The originalStar Wars film received widespread acclaim from critics for its storytelling, characters, John Williams' musical score and its groundbreaking visual and sound effects.
Thousands of actors were assessed in the search for the trilogy's main cast.[2] The selected actors are considered by many viewers to have onscreen chemistry even though some of them were inexperienced, with the notable exceptions ofAlec Guinness andPeter Cushing.[3][4] Some, like Ford, have called the dialogue in the scripts clunky, and several lines were unscripted; some of these are considered the most memorable moments in the films.[b]
Luke Skywalker is a young adult raised by his aunt and uncle onTatooine, who dreams of something more than his current life and learns aboutthe Force and theJedi. Eventually, he becomes a pilot in the Rebel Alliance and an apprentice Jedi. After training with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, he is one of the last living Jedi Knights.
The character was portrayed byMark Hamill in all three films.
Lucas favored casting young actors who lacked long experience. To play Luke (then known as Luke Starkiller), Lucas sought actors who could project intelligence and integrity. While reading the script, Hamill found the dialogue to be extremely odd because of its universe-embedded concepts. He chose to simply read it sincerely, and he was cast instead ofWilliam Katt, who was subsequently cast inBrian De Palma'sCarrie (Lucas shared a joint casting session with De Palma, a longtime friend).[6][7]Robby Benson,Will Seltzer,Charles Martin Smith andKurt Russell also auditioned for the role.[8][9][10][11][12]
Grand Moff Tarkin is the Imperial commander of the Death Star.
The character was portrayed byPeter Cushing inA New Hope.
Lucas originally offered the role toChristopher Lee but he declined.[30] Lucas originally had Cushing in mind for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Lucas believed that "his lean features" would be better employed in the role of Tarkin instead. Lucas commended Cushing's performance, saying "[He] is a very good actor. Adored and idolized by young people and by people who go to see a certain kind of movie. I feel he will be fondly remembered for the next 350 years at least." Cushing, commenting on his role, joked: "I've often wondered what a 'Grand Moff' was. It sounds like something that flew out of a cupboard."[31]
Obi-Wan Kenobi, also known as Ben Kenobi or Old Ben, is an agingJedi Master and veteran of theClone Wars who introduces Luke to the Force.
The character was portrayed byAlec Guinness in all three films.
Lucas's decision to cast "unknowns" was not taken favorably by his friendFrancis Ford Coppola and the studio, so Lucas decided Obi-Wan Kenobi should be played by an established actor. ProducerGary Kurtz said, "The Alec Guinness role required a certain stability and gravitas as a character... which meant we needed a very, very strongcharacter actor to play that part."[32] Before Guinness was cast, Japanese actorToshiro Mifune (who starred in manyAkira Kurosawa films) was considered for the role.[33][34] According to Mifune's daughter, Mika Kitagawa, her father turned down Lucas' offers to play Kenobi and Darth Vader because "he was concerned about how the film would look and that it would cheapen the image ofsamurai... At the time, sci-fi movies still looked quite cheap as the effects were not advanced and he had a lot of samurai pride."[35] Guinness was one of the few cast members who believed that the film would be successful; he negotiated a deal for 2.25% of the one-fifth grossroyalties paid to Lucas, which made him quite wealthy in later life. He agreed to take the part of Kenobi on the condition that he would not have to do any publicity to promote the film.[36] Lucas credited him with inspiring the cast and crew to work harder, saying that Guinness contributed significantly to the completion of the filming.[37] Harrison Ford said, "It was, for me, fascinating to watch Alec Guinness. He was always prepared, always professional, always very kind to the other actors. He had a very clear head about how to serve the story."[32]
C-3PO, or See Threepio, is a protocoldroid affiliated with the Rebellion who is "fluent in over six million forms of communication".
The character was portrayed byAnthony Daniels in all three films.
Daniels auditioned for and was cast as C-3PO; he has said that he wanted the role after he saw aRalph McQuarrie drawing of the character and was struck by the vulnerability in the robot's face.[38][39] Initially, Lucas did not intend to use Daniels' voice for C-3PO. Thirty well-establishedvoice actors read for the voice of the droid. According to Daniels, one of the major voice actors, believed by some sources to beStan Freberg, recommended Daniels' voice for the role.[38][40]Mel Blanc was considered for the role, but according to Daniels, Blanc told Lucas that Daniels was better for the part.[41][42]Richard Dreyfuss was also considered.[43]
R2-D2, or Artoo Detoo, is anastromech droid and C-3PO's companion, who is carrying the Death Star plans and a secret message for Obi-Wan from Princess Leia.
The character was portrayed byKenny Baker in all three films.
When filming was under way in London, where additional casting took place, Baker, performing a musical comedy act with his acting partnerJack Purvis, learned that the film crew was looking for a small person to fit inside a robot suit and maneuver it. Baker, who was 3 feet 8 inches (1.12 m) tall, was cast immediately after meeting George Lucas. He said, "He saw me come in and said 'He'll do' because I was the smallest guy they'd seen up until then." He initially turned down the role three times, hesitant to appear in a film where his face would not be shown and hoping to continue the success of his comedy act, which had recently started to be televised.[44] R2-D2's recognizable beeps and squeaks were made bysound designerBen Burtt imitating "baby noises", recording this voice as it was heard on an intercom, and creating the final mix using asynthesizer.[45]
Chewbacca is aWookiee, Han Solo's sidekick, and first mate of theMillennium Falcon.
The character was portrayed byPeter Mayhew in all three films.
Mayhew learned of a casting call forStar Wars, which was being shot in London, and decided to audition. The 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) tall actor was immediately cast as Chewbacca after he stood up to greet Lucas.[46][47] He recounted, "I sat down on one of the sofas, waiting for George. Door opened, and George walked in with Gary behind him. So, naturally, what did I do? I'm raised in England. Soon as someone comes in through the door, I stand up. George goes 'Hmm [looked up].' Virtually turned to Gary, and said 'I think we've found him.'[46] As a result of his height, Mayhew was eligible for either the role of Chewbacca or Darth Vader, ultimately choosing the former because he wanted to play a hero in the story.[47] Mayhew modeled his performance of Chewbacca after the mannerisms of animals he saw at publiczoos.[48]
Darth Vader is Obi-Wan's former Jedi apprentice, who fell to the dark side of the Force.
The character was portrayed byDavid Prowse in the suit. Lucas dismissed Prowse for the character's voice due to hisWest Country English accent, which led to him being nicknamed "Darth Farmer" by the other cast members.[49]James Earl Jones served as the voice of Darth Vader; he was uncredited until 1983. Lucas originally intended forOrson Welles to voice the character after dismissing Prowse.[50] However, determining that Welles' voice would be too familiar to audiences, Lucas instead cast then-relatively less recognizable Jones.[51][52]
InReturn of the Jedi, after Anakin is redeemed by his son,Sebastian Shaw portrays the character when the helmet is removed. He also portrays the Force Ghost of Anakin seen at the end of the film, though this footage was replaced withHayden Christensen as the younger Anakin from the prequel trilogy in the Special Edition of the film.
The Emperor is the founder and supreme ruler of theGalactic Empire and Darth Vader'sSith master.
The character was first physically portrayed by Elaine Baker and voiced byClive Revill in the theatrical release ofThe Empire Strikes Back.Ian McDiarmid would fully take over the role inReturn of the Jedi, and the 2004 release of the Special Editions replaced the version inEmpire with a new performance by McDiarmid to maintain internal consistency.
Captain Antilles commanded theTantive IV as it carried Princess Leia and the stolen Death Star plans. The ship was captured by Imperial forces, and Antilles was interrogated and killed by Darth Vader after refusing to reveal the location of the plans after they were sent with C-3PO and R2-D2 to the surface of Tatooine.
The character was portrayed byPeter Geddis inA New Hope. The character was later portrayed byRohan Nichol and Tim Beckmann in the prequel filmsRevenge of the Sith andRogue One respectively. A character namedWedge Antilles appears later in the film and the rest of the original trilogy, but they have no relation.
Owen and Beru Lars are moisture farmers on Tatooine, and they are the guardians of Luke Skywalker. They are killed by stormtroopers while Luke is away attempting to track down the lost astromech droid R2-D2.
The characters have been portrayed byPhil Brown andShelagh Fraser inA New Hope. Younger versions of the characters were also portrayed byJoel Edgerton andBonnie Piesse inAttack of the Clones,Revenge of the Sith, andObi-Wan Kenobi.
Lobot is Lando Calrissian's cyborg aide on Bespin. After the Empire takes over Cloud City, Lando is able to use Lobot's cybernetic connections to evade Imperial capture.
The character has been portrayed byJohn Hollis inThe Empire Strikes Back.
InA New Hope, the Battle of Yavin serves as the chronological reference point for the franchise's in-universe dating system (years are denoted as Before or After the Battle of Yavin, BBY/ABY). The Rebels' Red and Gold Squadrons, piloting X-wings and Y-wings respectively, barely manage to destroy the Death Star as it closes in on the Rebel base on Yavin IV.
General Dodonna (Alex McCrindle) – leader at the Yavin base who devised the plan to destroy the first Death Star
InReturn of the Jedi, the Battle of Endor is the Rebel Alliance's attempt to destroy the second Death Star before it becomes operational, representing the culmination of their efforts. However, the Rebels' information was carefully provided by the Emperor himself to lure the entire Rebel fleet into a trap. The Rebel fleet proceeds with engaging the Empire's fleet while a ground crew on the forest moon work to deactivate the operational Death Star's force field.
Admiral Ackbar – aMon Calamari pilot and strategist, the foremost military commander of the Rebel Alliance by the time of the Battle of Endor. Ackbar was originally planned to be more conventionally humanoid, but afterStar Wars creatorGeorge Lucas decided to make him an alien. Ackbar was realized inReturn of the Jedi through the use of either a half-body puppet or full-body costume, depending on the camera angle required. He was portrayed by puppeteerTimothy D. Rose, who originally played other characters, but requested to also play Ackbar after seeing his sculpt on a display stand. Ackbar was voiced byErik Bauersfeld, who made up the voice on the spot after looking at a photograph of Ackbar.
Nien Nunb – aSullustan pilot who fought in the Battle of Endor, serving alongside Lando Calrissian as co-pilot of theMillennium Falcon as they destroyed the second Death Star. The character was introduced inReturn of the Jedi where he was brought to life both as a puppet and a costumed actor during the film. Nunb was puppeteered byMike Quinn and was portrayed byRichard Bonehill in wide shots.[59][60] The character was voiced byKipsang Rotich, aKenyan student who spoke in his nativeKalenjin, as well as inKikuyu.[61][62]
Wicket (Warwick Davis) – the firstEwok encountered by the Rebel forces on the forest moon of Endor
General Bast (Leslie Schofield) – general of ground forces stationed at the Death Star
Officer Gherant (Pip Miller) – served on the bridge of theExecutor
Moff Jerjerrod (Michael Pennington) – oversaw the construction of the second Death Star
Admiral Motti (Richard LeParmentier) – officer aboard the first Death Star who wanted to brashly use the Death Star and showed disdain towards the old ways of the Force, prompting discipline from Lord Vader
Captain Needa (Michael Culver) – pursued the Millennium Falcon, and was executed by Darth Vader following its escape
Admiral Ozzel (Michael Sheard) – commanded the Imperial fleet over Hoth, but performed a tactical blunder that alerted the Rebels to their presence, and was subsequently executed by Vader
Admiral Piett (Kenneth Colley) – Piett is an Imperial officer who originally served as a captain of theExecutor, before his promotion to Admiral following Ozzel being relieved of duty. Piett is tasked with tracking down the Millennium Falcon following its escape from Hoth. Piett later commands the Imperial fleet at Endor.
General Tagge (Don Henderson) – chief of military operations aboard the first Death Star, credited as General Taggi
General Veers (Julian Glover) – led the ground assault against the Rebels on Hoth
Ponda Baba – an Aqualish enforcer for the notorious Doctor Evazan. Baba threatens Luke Skywalker in Mos Eisley, prompting Ben to defend him and slice off Baba's arm with his lightsaber.
BoShek (Basil Tomlin) – a Corellian smuggler and pilot-for-hire
Figrin D'an – a Bith musician, and leader of the band "Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes" that perform thediegetic music in Mos Eisley
Doctor Evazan – a serial killer who experiments on his patients, granting him the death sentence on 12 star systems.
Garindan – a Kubaz spy who leads Imperial stormtroopers to theMillenium Falcon after Luke and Ben leave Mos Eisley. Archival recordings ofJohn Wayne were heavily synthesized and used for the character's voice.[63]
Greedo – a Rodian bounty hunter employed by Jabba the Hutt. After confronting and threatening Han Solo in Mos Eisley cantina, Greedo is shot and killed by Solo. Greedo is central to the "Han shot first" controversy introduced with the release of the Special Editions. The character was portrayed by Paul Blake inA New Hope, with pick-up shots being portrayed by Maria De Aragon.[64] The character's articulated head and pyrotechnic effect after being shot were designed and built byJohn Stears.[citation needed] Linguist Larry Ward performed the voice in a simplified form ofQuechua, the Inca language.[65]
InThe Empire Strikes Back, the Empire hires six bounty hunters to track down the Millennium Falcon.
4-LOM (Chris Parsons) – a reprogrammed protocol droid
Bossk (Alan Harris) – a Trandoshan hunter (also seen in Jabba's Palace inReturn of the Jedi)
Dengar (Morris Bush) – a Corellian agent (also seen in Jabba's Palace inReturn of the Jedi)
Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch) – a Mandalorian who successfully tracks down the ship to Bespin, where he works with Vader and Imperial forces to capture Han Solo and the rest of the crew. He delivers Solo frozen in carbonite to gangster Jabba the Hutt for the bounty. Fett is later present at Jabba's Palace, where his jetpack is damaged during Luke Skywalker's rescue mission, and he is swallowed by the Sarlaac. In the extended editions, the character's voice was re-dubbed byTemuera Morrison, who portrayed the character's clone father Jango Fett inAttack of the Clones.
Jabba is a Hutt gangster and crime lord on Tatooine. He is killed by Leia Organa in the mission to rescue Han Solo.
The character was originally portrayed as a human by actorDeclan Mulholland inA New Hope, though his only scene was cut. His first proper appearance was inReturn of the Jedi, depicted by a one-ton puppet operated by several puppeteers. The character is credited as himself, though he was voiced byLarry Ward.
Jabba's entourage at his Tatooine palace includes a variety of unique characters reminiscent of the Mos Eisley scene in the first movie:
Salacious B. Crumb – a Kowakian Monkey-Lizard and court jester in Jabba's court, performed by Tim Rose and voiced by Mark Dodson
Oola (Femi Taylor) – a Twi'lek dancer who is fed to Jabba's rancor
TheMax Rebo Band – an alienswing music band. Originally having three members (Max Rebo,Sy Snootles,Droopy McCool) inReturn of the Jedi, the group's lineup was greatly expanded in the 1997 Special Edition.
^Ford's lines "We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?" inA New Hope and "I know" inThe Empire Strikes Back were improvised, andMark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) was not aware he was being filmed when he said "I can't see a thing in this helmet" during the filming ofA New Hope.[5]
