars universe. She praised Headland as one of the best and most talented people in the world and shared that she would cherish the experience with the creator forever.

The Acolyte is now available for streaming on Disney+.