Star Wars Actors That Have Died
List of any Star Wars actors that have died from all 8 movies, the holiday special, and the two Ewok movies.
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- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was perhaps the only actor of his generation to have starred in so many films and cult saga. Although most notable for personifying bloodsucking vampire, Dracula, on screen, he portrayed other varied characters on screen, most of which were villains, whether it be Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), or Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), or as the title monster in the Hammer Horror film, The Mummy (1959).
Lee was born in 1922 in London, England, where he and his older sister Xandra were raised by their parents, Contessa Estelle Marie (Carandini di Sarzano) and Geoffrey Trollope Lee, a professional soldier, until their divorce in 1926. Later, while Lee was still a child, his mother married (and later divorced) Harcourt George St.-Croix (nicknamed Ingle), who was a banker. Lee's maternal great-grandfather was an Italian political refugee, while Lee's great-grandmother was English opera singer Marie (Burgess) Carandini.
After attending Wellington College from age 14 to 17, Lee worked as an office clerk in a couple of London shipping companies until 1941 when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Following his release from military service, Lee joined the Rank Organisation in 1947, training as an actor in their "Charm School" and playing a number of bit parts in such films as Corridor of Mirrors (1948). He made a brief appearance in Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948), in which his future partner-in-horror Peter Cushing also appeared. Both actors also appeared later in Moulin Rouge (1952) but did not meet until their horror films together.
Lee had numerous parts in film and television throughout the 1950s. He struggled initially in his new career because he was discriminated as being taller than the leading male actors of his time and being too foreign-looking. However, playing the monster in the Hammer film The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) proved to be a blessing in disguise, since the was successful, leading to him being signed on for future roles in Hammer Film Productions.
Lee's association with Hammer Film Productions brought him into contact with Peter Cushing, and they became good friends. Lee and Cushing often than not played contrasting roles in Hammer films, where Cushing was the protagonist and Lee the villain, whether it be Van Helsing and Dracula respectively in Horror of Dracula (1958), or John Banning and Kharis the Mummy respectively in The Mummy (1959).
Lee continued his role as "Dracula" in a number of Hammer sequels throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s. During this time, he co-starred in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), and made numerous appearances as Fu Manchu, most notably in the first of the series The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), and also appeared in a number of films in Europe. With his own production company, Charlemagne Productions, Ltd., Lee made Nothing But the Night (1973) and To the Devil a Daughter (1976).
By the mid-1970s, Lee was tiring of his horror image and tried to widen his appeal by participating in several mainstream films, such as The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974), and the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
The success of these films prompted him in the late 1970s to move to Hollywood, where he remained a busy actor but made mostly unremarkable film and television appearances, and eventually moved back to England. The beginning of the new millennium relaunched his career to some degree, during which he has played Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and as Saruman the White in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lee played Count Dooku again in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), and portrayed the father of Willy Wonka, played by Johnny Depp, in the Tim Burton film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
On 16 June 2001, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to drama. He was created a Knight Bachelor on 13 June 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama and charity. In addition he was made a Commander of the Order of St John on 16 January 1997.
Lee died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 7 June 2015 at 8:30 am after being admitted for respiratory problems and heart failure, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday there. His wife delayed the public announcement until 11 June, in order to break the news to their family.Count Dooku- Actor
- Writer
- Art Department
Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. He and his older brother David were raised first in Dulwich Village, a south London suburb, and then later back in Surrey. At an early age, Cushing was attracted to acting, inspired by his favorite aunt, who was a stage actress. While at school, Cushing pursued his acting interest in acting and also drawing, a talent he put to good use later in his first job as a government surveyor's assistant in Surrey. At this time, he also dabbled in local amateur theater until moving to London to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on scholarship. He then performed in repertory theater in Worthing, deciding in 1939 to head for Hollywood, where he made his film debut in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939). Other Hollywood films included A Chump at Oxford (1940) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Vigil in the Night (1940) and They Dare Not Love (1941). However, after a short stay, he returned to England by way of New York (making brief appearances on Broadway) and Canada. Back in his homeland, he contributed to the war effort during World War II by joining the Entertainment National Services Association.
After the war, he performed in the West End and had his big break appearing with Laurence Olivier in Hamlet (1948), in which Cushing's future partner-in-horror Christopher Lee had a bit part. Both actors also appeared in Moulin Rouge (1952) but did not meet until their later horror films. During the 1950s, Cushing became a familiar face on British television, appearing in numerous teleplays, such as 1984 (1954) and Beau Brummell (1954), until the end of the decade when he began his legendary association with Hammer Film Productions in its remakes of the 1930s Universal horror classics. His first Hammer roles included Dr. Frankenstein in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dr. Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula (1958), and Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959).
Cushing continued playing the roles of Drs. Frankenstein and Van Helsing, as well as taking on other horror characters, in Hammer films over the next 20 years. He also appeared in films for the other major horror producer of the time, Amicus Productions, including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and its later horror anthologies, a couple of Dr. Who films (1965, 1966), I, Monster (1971), and others. By the mid-1970s, these companies had stopped production, but Cushing, firmly established as a horror star, continued in the genre for some time thereafter.
Perhaps his best-known appearance outside of horror films was as Grand Moff Tarkin in George Lucas' phenomenally successful science fiction film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Biggles: Adventures in Time (1986) was Cushing's last film before his retirement, during which he made a few television appearances, wrote two autobiographies and pursued his hobbies of bird watching and painting. In 1989, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his contributions to the acting profession in Britain and worldwide. Peter Cushing died at age 81 of prostate cancer on August 11, 1994.Grand Moff Tarkin- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Alec Guinness was an English actor. He is known for his six collaborations with David Lean: Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations (1946), Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948), Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), General Yevgraf Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965), and Professor Godbole in A Passage to India (1984).
Guinness is really most remembered for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy for which he receive a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1959, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts. In the 1970s, Guinness made regular television appearances in Britain, including the role of George Smiley in the serialisations of two novels by John le Carré: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) and Smiley's People (1982). In 1980 he received the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement.
Guinness was also one of three British actors, along with Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, who made the transition from Shakespearean theatre in England to Hollywood blockbusters immediately after the Second World War.
Guinness died on 5 August 2000, from liver cancer, at Midhurst in West Sussex.Old Obi-Wan Kenobi- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Phil Brown was the son of a doctor whose work took the family all around the country. After majoring in dramatics at Stanford University, Brown played some of his earliest stage roles as part of New York's Group Theatre. When it folded, he and other Group Theatre vets headed to Hollywood, where Brown worked in motion pictures and helped found the fabled Actors' Laboratory. His association with the Lab came back to haunt him later in the decade, when its members fell under the scrutiny of the House Un-American Activities Committee, and Brown was eventually compelled to relocate with his family to England, UK. Overseas he was able to resume acting on stage, TV and films; he also directed for the stage and TV. He returned to the U.S. in the 1990s and made the rounds of autograph shows.Uncle Owen Lars- Shelagh Fraser was born on 25 November 1920 in Purley, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), The History of Mr. Polly (1949) and Doomwatch (1970). She was married to Anthony Squire. She died on 29 August 2000 in London, England, UK.Aunt Beru Lars
- Actor
- Special Effects
- Soundtrack
Jack Purvis was born on 13 July 1937 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Time Bandits (1981), Brazil (1985) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). He was married to Marjie Purvis. He died on 11 November 1997 in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK.Chief Jawa/Teebo- Alex McCrindle was born on 3 August 1911 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Eye of the Needle (1981) and Witch Wood (1964). He was married to Honor Arundel and Sandy . He died on 20 April 1990 in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England, UK.General Dodonna
- Eddie Byrne was born on 31 January 1911 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Island of Terror (1966) and Odd Man Out (1947). He died on 21 August 1981 in Dublin, Ireland.General Willard
- Actor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Drewe Henley was born in 1940 in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Wuthering Heights (1967) and Space: 1999 (1975). He was married to Linda Lee Henley, Felicity Kendal and Jacqueline Pearce. He died on 14 February 2016 in Exeter, Devon, England, UK.Red Leader- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
William Michael Hootkins was born on July 5, 1948, in Dallas, Texas. He moved to London, England in the early '70s and lived there up until 2002. Hootkins was an actor at Theatre Intime while attending Princeton University where he learned how to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and attended St. Marks, where he was in the same theater group as Tommy Lee Jones. The imposingly bulky and heavyset Hootkins first began acting in films and TV shows alike in the mid '70s. His more noteworthy parts include the first of the Rebel fighter pilots to get killed while attacking the Death Star in "Star Wars", scientist Topol's bumbling oaf assistant in "Flash Gordon", Major Eaton, sent by the US government in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", one of Rod Steiger's demented sons in "American Gothic", a corrupt police lieutenant in "Batman", a disgusting sleazy voyeur in "Hardware", a coarse South African police chief in "Dust Devil", the mysterious and duplicitous Mr. X in "Hear My Song", a haughty corporate executive in "Death Machine", Santa Claus in "Like Father, Like Santa", and an opera-singing vampire in "The Breed". Moreover, Hootkins had small parts in two "Pink Panther" pictures: he's a taxi driver in both "The Trail of the Pink Panther" and "Curse of the Pink Panther".
Among the TV shows he did guest spots on are "Yanks Go Home", "Agony", "Play for Today", "Tales of the Unexpected", "The Life and Times of David Lloyd George", "Brett Maverick", "Cagney and Lacey", "Taxi", "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense", "Poirot", "Chancer", "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles", "The Tomorrow People", "The West Wing", and "Absolute Power". Hootkins received many accolades for his outstanding performance as Sir Alfred Hitchcock in Terry Johnson's hit play "Hitchcock Blonde". In addition to his substantial film and TV credits, Hootkins was also a popular and prolific voice artist who recorded dozens of plays for BBC Radio Drama; he supplied the voices for such iconic individuals as Orson Welles, J. Edgar Hoover, and Winston Churchill. William Hootkins died of pancreatic cancer on October 23, 2005.Red Six (Porkins)- Jeremy Sinden was born on 14 June 1950 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Chariots of Fire (1981) and The Far Pavilions (1984). He was married to Delia Lindsay. He died on 29 May 1996 in London, England, UK.Gold Two
- Graham Ashley was born on 26 April 1927 in Northampton, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), The Avengers (1961) and Dixon of Dock Green (1955). He died on 30 October 1979 in Islington, London, England, UK.Gold Five
- As an amateur actor as a dare he auditioned for the RSC and was not only accepted, but he stayed for 6 years. Best known as Sgt Bulman in XYY Man (77) he then made several series of Strangers (79 -82). His films include Star Wars, Callan, The Prince and the Pauper and The Big Sleep.General Taggi
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) was Richard LeParmentier's third film after moving to Britain from the United States in 1974. Richard has appeared in over fifty films and TV shows. He used to reside in Bath, UK, and worked as a screenwriter. He also developed a comedy-drama series for the BBC and wrote a feature film.General Motti
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Scott Beach was born on 13 January 1931 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Stand by Me (1986), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and American Graffiti (1973). He was married to Neva Beach. He died on 13 February 1996 in San Francisco, California, USA.Stormtrooper- Actor
- Director
- Stunts
Lightning Bear was born in Houston, Texas in 1947 and from there moved to California. He has always had an interest in the entertainment Industry. It all started in his childhood in the first grade singing in a choir with a solo for Christmas. In Junior High School there was a talent show in which he did a comedy song with a friend and it was probably the beginning of or was the first lip sink to a song. It was great and in the end when he got shot and took the microphone and stand to the floor with him (his first stunt) the Vice-principal almost had a heart attack. He then went into theater in high school in acting, set making, and lighting.
His first work in film was with a production company doing commercials and travel logs for the Mexican government. They spent 6 months traveling through Mexico, him working as an actor, precision driver, diver and boat handler. In 1965 after leaving the company, a Scottish friend and him, decided to go to Hollywood to visit a friend they had met in Mexico. They decided to stay and he got his first job there, working at the Playboy Club parking cars. This was also during the time of the riots at Pandora's Box on Sunset Blvd. He did not have a car, so he had to hitchhike across Laurel Canyon Blvd., which was not easy, since he lived in studio city. He quit the club and got a job in a gas station working pumping gas and as a mechanic. It was here that he met the people who gave him his first break.
While he was working one night, a man came in whose car had broken down. They had to take the car back to the station. His friend that was with him asked if he could give him a ride home. Since it was time for him to get off he did. He lived in the hills over looking Universal Studios. This was, as he was going to find out, Spanky McFarland who was on the "Little Rascals". He was producing and directing at Universal Studios at the time. They talked that night and Spanky asked if he was interested in the film industry. Lightning Bear told him of his work in Mexico and that he loves the industry and Spanky offered to help him. His friend that owned the car was Carl Ambrosia who was a Casting Director. In those days it was not easy to get into SAG. You needed to be in SAG to work in a film and you had to have worked in a film to get into SAG. They got Lightning Bear into central casting and then used his credits in Mexico to get him into SAG.
Spanky had the idea of making a star out of Lightning Bear, but he was there to actually go to school. Besides as all knows, you can go to a party 7 days a week in Hollywood, which he did for a time to meet the right people. But when you leave a party at 2 or 3 am and you have a 6 o'clock call and have to get straight, it has a tendency to be a bit hard. So Lightning Bear told him that he just wanted to work and go to school and being famous was not that important to him. Spanky said that the best position for this was in stunts.
In those days there were no schools for stunts and everything was OJT. Spanky got him his first show, which was the Virginian. Here Lightning Bear met Dick Shane who was the Stunt Coordinator for the show who started to train him. Also during the filming he met Hal Needham who started the first Stunt Association in Hollywood called Stunts Unlimited.
After returning from Vietnam in the 70s he had the chance to work with Richard Harris on the film "A Man Called Horse" which later helped get him on Star Wars. It was during preproduction and production of the "Return of a Man Called Horse" that he traveled to England and heard about Star Wars. His blood brother who is from England was working as a model maker on Star Wars at Elstree Studios. He took Lightning Bear with him and helped get him work as a Stormtrooper. Later Lightning Bear was fortunate to work on the other films as both a Stormtrooper and Biker Scout. One of the highlights of his life was being able to meet and work with the late great Peter Diamond.
Lightning Bear also had a company in film and television doing work as the Executive Production Co-coordinator. They had done shows for Home Box Office. He produced a show for the Tropicana Hotel called "After Midnight" and Lightning Bear's partner was responsible for the development of the colorization process used in the industry today. Since that time, Lightning Bear went more for the behind camera work as a Stunt Co-coordinator and 2nd Unit Director. Lightning Bear also did acting in summer stock, one of which was "West Side Story", playing one of the Sharks. During the 70s Lightning Bear was able to work with Sean Connery on "Diamond are Forever" in Las Vegas.
Lightning Bear took a break from the industry as he was also teaching and it got busy. He decided after doing "Black Rain", to only teach for a while. After moving to Germany in 1997, he started to meet people in the industry there and decided then to go back into it. In 2005, Lightning Bear got his first chance at Directing an Independent Film called "Bad Blood". It was not until this time that Lightning Bear was asked to attend his first Star Wars convention. The greatest honor and highlight in his life was being asked to speak at the Memorial Tribute that was done for Richard Harris in London.
Lightning Bear says he has been very lucky in his life as the industry is and always has been his first love. He likes the way it is always changing with new methods and technology, never having exactly the same circumstance or conditions and the ability to travel and see different countries, cultures, people and locations. This is especially true of the Star Wars and other Conventions, as he loves to meet the fans and talk with them.Stormtrooper- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Arthur Howell was born on 5 January 1920 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Krull (1983) and An American Werewolf in London (1981). He was married to June Palmer. He died in August 2003 in Braintree, Essex, England, UK.Stormtrooper- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Stuntman and actor Tim Condren was born on October 22, 1926 in the United Kingdom. After doing his first stunt work in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Condren's career as both an actor and stuntman in films and TV shows alike really took off in earnest in the mid-1960's. Outside of stunts, Tim was also experienced in archery and was an expert horseman (these two skills enabled Phil to portray either Apache or Sioux Indians in several Westerns made in America). Condren performed stunts and played small uncredited roles in the blockbusters The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) (he appears as a Stormtrooper on board the Rebel Alliance ship in the scene that introduces Darth Vader in the latter). In addition, Tim participated in several rodeos as a trick rider and guest performer in the United States and put his fencing and sword-fighting skills to good use by working the show at the Tower of London as a knight. In his latter years Condren was a teacher at the London Stunt School with Alasdair Monteith. Tim died from cancer in a London hospital on July 19, 2006.Stormtrooper- Stunts
- Actor
Reg Harding was born in 1931. He was an actor, known for Lifeforce (1985), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He died in 1997.Stormtrooper- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bill Weston was born on 29 May 1941. He was an actor, known for Robin Hood (2010), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). He died on 25 March 2012.Stormtrooper- Jerry Walter was born on 28 March 1925 in Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Enforcer (1976) and Freebie and the Bean (1974). He died on 11 February 1979 in Sausalito, California, USA.Stormtrooper (voice)
- Morgan Upton was born on 11 August 1930 in Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Sudden Impact (1983) and No Small Affair (1984). He died on 22 December 1991 in San Francisco, California, USA.Stormtrooper (voice)
- Ted Burnett was born on 8 November 1926 in Poplar, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Britannia Hospital (1982), Let's Get Laid (1978) and Out (1978). He died on 1 October 2001 in Millwall, London, England, UK.Wuher
- Gilda Cohen was born in 1919. She was an actress, known for The Elephant Man (1980), Blake's 7 (1978) and Supernatural (1977). She died on 5 November 2003.Cantina Patron
- Geoffrey Nicholas Moon was born 18th October 1952 to Phillis Hadlington and Ronald T Moon. His agent was Penny Barber for Penny and Jill Casting. In 1974 his head-shot stated that he was 5 foot 2 and that he specialised in Child Parts. He died on the 15th October 1979, three days short of his 26th birthday.Cantina Patron
- Isaac Grand was an actor, known for Smart Money (1986), The Love Child (1987) and Big Deal (1984). He died on 21 January 2002.Cantina Patron, Gamorrean Guard
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Diamond was one of the finest British stuntmen, with a career spanning over fifty years worth of television and film work. He originally trained as an actor at RADA and went on to become a stuntman, fight arranger and director. He is best known internationally for his work on the Star Wars films, as well as his contributions to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Superman II (1980), and Highlander (1992) and Highlander (1986). Peter also toured the UK giving demonstrations of his craft at theatres and events for schools.Tusken Raider, Stormtrooper, Death Star Trooper, Garouf Lafoe, Snowtrooper Gunner, Biker Scout Pushed Off Bike,- Actor
Barry Gnome was born on 7 March 1914 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor. He died on 26 March 1988.Kabe- Actress
- Additional Crew
A tall, fair-haired model since the late sixties, Christine Hewitt appeared in the cantina sequence of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) together with another "Space Girl", Angela Staines. Although the casting call asked for blonde girls, both of them were fitted with black beehive style wigs for the occasion. Even though she was on screen for less than 5 seconds in the finished film, her character received a name and a back-story through Star Wars games and merchandising, and is listed as such on this database. Nowadays, Christine Hewitt still works as a 'mature model' in commercials and in uncredited roles in films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Bridget Jones's Diary (2001).Brea Tonnika- Joe Kaye was an actor, known for The Bride (1985), Mr. Right (1983) and Sorry! (1981). He died on 25 December 1987.Solomahl
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Anthony Lang was an actor, known for The Meaning of Life (1983), Saraband (1948) and The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1953). He died on 2 March 1992.BoShek, Sim Aloo- British background player Alf Mangan was born to Herbert Alfred Mangan and Emily Jane Mangan on October 21, 1916 in Croydon, London, England. Mangan first began appearing in films in often uncredited minor roles in the mid-1950's. A burly fellow with a scruffy look and usually unkempt hair, Alf was frequently cast as prison inmates, working class blokes, or patrons in either pubs or saloons which include the Mos Eisley cantina alien barfly Takeel in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Mangan died at age 71 on June 16, 1988.Takeel
- Visual Effects
- Special Effects
- Actor
American special effects wizard and miniature model-making virtuoso. McCune partnered John Dykstra as head of Apogee Inc. between 1978 and 1992. He was chief model maker for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) (in which he also had a small acting role as a Death Star gunner), the pilot for Battlestar Galactica (1978) and 80's classics Spaceballs (1987) and Ghostbusters II (1989). McCune created the iconic Millenium Falcon model, the X-Wing and Tie Fighter models, as well as bounty hunter Boba Fett's helmet. He is credited with putting the finishing touches to the famous droid R2 D2, originally designed by John Stears. For Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) he worked on the Klingon K'tinga Battlecruiser and the V'ger model. In 1992,taking over the lease and some of the remaining infrastructure from Apogee, he set up his own company, Grant McCune Design. In the capacity of miniature effects supervisor, he put his stamp on a number of seminal blockbusters, including Speed (1994), Batman Forever (1995) and Daylight (1996). McCune Design eventually folded in March 2016.
McCune held a degree in biology from California State University in Northridge and began his career as a laboratory technician. Much of his free time was spent creating models and dioramas. In 1978, he was selected by George Lucas to work on Star Wars, on the strength of his collaborative effort in creating the Great White Shark model for Jaws (1975). An expert photographer, McCune provided a brief insight into his work during a 2009 interview, stating: "The most important thing is what you see with your eye. Movies are a lot different from reality. This is because you've isolated the viewer's eye to a certain spot-you can't look anywhere else. If you're a photographer, you get the idea of what you need to do by analyzing what it is that needs to be set and where it is and how much detail it should have. All the best people who ever worked for me were first good with the eye".Death Star Gunner- Marcus Powell was born on 23 November 1909 in Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Time Bandits (1981), The Elephant Man (1980) and Top Secret! (1984). He died in 1991 in Kingston upon Thames, London, England, UK.Rycar Ryjerd
- Actor
Peter Sturgeon was born on 2 February 1913 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor. He died on 7 July 1990 in Dovercourt, Essex, England, UK.Sai'torr Kal Fas- Malcolm Tierney was born on 25 February 1938 in Manchester, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Braveheart (1995), The Saint (1997) and In the Name of the Father (1993). He was married to Andrea Schinko. He died on 18 February 2014 in the UK.Lieutenant Shann Childsen
- Larry Ward was born on 2 October 1944 in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Manhunter (1974). He died on 15 October 2007 in Stockton, California, USA.Voice of Greedo and Jabba the Hutt
- John Hollis was born on 12 November 1927 in Fulham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Flash Gordon (1980) and Superman II (1980). He was married to Sheila Forrester and Gabrielle Hamilton. He died on 18 October 2005 in Richmond upon Thames, London, England, UK.Lando's Aide
- Terry Richards was born on 2 November 1932 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Brazil (1985) and Red Sonja (1985). He died on 14 June 2014 in Ruislip, London, England, UK.Wampa
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Des Webb was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Morons from Outer Space (1985) and Blackadder (1982). He died on 21 May 2002 in London, England, UK.Wampa- Michael Sheard was born on 18 June 1938 in Aberdeen, Grampian, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Outsider (1983) and Mind Your Language (1977). He was married to Rosalind Allaway. He died on 31 August 2005 in Newport, Isle of Wight, England, UK.Admiral Ozzel
- Mark Jones was born on 22 April 1939 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Under Milk Wood (1971) and Doctor Who (1963). He died on 14 January 2010 in Shropshire, England, UK.Imperial Officer
- Oliver Maguire was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), In the Name of the Father (1993) and Bloody Sunday (2002). He died on 10 January 2012 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland.Imperial Officer
- Bruce Boa was born on 10 July 1930 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was an actor, known for Full Metal Jacket (1987), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Octopussy (1983). He was married to Cherry. He died on 17 April 2004 in Surrey, England, UK.General Rieekan
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Christopher Malcolm was born on 19 August 1946 in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Highlander (1986), Labyrinth (1986) and Ragtime (1981). He was married to Judith Lloyd. He died on 15 February 2014 in London, England, UK.Zev (Rogue 2)- Stunts
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Bob Anderson was born on 15 September 1922 in Gosport, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Mask of Zorro (1998). He was married to Pearl Anderson. He died on 1 January 2012 in West Sussex, England, UK.Imperial Officer- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Richard Bonehill was born in 1949 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Rob Roy (1995), Top Secret! (1984) and George and the Dragon (2004). He was married to Lynne Gillian Bradshaw. He died on 29 January 2015 in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK.Stormtrooper, Snowtrooper, Rebel Trooper, Tauntaun Handler, Nien Nunb, Mon Calamari, Ree Yees, Mosep, Z-Winged Pilot, Tie Pilot- Actor
- Additional Crew
Boxer and actor Maurice Edward "Morrie" Bush was born on June 3, 1930 in Pimlico, London, England. Bush made his heavyweight boxing debut on October 22, 1951 and fought his last professional fight on April 26, 1955. Maurice participated in 24 fights altogether in his professional boxing career: He won 12 fights -- 8 of said wins were by knockout -- and lost 12 fights by knockout. Moreover, Bush not only was a member of the Busy Bee Motorcycle Club in his hometown, but also was the sparring partner for British and European Light Heavyweight Champion boxer Don Cockle. In addition, Maurice appeared in a handful of films and TV shows in which he often had minor parts; he's best known for his small, yet still memorable role as bounty hunter Dengar in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Bush died at age 69 in August, 1999 in Thanet, Kent, England.Dengar- Shaun Curry was born on 5 June 1937 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Just Good Friends (1983), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Very Big Very Soon (1991). He died on 7 July 2009 in Bracknell, Berkshire, England, UK.Hoth Rebel Commander
- Art Department
- Additional Crew
- Visual Effects
Ralph McQuarrie was born on 13 June 1929 in Gary, Indiana, USA. He is known for Cocoon (1985), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He was married to Joan Benjamin. He died on 3 March 2012 in Berkeley, California, USA.General McQuarrie- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Character actor Jason Wingreen was born on October 9, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York City. The son of a Jewish tailor father, Wingreen grew up in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens. Jason attended John Adams High School and majored in English and Speech at Brooklyn College (he initially planned on being a sportswriter and wrote about high school sporting events for the daily newspaper the Brooklyn Eagle during his high school years). While at Brooklyn College Wingreen caught the acting bug after taking a mandatory speech course and joined the undergraduate theater group the Masquers, which he became president of in his senior year at college. Following graduation from Brooklyn College in June, 1941, Jason got his first show business job with a marionette company.
Wingreen went on to serve in the armed forces during World War II as a member of the 81st Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force. In the wake of his tour of duty, Jason returned to Howard Beach and went to the New School on the G.I. Bill. Wingreen helped to found the famed Circle in the Square Theatre company in Greenwich Village in the early 1950's and in 1954 acted for the first time on Broadway in the plays "Fragile Fox" and "The Girl on the Via Flaminia." Jason acted on his first TV show in 1955 and acted in his first movie shortly thereafter. In addition, Wingreen was a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since the early 1960's. Jason died at age 95 at his home in Los Angeles, California on December 25, 2015. He's survived by his son Ned, two grandchildren, and his sister Harriett Wingreen, who was the orchestra pianist for the New York Philharmonic for several decades.Voice of Boba Fett- Though primarily a stage actor, Sebastian Shaw appeared in some forty film and television productions from 1930 to 1991. Born in Holt, Norfolk, England, he first appeared on stage as a child in 1913, graduating to lead roles by the late 1920s. It was in 1930 that he made his first film appearance in Caste (1930). His most notable film roles of this period were as an aspiring actor opposite Miriam Hopkins and Rex Harrison in the Alexander Korda-produced Men Are Not Gods (1936); as a crime suspect in another Korda production, Murder on Diamond Row (1937); and opposite Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson in Michael Powell's U-Boat 29 (1939). His later films included Roy Boulting's documentary-style Journey Together (1945), The Glass Mountain (1949) (in which he played an eccentric Scottish lyricist), and Scotch on the Rocks (1953).
In the 1960s, he appeared in Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo's imaginative It Happened Here (1964), made in semi-documentary style showing Britons coping during a Nazi persecution. Mostly stage and television work followed (including an appearance as a judge in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)). In 1982, Shaw was approached by George Lucas to make an appearance in the final episode of his Star Wars films, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). The role was the small but crucial one at the film's climax of the unmasked Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) and in the final scene as Anakin's ghost. The role has since made him a cult figure all over the world. Much of Shaw's remaining career was spent playing distinguished elderly gent roles, such as cold war spy-cum-art critic Basil Sharpe in High Season (1987). Shaw continued to act on stage, film and television well into his eighties. Sebastian Shaw died at age 89 of natural causes on December 23, 1994.Old Anakin Skywalker - Claire Davenport was born on 24 April 1933 in Sale, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Elephant Man (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). She died on 25 February 2002 in London, England, UK.Fat Dancer
- Eileen Baker was born on 11 June 1947 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Wombling Free (1977). She was married to Kenny Baker. She died on 23 September 1993 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.Ewok
- Sadie Corre was born on 31 May 1918 in Bognor Regis, Sussex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and The Dark Crystal (1982). She died on 26 August 2009 in St John's Wood, London, England, UK.Ewok
- Best known for his role as Ralphus the demented dwarf in the infamous film Blood Sucking Freaks (1976), which is also known as Blood Sucking Freaks. Luis DeJesus had been a circus performer, but was actually quite infamous around New York in the Seventies for his role in a stag movie, a charming little ditty entitled The Anal Dwarf (1971). This eight-minute hardcore wonder was a regular attraction in 42nd Street peepshows, especially for people looking for something different. It was probably through this movie that the makers of "Bloodsucking Freaks" discovered DeJesus--"Freaks" director Joel M. Reed also shot porn at the time, though under a different name--but they got more than they bargained for. On the last day of shooting DeJesus and several other members of the cast shocked Reed by staging an orgy; according to Reed, DeJesus "wasn't short in all departments". DeJesus continued to act in porn way into the 1980s, then tried for a more mainstream career with disappointing results. Typical of Hollywood's miscasting of dwarf actors, the only roles were in films like Under the Rainbow (1981), a movie about the alleged wild behavior of the Munchkin cast during the filming of The Wizard of Oz (1939). His last known role was as an Ewok.
DeJesus was often mistaken for Hervé Villechaize. For years many critics thought it was the Fantasy Island (1977) actor who had to stand on a box to mount Veri Knotty in "The Anal Dwarf", despite their very different appearances.Ewok - John Ghavan was born in June 1947 in Iran. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Flash Gordon (1980) and The Phantom of the Opera (1989). He died on 4 April 2006 in Northhampton, England, UK.Ewok
- Michael Gilden was born on 22 September 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Southland Tales (2006). He was married to Meredith Eaton and Elena Fondacaro. He died on 5 December 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Ewok
- Actor
- Art Department
Richard Jones was born on 18 March 1945 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Flash Gordon (1980) and Labyrinth (1986). He died on 18 November 2009 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK.Ewok- John Pedrick was born on 27 November 1947 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The Sign of Four (1983) and Meet Ricky Gervais (2000). He died on 12 December 2005 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK.Ewok
- Ronnie Phillips was born in 1911. He was an actor and composer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Knockouts (1992). He died on 28 April 2007 in London, England, UK.Ewok
- Carol Read was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). She died in 2004 in Wales, UK.Ewok
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Allen was born on 10 February 1944 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Arthur (1981), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and Muriel's Wedding (1994). He was married to Liza Minnelli. He died on 18 June 1992 in San Diego, California, USA.Geezum- Additional Crew
- Actress
Lynne Hazelden was an actress, known for Mad Cows (1999), C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985) and Me & Mrs Jones (2002). She died on 3 December 2013 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK.Karie Neth- Eiji Kusuhara was born on 2 January 1947 in Tokyo, Japan. He was an actor, known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and The Elephant Man (1980). He was married to Kyoko Wainai. He died on 23 April 2010 in England, UK.Lieutenant Telsij
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Richard Marquand was born on 22 September 1937 in Llanishen, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Nowhere to Run (1993) and Jagged Edge (1985). He was married to Carol Bell and Josephine Marquand. He died on 4 September 1987 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.Major Marquand, AT-ST Driver
{Director of Return of the Jedi}- Vivienne Chandler was born on 6 November 1947 in Oxfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) and Duck, You Sucker! (1971). She died on 6 June 2013 in London, England, UK.Female X-Wing Pilot
- Actor
Barry Robertson was an actor. He died on 29 June 2009 in Staffordshire, England, UK.Gamorrean Guard- Pat Welsh was born on 11 February 1915 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for E.T. Adventure (1990). She was married to Tom Welsh. She died on 26 January 1995 in Green Valley, Arizona, USA.Boushh (Voice)
- Khan Bonfils was born in 1972 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) and Skyfall (2012). He died on 7 January 2015 in London, England, UK.Saesee Tiin
- Alethea McGrath was born on 1 June 1920 in Melbourne, Australia. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), Knowing (2009) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). She died on 9 February 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.Madame Jocasta Nu
- Warren Owens was born in 1945. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), Moby Dick (1998) and Blue Heelers (1994). He died in 2009 in Australia.Fang Zar
- Erik Bauersfeld was born on 28 June 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Crimson Peak (2015). He died on 3 April 2016 in Berkeley, California, USA.Voice of Admiral Ackbar and Bib Fortuna.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Actress-comedienne Bea Arthur was born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922 in New York City to a Jewish family. She grew up in Maryland, where her parents ran a dress shop. At 12 years old, she was the tallest girl in her school at 5'9".
She earned the title of "Wittiest Girl" in her school, and her dream was to be in show business, but she didn't think her family would support her. She then worked as a laboratory technician, and in the Marine Corps; she drove a truck, and worked as a typist. Her brief first marriage ended in divorce. Afterwards, she told her parents that she wanted to pursue a career in show business, and they supported her decision to join the New York's Dramatic Workshop for the New School for Social Research.
Arthur (her acting name based on a variation of her first husband's surname) played classical and dramatic roles, but it would be years before she found her niche in comedy. Her breakthrough came on stage while appearing in the musical play "The Threepenny Opera," with Lotte Lenya. For one season in the 1950's, she was a regular on Sid Caesar's television show,Caesar's Hour (1954). In 1964, she became truly famous as Yente the Matchmaker, in the original Broadway production of "Fiddler on the Roof". Despite this being a small supporting role, Arthur stole the show night after night.
In 1966, she went to work on a new Broadway musical, "Mame", directed by her second husband, Gene Saks, winning a Tony Award for the featured role of Vera Charles. The show's star, Angela Lansbury, also won a Tony Award, and she and Bea became lifelong friends. In 1971, Arthur appeared on the hit sitcom All in the Family (1971) as Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's cousin, who was forever driving Archie Bunker crazy with her liberal politics. The guest appearance led to Arthur's own series, Maude (1972). The show was a hit, running for six years, during which many controversial topics of the time, including abortion, were tackled, and Bea won her first Emmy Award. While doing Maude (1972), Arthur repeated the role of Vera Charles in the film version of Mame (1974), again directed by Gene Saks, but it was a dismal flop. She also appeared on The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978). While appearing in Maude (1972), she raised her two sons, whom she had adopted with husband Gene Saks. After the show ended, so did her marriage to Saks. She never remarried. She became a lifelong animal rights' activist.
In 1983, she started working on a new sitcom, Amanda's (1983), patterned after Britain's Fawlty Towers (1975) but it was short-lived. In 1985, The Golden Girls (1985) made its debut. Co-starring Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show was about the lives of three middle-aged women, and one elderly mother, (played by Getty, who was actually younger than White and Arthur), living in Miami. It was an immediate hit, running for seven seasons. All of the cast members, including Arthur, won Emmy Awards during the show's run. She left when she thought each show was at its peak. The producers realized the shows wouldn't be the same without her. In 1992, The Golden Girls (1985) was canceled. Arthur kept a low profile, appearing in only two movies: For Better or Worse (1995) and Enemies of Laughter (2000).
In 1999, Arthur made an appearance at The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller (1999). She did a one-woman stage show in 2001, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. In 2003, she reunited with Betty White and Rue McClanahan for The Golden Girls (1985) reunion special on the Lifetime Channel. Noticeably absent was supporting actress Estelle Getty, who was ill. The three lead actresses made appearances together for the rest of the decade to promote DVD releases of The Golden Girls (1985). They appeared together for the last time in 1998, at the TV Land Awards, receiving a standing ovation as they accepted the Pop Culture Award. She attended her induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, with Angela Lansbury.
On April 25, 2009, at home with her family, Arthur died of cancer. She was 86. She was survived by her two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and her grandchildren, Kyra and Violet. In her will, she left $300,000 to New York's Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youths.Ackmena - The Star Wars Holiday Special- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Art Carney was an American actor with a lengthy career but is primarily remembered for two roles. In television, Carney played municipal sewer worker Ed Norton in the influential sitcom "The Honeymooners" (1955-1956). In film, Carney played senior citizen Harry Coombes in the road movie "Harry and Tonto" (1974). For this role, Carney won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
In 1918, Carney was born in an Irish American family in Mount Vernon, New York. His father was publicist Edward Michael Carney, and his mother was housewife Helen Farrell. Carney was the youngest of the family's six sons. He was educated at Mount Vernon High School (at the time called "A.B. Davis High School").
In the 1930s, Carney was a singer with the orchestra of big band leader Horace Heidt (1901-1986). They appeared often in radio shows, and were regulars in the pioneering game show Pot o' Gold (1939-1947). Carney had an uncredited cameo in the film adaptation "Pot o' Gold" (1941), which was his film debut.
His career was interrupted when he was drafted for World War II service. He served as an infantryman and machine gun crewman for the duration of the war. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy (1944), where he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. Following his injury, his right leg was shorter than his left one. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
Following the War, Carney appeared regularly on radio as a character actor. He also served as a celebrity impersonator, imitating the voices of (among others) Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Dwight David Eisenhower. He had a recurring role as the Red Lantern in the fantasy adventure series "Land of the Lost" (1943-1948), and another as Charlie the doorman in radio and television version of the sitcom The Morey Amsterdam Show (1948-1950).
Carney was first paired with fellow actor Jackie Gleason (1916-1987) in 1950, in a comedy sketch appearing in the variety series "Cavalcade of Stars" (1949-1952). Gleason appeared as lunchroom loudmouth Charlie Bratten, and Carney as mild-mannered victim Clem Finch. Due to good chemistry between the two actors, Carney became a show regular and appeared in several other comedy sketches with Gleason. "Cavalcade of Stars" was eventually reworked into "The Jackie Gleason Show" (1952-1957), with Gleason as the lead actor and Carney as his sidekick.
The most notable of the recurring sketches was "the Honeymooners", pairing the verbally abusive Ralph Kramden (Gleason) with his optimistic best friend Ed Norton (Carney). The sketch eventually was eventually given its own series, "The Honeymooners" (1955-1956). The series only lasted for 1 season, and a total of 39 episodes. The sitcom was canceled due to low ratings, but found success in syndication. Its depiction of the American working class was popular and influenced several other sitcoms. The popular animated sitcom "The Flintstones" (1960-1966) started as a Honeymooners parody, with the character Barney Rubble based on Ed Norton.
Due to his popularity as Gleason's sidekick, Carney was offered a number of lead roles in television. He starred in the television special "Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf" (1958), adapted from the story "Peter and the Wolf" (1936) by Sergei Prokofiev. He was eventually given his own show "Art Carney Special" (1959-1961), which was not particularly successful.
Carney had few notable guest star roles in television during the 1960s. He played an alcoholic department store Santa Claus in the episode "The Night of the Meek" (1960) of The Twilight Zone, and portrayed the villain "The Archer" in two episodes of "Batman". He opened the 1970s by playing both Santa Claus and villain Cosmo Scam in the Christmas television special "The Great Santa Claus Switch" (1970), where he appeared alongside Jim Henson's Muppets.
Carney had suffered a career decline until the 1970s, in part due to his alcoholism. He first found success in film as the leading character "Harry and Tonto" (1974), as a lonely senior citizen who goes on a cross-country journey with his pet cat. His critical success in the role and winning an Academy Award helped revive his career. He was offered many new film roles, though few leading ones.
Among his better-known film roles were the deranged preacher John Wesley Gore in "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings" (1975), aging detective Ira Wells in "The Late Show" (1977), senile surgeon Dr. Amos Willoughby in "House Calls" (1978), and thrill-seeking bank robber Al in "Going in Style". During this period, Carney won both the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor and the Pasinetti Award for Best Actor.
Carney had a notable role in the television film "Star Wars Holiday Special" (1978) as Trader Saun Dann, a member of the Rebel Alliance. In the 1980s, Carney was mostly reduced to minor roles again. He is better remembered as the kind-hearted farmer Irv Manders in the horror film "Firestarter" (1984) and theatrical producer Bernard Crawford in the comedy-drama "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984). He mostly retired from acting by the late 1980s.
Carney emerged from retirement to play the supporting role of Frank Slater in "Last Action Hero" (1993). Frank is depicted as the "favorite second cousin" of the film's protagonist Jack Slater (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). Frank's death provided motivation for the revenge-seeking protagonist. Frank's final line in the film was "I'm outta here", and this was indeed Carney's last appearance in a film before his death.
Carney lived in retirement until 2003. He died in his sleep in November 2003, in his home near Westbrook, Connecticut. His death was attributed to unspecified "natural causes". He was 85 years old and had reportedly managed to stay sober since he originally quit drinking in 1974. He is interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
Carney was survived by his wife Jean Myers, who died in October 2012. Carney was the grandfather of politician Devin Carney, who served in the Connecticut General Assembly.Saun Dann- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Paul Kantner was born on 17 March 1941 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Forrest Gump (1994), Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and A Serious Man (2009). He died on 28 January 2016 in San Francisco, California, USA.Himself - Jefferson Starship- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Harvey Korman was a lanky, popular TV comedy veteran with a flair for broad comic characterizations, who shone for a decade as leading man and second banana par excellence on The Carol Burnett Show (1967).
Harvey Herschel Korman was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ellen (Blecher) and Cyril Raymond Korman, a salesman. His parents, both immigrants, were from Russian Jewish families. A persistent television presence since the early 1960s, Korman's first break was a stint as a featured performer on The Danny Kaye Show (1963), a lively musical variety series in which Korman began working in the format which he would soon master--providing sturdy support to a multi-talented star in a wide variety of comedy sketches. Boasting large, expressive features and a wonderfully mutable voice, Korman could play a wide assortment of characters. Perhaps his first classic characterization was provided for The Flintstones (1960) wherein he was the distinctively snooty voice of The Great Gazoo, a little helmeted space man from the future consigned to the Earth's past in punishment for his crimes.
Korman garnered four Emmys for his work with Carol Burnett over the years. Ironically Korman would never again find such a successful showcase for his talents though he certainly tried, appearing in several busted pilots and short-lived sitcoms. Almost exclusively a comic actor, he stretched a bit to play straight man Bud Abbott opposite Buddy Hackett's Lou Costello in the disappointing TV biopic Bud and Lou (1978). He directed and/or produced sitcom episodes and TV comedy specials. An occasional actor in films, Korman made his feature debut with a supporting role in The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966). Several film roles followed until he gained his widest exposure with a major supporting role in Mel Brooks' classic Western spoof Blazing Saddles (1974). He fared well in Brooks' High Anxiety (1977) and History of the World: Part I (1981). He acted in two 1994 features: the blockbuster live-action version of The Flintstones (1994) (providing the voice of the Dictabird) and the poorly received but lavishly produced Radioland Murders (1994).Krelman, Chef Gormaanda, Amorphian Instructor- Mickey Morton was born on 8 March 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), Star Trek (1966) and Legends of the Superheroes (1979). He died on 8 August 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Malla
- Claude Woolman was born on 15 October 1933 in San Diego, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), The Outer Limits (1963) and The Swan Song (1971). He died on 5 July 1989 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Imperial Officer
- Art James was born on 15 October 1929 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Mallrats (1995), Hostile Environment (1999) and Raw Justice (1994). He was married to Jane Hamilton and Sandra Petron. He died on 28 March 2004 in Palm Springs, California, USA.Announcer
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Burl Ives was one of six children born to a farming family in Hunt City, Jasper, Illinois, the son of Cordellia "Dellie" (White) and Levi Franklin Ives. He first sang in public for a soldiers' reunion when he was age 4. In high school, he learned the banjo and played fullback, intending to become a football coach when he enrolled at Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College in 1927. He dropped out in 1930 and wandered, hitching rides, doing odd jobs, street singing.
Summer stock in the late 1930s led to a job with CBS radio in 1940; through his "Wayfaring Stranger" he popularized many of the folk songs he had collected in his travels. By the 1960s, he had hits on both popular and country charts. He recorded over 30 albums for Decca and another dozen for Columbia. In 1964 he was singer-narrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), an often-repeated Christmas television special. His Broadway debut was in 1938, though he is best remembered for creating the role of Big Daddy in the 1950s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) when it ran on Broadway through the early 1950s.
His four-decade, 30+ movie career began with Ives playing a singing cowboy in Smoky (1946) and reached its peak with (again) his role as Big Daddy role in the movie version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and winning an Oscar for best supporting actor in The Big Country (1958), both in 1958. Ives officially retired from show business on his 80th birthday in 1989 and settled in Anacortes, Washington, although he continued to do frequent benefit performances at his own request. Burl Ives died in 1995.Narrarator - Caravan of Courage: The Ewok Adventure- Sydney Walker, the stage and movie actor, was born on May 5, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Walker made his Broadway debut as the Archbishop of Canterbury in the famous 1960 production of Jean Anouilh's "Beckett," which starred Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn. He subsequently appeared in 22 Broadway productions from 1960 to 1973.
As a member of the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company, he was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Lt. Ekdahl in the revival of Henrik Ibsen's "The Wild Duck" in 1967. Later, he was a member of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center, appearing as the Second God in the 1970 production of Bertolt Brecht's "The Good Woman of Setzuan," as Sir Toby Belch in the 1972 production of "Twelfth Night," and as Shylock in the 1973 production of "The Merchant of Venice." His last play was the 1973 production of "Veronica's Room," in which he was the standby for Arthur Kennedy, whom had replaced Anthony Quinn in "Beckett," Walker's first Broadway production.
Walker made his movie debut in the Kirk Douglas movie A Lovely Way to Die (1968) and played the doctor in Love Story (1970). He made five appearances on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in 1974. His last film was Getting Even with Dad (1994), but his most famous movie role came two years earlier in the film adaptation of Prelude to a Kiss (1992), in which he reprized the role of the Old Man he had assayed in the 1988 Berkeley Repertory production of the Craig Lucas play.
Walker received the best reviews of the film for his portrait of the Old Man who swaps bodies with a young woman, giving a performance that showed the frightened young woman trapped inside an old man's body while simultaneously channeling a sad, genteel sagacity. The movie was not a commercial or critical success, primarily due to Meg Ryan's poor acting, which failed to intimate that she is the same person as the Old Man.
Unfortunately, Sydney Walker was never able to capitalize on this late career succes d'estime. He died in San Francisco, California on September 30, 1994 from cancer.Voice of Deej - Robert Elross was born on 21 February 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Cujo (1983), The Right Stuff (1983) and Nash Bridges (1996). He died on 13 June 2004 in San Pablo, California, USA.Logray
- Actor
- Producer
Character actor Paul Gleason was adept at playing tough guys and white collar sleazebags, making his film debut in Winter A-Go-Go (1965). He made a name for himself portraying these unlikeable characters. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gleason studied extensively at the Actor's Studio in New York City in the mid-60s with Lee Strasberg (his mentor) and was seen in a handful of Roger Corman productions before landing a a three-year role on the TV soap opera All My Children (1970). He appeared in over 60 films, with key roles in Trading Places (1983), Die Hard (1988), Miami Blues (1990), Boiling Point (1993) and National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002). However, he is perhaps best remembered for his role as the no-nonsense principal "Richard Vernon" in The Breakfast Club (1985). He also guest-starred in numerous television series, including Hill Street Blues (1981), Dawson's Creek (1998) and Friends (1994). Gleason passed away of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer at a Burbank, California hospital on May 29th 2006 at the age of 67.Jeremitt - Ewoks: The Battle for Endor- Johnny Weissmuller Jr. was born on 23 September 1940 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for THX 1138 (1971), American Graffiti (1973) and Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1975). He was married to Diane. He died on 27 July 2006 in San Francisco, California, USA.Card Player #2
- Scott Ferry was born in July 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985). He died in 2001 in Oakland, California, USA.Marauder
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Kenny Baker was born on 24 August 1934 in Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), Time Bandits (1981) and The Elephant Man (1980). He was married to Eileen Baker. He died on 13 August 2016 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.R2-D2- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Peter Sumner was born on 29 January 1942 in Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor and director, known for Color Me Dead (1969), Spyforce (1971) and Moby Dick (1998). He was married to Lynda Stoner and Christina Mary Monsarrat Sims. He died on 22 November 2016 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Lieutenant Pol Treidum- Actor
- Additional Crew
Michael Leader was born in 1938 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for EastEnders (1985), TV Burp (2001) and Love lifting (2002). He died on 22 August 2016 in England, UK.Stormtrooper- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Carrie Frances Fisher was born on October 21, 1956 in Burbank, California, to singers/actors Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. She was an actress and writer known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Fisher is also known for her book, "Postcards from the Edge", and she wrote the screenplay for the movie based on her novel. Carrie Fisher and talent agent Bryan Lourd have a daughter, Billie Lourd (Billie Catherine Lourd), born on July 17, 1992.Princess Leia- Margaret Towner was born on 1 October 1920 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was an actress, known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), The Wolves of Kromer (1998) and Derek (2012). She was married to Raymond Francis. She died on 10 April 2017 in London, England, UK.Jira
- Alfie Curtis was born on July 28, 1930 in Stepney, London, England. Alfie began acting on various British television shows in 1973. With his tallish (5'10"), burly build, intimidating presence, and rough face (the latter was the result of a terrible childhood accident), Curtis was especially memorable as the belligerent Mos Eisley cantina-thug Dr. Cornelius Evazan who antagonizes Luke Skywalker ("I have the death-sentence on twelve systems") in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Alfie lived in a semi-detached house in the Essex town of Billericay for the last fourteen years of his life. Alfie Curtis died at age 87 on November 30, 2017.Dr. Evazan