9 Actors You Didn't Know Were in Star Wars Movies
The crowded backdrops of Star Wars movies aren't just populated by Frank Oz puppets, interns, and robots in Rick Baker makeup: There are genuine stars (and famous directors) running around there! We've pinpointed nine folks who made cameos in Star Wars films, and I'm willing to bet you couldn't catch most of these players upon first viewing. Sofia Coppola is practically hiding.
1. Keira Knightley
Movie: The Phantom Menace
Role: Sabe, the decoy queen
Hired thanks to her resemblance to Natalie Portman, future Oscar nominee Knightley played Amidala's doppelganger decoy and bodyguard. It's the kind of fronting that could drive a woman mad. Talk about A Dangerous Method.
2. Rose Byrne
Movie: Attack of the Clones
Role: Dormé
Long before she sneered and scoffed at Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, Damages star Rose Byrne wasn't so cocky as Padmé Amidala's handmaiden Dormé. That expressionless mug served her well in Patty Hewes's firm.
3. Joel Edgerton
Movie: Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith
Role: Owen Lars
As Anakin Skywalker's stepbrother Owen, Edgerton eventually takes custody of Luke Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. He's killed by stormtroopers in A New Hope, but it's clear that Owen here has the fire of an Animal Kingdom/Warrior alum. Joel Edgerton is the brother of Ewan McGregor's stunt double Nash Edgerton, and coincidentally, Owen Lars is named as Obi-Wan Kenobi's brother in the novelization of Return of the Jedi.
4. Marton Csokas
Movie: Attack of the Clones
Role: Poggle the Lesser
Looks like Celebron from The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has a sexy past with other fantastical franchises. In Attack of the Clones, Csokas voices Poggle the Lesser, the separatist Archduke of Geonosis who is gunned down by Darth Vader on Mustafar. Wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happened to him in The Debt.
5. Keisha Castle-Hughes
Movie: Revenge of the Sith
Role: Queen Apailana of Naboo
Soon after the august New Zealand actress scored an Oscar nomination for her unforgettable work in Whale Rider, she played a forgettable queen in Revenge of the Sith's funeral scene. Looking kind of Thai for a Kiwi!
6. Sofia Coppola
Movie: The Phantom Menace
Role: Saché
The oldest of Amidala's five handmaidens, Saché donned a red-orange robe and stared off like a downtrodden protagonist in a Sofia Coppola movie.
7. John Ratzenberger
Movie: The Empire Strikes Back
Role: Major Bren Derlin
A few years prior to landing Cheers, the Pixar mainstay bundled up to play the deck officer Bren Derlin in The Empire Strikes Back. Even when he's starring in a sci-fi classic, you just want to hand him a stein.
8. Joe Johnston
Movie: Star Wars
Role: Stormtrooper
In an additional insert scene shot for the original Star Wars, the Captain America: The First Avenger director (and Oscar-winner for Best Visual Effects on Raiders of the Lost Ark) stands out on the Death Star surface looking over at the captured Millennium Falcon. Still a fetching costume to this day.
9. George Lucas
Movie: Revenge of the Sith
Role: Baron Papanoida
The blue-skinned Baron Papanoida, who lingers outside Palpatine's private box at the Galaxies Opera House, is your austere auteur, Mr. George Lucas! He's glowering like Orson Welles in The Muppet Movie, but I'm sure he's having a fine time.
Comments
No Dominic West?
Another good one... and so cute in his little guard uniform.
Tony Cox?
Treat Williams, I have always tride to spot him in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, but have never been able. This could have helped me, besides I know plenty of people who know about Keira Knightley and Sofia Coppala,
I am disappointed that you missed out on Scott Bakula - he was in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as an Imperial crew member on a Star Destroyer -- he had the great line: "Captain Needa, that ship no longer appears on our scopes!!!!!" -- and here I was looking for definitive -- sheesh!!!
Amusing that you cite Joe Johnston's turn under plastic in "Str Wars" (those of us of a certain age refuse to call it "A New Hope".
In fact you can prominently see him -- with dialogue -- in "The Empire Strikes Back", as the Rebel officer on Hoth who says the line "Groups seven and ten will stay behind to fly the speeders"".
And in "Return Of The Jedi", director Richard Marquand and co-producer Robert Watts are unrecognizable under helmet as the Scout Walker pilots on Endor.
There's a VERY well known actor who appeared in A New Hope but was uncredited: Harry Shearer! He did ADR for the voice of the Imperial officer in the Death Star's docking bay. Next time you watch the movie, key in on this line: "According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff."
It's Harry!
Comedian/Actor Greg Proops was the voice of Fode (a two headed thingamajig) in Phantom Menace
Tom Cruise was an Ewok.
What about Josh Brolin in Empire as well
Commander Nemet was played by Mark Jones not Scott Bakula.
BRIAN BLESSED!
This should be called: 7 actors who no one has heard of who were in Star Wars, 1 actor who everyone knew was in Star Wars, and one person who was in Star Wars and is not an actor but the director of Star Wars.