Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA, Native American (his grandfather on his father’s side was full Cherokee and his grandmother on his mother’s side was Mexican Indigenous) actor and stuntman, Skyler Bible, has become a familiar face whose loveable and distressed characters have been seen around the world at international festivals, streaming, and on the big screen.
Best known for his role as ‘Fixer’ in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, Bible is full of creativity and passion for his craft and has dipped his toes in a variety of roles. Whether it’s a begrudging officer starring with actor/director Jim Cummings’ in the 2020 Orion Pictures’ horror comedy The Wolf of Snow Hollow, or portraying Astronaut Richard Gordon (Apollo 12) next to Ryan Gosling in Damien Chazelle’s First Man, he is no stranger to the spotlight. His characters range from goofy demons to a heart wrenched boyfriend trying connect with his love again, to a vampire hunter, to a loving husband supporting his wife through the most difficult of circumstances.
In 2022, Skyler played diverse characters on TV shows including: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett as Luke Skywalker’s best friend, who stands up for what he believes in. In Fox’s 911: Lonestar, a college “athlete” that thinks it’s the right thing to ski on a highway, not weighing the potential life altering risks, and Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, portraying a real-life victim Richard Guerrero, in a story that opened the world’s eyes to the evils that people are capable of.
When he isn’t acting, Skyler enjoys playing guitar, soccer, traveling, painting, boxing, running, lifting and is a trained stunt worker. Passionate about philanthropy, Bible is involved with the youth mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters – he was a little to a big growing up and now enjoys supporting and giving back. He is also passionate about climate change and animal conservation.
1. You star in Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. Can you tell us a bit about who you play, what drew you to this role, and how you approached playing such a unique character in this iconic story?
I feel like I’m always playing the cop, or the serviceman, or the astronaut, and this was no different. But, it did have a goofy, comedic spin on the character that I loved, that is me. And no other role I’ve played has had that aspect to it! More goofy/serious roles!
2. How did it feel stepping into such a beloved universe like Lilo & Stitch, especially one that carries deep cultural significance and childhood nostalgia for so many fans?
It carries significance for me! I grew up watching the original and to be a part of this one, (my favorite of all the Disney animated movies) was such an amazing experience. I was already a fan, and now I’ve become the biggest. The original was so witty, so clever, and stood out amongst the rest of the animated Disney films, and I feel this will be no different in that regard.
3. Can you share what it was like filming in Oahu, Hawaii? Did the island’s energy or culture influence your performance in any way?
I LOVE HAWAII. Home away from home. The island’s energy 100% affected my performance, my relationships on set, everything. There is such a “welcome home” vibe in Hawaii, at least from what I encountered, that made its way into the movie without a doubt. That’s what it’s all about, right? Ohana means family, and family welcomes you home.
4. Agent Foster is described as “a voice in Cobra Bubbles’ ear” during the hunt for Stitch. What was the dynamic like between you and Courtney B. Vance on set?
Courtney is THE BEST, the best of the best in every way. He was open and playful, willing to improvise and try different versions. He would bounce ideas off of everyone, not just the director. It was such an amazing learning experience, and he is such a role model to embody on every set moving forward.
5. Stitch is such an iconic animated character. How did the blend of live-action and animation affect your process or interactions during filming?
It is just a great test of imagination. You get used to the world after being in it, and immersing yourself in it allows you to not dwell on the technical things happening around you.
6. This film touches on themes like found family, identity, and belonging. As someone with Native American and Mexican Indigenous roots, did those themes resonate with you personally?
Belonging has been such a theme for Native Americans throughout history. I definitely resonated with that feeling, and I have resonated in the past and struggled with that theme over and over again. Where do I belong? Where does my family belong? My relatives, what did they feel, go through? And it’s still happening today, this sense of belonging to the land your ancestors cultivated and raised families on, it being taken away, and now where do you go, where do you call home? And I feel it’s become about who you call home and less of where.
7. Beyond Lilo & Stitch, you’ve got two exciting films coming up — See You When I See You and Grizzly Night. What can fans expect from those projects?
So, so, so excited for these as well!! I was able to work with Jay Duplass and the rest of the talented cast for See You When I See You and learned so much. Just an incredible story, a REAL story, the kind that makes you reflect and want to watch it over and over. Performances that draw you in and keep you engaged. In Grizzly Night, I was able to portray a real Native American hero, Steven Pierre, who led a rescue party during a night of brutal Grizzly bear attacks, a true story taking place in 1967. An incredible tale of bravery and perseverance. I can’t wait to share both of these.
8. You’ve played such a wide range of characters — from astronauts to demons to vampire hunters. How do you stay creatively flexible when jumping between such different genres and tones?
I play music, always have, and I equate it to various forms of music. The ability to sink into different types/genres/styles of music feels like the same sort of shift when performing. Finding pieces of the character and story that I connect to, sinking into that, and then filling it out from there.
9. You’re also a trained stunt worker. Did your stunt skills come into play for Agent Foster or any of your upcoming roles?
I’ve always been athletic and falling into stunt work (no pun intended) has been such a great avenue to be able to do, just, more. Anything requested by a director—Can you do this? Or run to that? Jump off that? With a camera next to you, in front of you, etc. There weren’t very many stunts needed from me in this one but I’m looking forward to the day I get to do a Tom Cruise run.
10. Looking back at roles like Richard Guerrero in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which was incredibly heavy, how do you balance emotionally intense roles with lighter or more fantastical ones like Lilo & Stitch?
Compartmentalization for sure. Just being able to separate fully. There are roles, then the job is over, and you have to be able to be an open canvas—an etch-a-sketch, if you will, haha—for the next. That’s the only way, in my opinion. Of course, you take lessons and memories and the experience with you to the next, but the characters themselves, I believe, should be set down after the role has wrapped.
11. You’ve spoken about your passion for Big Brothers Big Sisters, climate change, and animal conservation. Why are they important to you?
Big Brothers Big Sisters is such an important organization for me personally. I grew up with a single parent, and I had amazing role models to grow up with and learn from, and that’s exactly what BBBS does. When I heard about this organization I gravitated immediately towards it. It was such a great thing that helped form me, and I wanted to be able to do the same for kids who needed that in their lives. Climate change, because what good is anything we do, create, hold fast, anything if our planet isn’t there to enjoy and explore? We have such a responsibility to uphold and the ability to do so because of the technology we possess and the impact we’ve already made on this planet. Why not make this planet better than it is? Don’t we all want a better environment to live in? It would benefit us all, not just a select group of people, all of us. My dream is to work at, volunteer at, or even start an animal conservatory. Animals are just pure and better than all of us. They were here before we were and will be here long after we’re gone. There’s a special connection there, and I would love to be a small part in helping preserve that.
12. Last one — if you could have one trait or power that Stitch has, what would it be and why?
Ohhhhh fun, I think the extreme durability would be so fun. I mean, come on. You could do any adventurous thing you wanted without consequence! Skydive with no parachute, snowboard off a crazy mountain. No problem.
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