‘Willow’s Tony Revolori Shocks Ellie Bamber With the Naughty Secret Behind Mudmander Kenneth’s Name

Disney+‘s Willow is set in the same weird and whimsical world of the 1988 film. It’s a world full of courageous Nelwyn, mischievous Brownies, and — as of Episode 7 “Beyond the Shattered Sea” — Mudmanders. The gang commandeers a carriage hitched to a slug-like Mudmander to escape the Gales and make their way across the Shattered Sea. No one bonds with the Mudmander quite like Graydon (Tony Revolori). The prince takes care of the creature and at one point declares, “I shall name you Kenneth, after the protagonist of the romantic farce I’m writing.”

According to Willow star Tony Revolori, he was just as enchanted with Kenneth as Graydon was. The adorable Mudmander was created using the same old-school puppeteering techniques that enlivened the original film.

“Kenneth was kind of manned by a four-, five-man team,” Revolori said. “You know, it was actually there with me on set and, you know, I got to work with all them on different reactions. And it kind of brought me back to an old-school Hollywood type of shooting, in that Jim Henson [style], which was so cool. And I’m so honored that I was able to do it.”

“And, yeah, I fell in love with Kenneth just like Graydon.”

The line in which Graydon dubs the Mudmander “Kenneth” is one of many charming and hilarious one-liners in Disney+’s Willow. Revolori revealed to Decider that he not only improvised it, but that it was one of his favorite versions of the line thanks to a rather naughty backstory he’d concocted about that “romantic farce” Graydon was writing…

“And as for this romantical farce… It’s funny,” Revolori said. “We did about, like, maybe twenty takes with completely reasons as to why I named him Kenneth. But, that’s the one they used and I was happy they used that one.”

“I started deciding what it would be and I think it’s just a story about Graydon’s own life, but in a very Fifty Shades of Grey because that’s what I think would be really really funny.”

Co-star Ellie Bamber had been quietly listening to Revolori waxing on about Kenneth until this revelation made her do a double take. “Wait. What?”

“I think that’s what he’s always writing in his little notebook,” Revolori gleefully told Bamber. (Indeed, Graydon is always writing in a little notebook.)

Bamber stammered, “That makes you even…”

“Creepier, yeah I know. I think he’s an author of smut.”

“What? He just does it in front of everyone being like, ‘Oh…yeah.'” Bamber mimicked naughty noises. “Because he gets out his notebook quite a lot. Sitting around the campfire, everyone’s just chilling and you’re like [pretends to write], ‘Mmmmm.'”

“It’s funny,” Revolori said, before admitting, “I don’t think [showrunner] Jon [Kasdan] would go for it.”

Maybe the Graydon fans can concoct this secret smutty story for fun as fan fiction. Maybe we’ll learn who Kenneth’s own Elora is.