Star Wars Interviews 1

Phil Eason | Yaddle | Star Wars

2011-08-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the character Yaddle was introduced. It was british puppeteer Phil Eason who played this member of the Jedi Council. Phil Eason's credits include many popular movies like the first two Harry Potter installments, Little Shop of Horrors, Labyrinth, Muppets Treasure Island, Animal Farm and Lost in Space.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I trained as an actor, mainly because I wanted to become a stuntman. A stuntman I had corresponded with in my teens suggested getting a bit of acting experience. Whilst at drama school, the lecturers said I should forget becoming a stuntman and concentrate on being an actor. I had always been interested in make-up effects and props, sculpting and painting at home for a hobby, making kits. So at drama school, as well as the acting, I would be called on to make any props or design peoples special make -ups. Of course, building puppets was always in the background. It's not too big a stretch from making a latex mask to fit on someone’s face; to making a latex head you could put your hand in to operate it.

How did you get the part of Yaddle for The Phantom Menace?

It was a simple 'phone call.
I had just finished the movie of Lost In Space then went straight onto a children's television series, so was looking forward to a break.
The phone rang. It was the casting director for The Phantom Menace, or Episode One, as it was still called.
She said Frank Oz was coming to England to perform Yoda and had asked for me to operate the eyes in case he could not persuade Dave Greenaway to come out of retirement. When I finally agreed and arrived at Leavesden studios. Dave was there, so I would not be needed.
However, there were a great many creature effects people I knew from the business working on the movie so I spent an hour or so chatting to people. When I was asked to have a chat with Nick Dudman, who was in charge of creature effects, he told me there was another puppet similar to Yoda in the Jedi senate and asked if I would operate it. I thought it would be fun, so said yes.

Can you share some of your memories regarding the time you worked on The Phantom Menace?

I mainly remember it being so much nicer than working on Lost in Space, which was frenetic and noisy! Also, on the children's television series I had just finished, I was the puppet co-coordinator and performer of the main character. So turning up and just having to put my hand in a puppet and then at the end of the day go home without any other responsibilities was great!

How did George Lucas direct you? And what impression did he make on you?

The scene was about the young Anakin, so the rest of us just had to react to what was being said by the other characters. George Lucas was more concerned with directing Liam Neeson, Ewan Macgregor, Samuel L. Jackson and young Jake Lloyd. We all knew that when there is a young actor on set, with so many distractions, everyone keeps noise down to an absolute minimum.
Yaddle had no dialogue, so it was just a matter of looks and nods at the right moment.

Did any strange, weird or remarkable things happen during the making of the movie?

Not so much weird or remarkable, but fun. When I had to go back a few weeks later to do close-ups, Some of the creature crew, many of whom I had worked with on various projects with the Jim Henson Company amongst others, decided to make me sit in my very own trailer, basically a very old beat up caravan with a grubby sign scrawled with my name taped to the door. Also, instead of walking to the set when I was needed, they sent along a runner in a golf cart, so I could arrive on set in style.

How do you look back at your part in The Phantom Menace? With pride? Or was it just a job for you?

One of the nicest things about working on The Phantom Menace is the interest it has generated. In all my years in the business it was one of the easiest jobs and one of the nicest.
Because of it I have been invited to signings and have met some really wonderful people, so I am obviously very grateful for that.

What do you regard as the highlight of your career?

This is a tricky one!
There are many jobs I have done which I am proud of and quite a few I would rather forget!
I think it would have to be Animal Farm for the Turner Network and Hallmark.
We shot it in Ireland in the cold and the wet, the mud and the rain, really awful filming conditions!
The crew was fantastic and the actors also. We all just got stuck in and tried to make the best film we could in the conditions. It helped with it being directed by John Stephenson who was head of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop at the time. He knew the limitations of filming animatronics, what could and couldn't be done.

Of all the characters you have puppeteered, which one is your favorite? And why?

I think it would have to be Napoleon in Animal Farm. Performing the scenes with Alan Stanford was a delight for both of us. My acting training came in useful, as we both rehearsed the scenes as actors would. Then I would go off behind camera to operate the Napoleon animatronic, and Alan treated it as a real character.

What are you currently up to? Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?

I have just finished filming in Sweden for a German four part film series of the books about Nils Holgersson. It’s about nasty young boy who gets reduced in size, then befriends a goose and has to learn to be nice.
There are lots of other geese in the story and they all talk, so I operated them all. The dialogue was in German, which I don't speak, which was tricky to say the least!!
I am just off to do a children's series for the BBC...this time operating and voicing some vegetables! Never a dull moment in this job!

Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

Just to say "thank you" for you continued interest and support. You are a superb bunch of people. I am looking forward to meeting more of you at some future Star Wars events.

Thom Christopher | Hawk | Buck Rogers | Interview

2011-06-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Although this site mainly focuses on Star Wars and it’s cast and crew, sometimes I make exceptions for people that have featured in other movies and series I like.
The following interview is maybe the best example of this.
In the summer of 1986 I saw the TV series Buck Rogers for the first time in my life. I was 10 years old and for years totally into Star Wars, but this series had something special as well.
When I watched the episode Time of the Hawk, the episode that introduces the character Hawk I was sold. That day, Hawk became my favorite Sci-Fi character outside Star Wars. Now, 25 years later, he still is.
Therefore I am proud to present the following interview with the man that gave life to Hawk: Emmy-award winning actor Thom Christopher!

How did you start your career? And was acting something you always wanted to do?

Acting, being an actor is all I ever really dreamed of. From the first remembrance of seeing an actor on the screen in my local movie theatre I was seduced. I had no realization that I was being seduced into a life long love affair with acting. At that point I must have been five or six years old, truly, but I knew that was where I wanted to be. So when the proverbial question, that will never see its sunset, came up, "And what do you want to be when you grow up?" I said "be an actor". Heads turned. Part two of your question; while in junior high school I was fortunate enough to have an incredible encounter with a music teacher, Rita B. Fuchs. Her name is forever engraved in my heart. She was aware of my passion about wanting to act. I had yet to really see a Broadway show but did see "school plays" of various levels and always said in my head. "I could do that better". Ms. Fuchs proceeded to introduce to the world of theatric literature, music, opera, classical and of course Broadway musicals of the past and to the moment of my epiphany. By the time I was ready to go to High School, Ms. Fuchs made me aware of the Performing Arts High School in New York City. Since I lived in Queens, a borough of NYC I was eligible to go and submit myself for an audition which was part of the process for admittance into the Drama Department. For one solid year she worked with me to understand, interput and speak my audition pieces; Henry Higgins’ opening speech from Shaw's Pygmalion, and the monologue of the potential President in Lindsey and Crouse's State of the Union. She rid me of a New York accent, she made believe I was a genius; all at the age of fourteen. I got into Performing Arts High School. The start of my career. I never looked back.

How did you get cast as Hawk in Buck Rogers? How did your audition go?

I was called in to audition for a new TV Series about the Chicago underworld of the 1920's and 30's. Universal Studios were the producers and the audition would be in New York City, my hometown. It was a Saturday appointment, which is important to the story. The role was Arnold Rothstein and the casting director was a gentleman of the first order, Joel Thurm. He was a very creative and quick minded man who had at his young age a wealth of theatrical knowledge. I did my audition and felt good about it and of course mixed it with hope. On Monday morning, about 48 hours later, giving a little, my agent called to say that Joel had called to say that NBC and the then running Buck Rogers in the 25th Century were going to start their second season with a new format and addition of new characters. One of the new characters would be a "lone survivor of an ancient race of bird people called the Hawk". Joel felt I was perfect for it and wanted me to audition. I received the script, set to work on it, was flown out to Los Angeles to audition for the new executive producer, John Mantley. I got on the plane and met John the following morning and he asked to read with me which I found a great complement. John was a legend in television already, having written many shows as well as producing as many. One of which was Gunsmoke. We read various scenes, the last being the death scene of Koori in the introductory episode, Time of the Hawk. When we finished I looked up and his eyes were filled with tears waiting to fall. He said "Come to the office, the Hawk is yours". Now my eyes were filled with tears.

What attracted you to the part of Hawk? Was it his looks, background or something else?

The exotic nature of the character of Hawk stirred me immediately. Half man, half avian with human instincts that came from an almost primitive, basic nature. I have always enjoyed dealing and creating characters that were "outsiders", away from the norm. Characters that were in a sense in some kind of isolation.

I read that as a preparation for the part of Hawk you started studying real Hawks in the Zoo and read books about Hawks. In which way(s) did it influence the way you played Hawk, and do you always prepare yourself for a part this way?

Once I knew the role of the Hawk was mine I returned to New York and started my preparation of research. I knew by instinct and a very informative and long conversation with John Mantley the executive producer what the character should evolve into. I wanted, and John agreed, to have a human who's avian instincts were still part of his genetic code so to speak. Since I was devoted jogger around Central Park in New York City, I started watching birds, of which there are many; how did they leave a perch on a tree limb, how did they attempt to scan for food or focus in on something that attracted them. The New York Museum of Natural History is one of the wonders of the world. Among the very many dioramas, they have assorted birds in various wild life settings. I was able to glean a very specific intensity from these three dimensional recreations and the journey to the Zoo proved to be the crystallizing of everything I was watching and reading. Since I had a very extensive amount of dance classes behind me in my training as an actor I saw the chance to enhance the movement of Hawk and make physical a simple act of climbing a hill or rocky area with the only using my legs and feet in the climb, never my hands to grip, watch a bird of any size walk. It transformed into a kind of motion that people picked up on. You want to give a "sense" of something human but veiled with what I call "another world quality" something different in the "normal". One of the great aspects of being an actor is the research that one must do for each character he plays. The research becomes an enormous learning process about the world that the "character lives in", the cause and effect of who he is, what does the character works at effects the way the life of the character begins to take its shape and become part of me. I recently played Pablo Picasso on stage and immersed myself in many documentaries, DVDs of him. The paintings, his relationships with people of his time. The way he looked at someone or the way he laughed. The ultimate joy, as with Picasso, came when a very elderly woman came backstage and told me that as a young girl in the late 1940's and early 50's she spent a great deal of time with him in France. She herself became an artist of considerable success and new him well. She said "You are Picasso". "You brought so many memories back to me". This is for any act of creation a validation that you are riding the right chariot of creativity and its success. It's all in the preparation.

Were you familiar with Buck Rogers (the comics and the old TV series with Buster Crabbe) before you got the part? Also, were you a science fiction fan?

Yes. I always was enthralled with movies and science fiction and fantasy were a part of that. It's pretty amazing that as a child I could watch the original War of the Worlds and as an adult see the art form create Star Wars.

The ratings for the second season of Buck Rogers weren’t as good as the first season. However, the introduction of your character Hawk was a big success. What is your own opinion about season 2?

There is always a massive, many pointed battle about why a particular project fails because of ratings. A new format was presented in the second season that I think startled a number of people both in the general audience and within the business. The tone of the show was darker and had a nuance to its stories that I felt were very good. There seemed to be a more literary approach to the story "conflicts". Now all of this is coming from me as a new cast member in an already established show. It's new to me. Where as Gil and Erin had a full season in their creative bones. They had a field of comparison available. One point that I do feel strongly about and what I feel did effect the second season, and has affected many shows in the past, is preemption. Buck Rogers premiered at the same time as the basketball telecasts were starting. I feel the preemption's confused the audience as to its time slot. It varied within a short number of weeks of going on the air.

Can you describe how your days working on Buck Rogers looked like?

Putting a weekly show together is a massive undertaking and lots of hard work that can only be accomplished by a coordinated effort in every department in front of the camera or behind. I'm a workaholic so I thrived on the hours and the "labor of love" it demanded. The crew was amazing, each and every member. The production staff were always at the "starting gate" to help, to inform to make sure we were all serving the same objective: the show and its quality. The executive producer and his associates I found to be a wonderful team. These many years later I hold them all in very special thoughts and admiration.

How was your relation with the cast and crew? I understood that Gil Gerard and you got along very well and became friends?

We all got along very well and I will, as I said above, always hold every one on the crew in a special place of admiration. The cast was so welcoming to the three new actors into the company of show regulars, the brilliant Wilfrid Hyde White, the very talented Jay Garner and myself. As for Gil and Erin I will always cherish and respect their individual graciousness and creative sharing with me. It's important to remember that here you have two stars of a show that has been on the air for a year and has established a following. When all of a sudden there is a change in story approach and over all show texture as well as this character that is dressed in black knee high boots, black spandex, a breast plate and crowned in black and white feathered head piece. What could have been a strain all the way around never happened. Both Erin and Gil were so generous and professional that they made each days work a joy.

Do you have any anecdotes or spectacular stories from working on Buck Rogers?

My favorite incident involves the participation of the very talented and special director and human being Vincent MacEveety. He had directed the first two hours of the second season episode Time of the Hawk. He is an exceptional talent and wonderful man. Vincent was back to do another episode and we were on the main ship which took up most of the studio with its various corridors and control rooms, etc. In this particular scene Hawk was guiding Buck, Wilma, Dr.Goodfellow out of harms way from some ships invaders; we were moving fast down a long corridor with Hawk in the rear of the group to protect them as they moved to safety. The movement was all into the camera at the end of the passage way the group passed off camera and Hawk was directed to turn and take on the fast approaching enemy. It is important to remember that the passage way is now wired with explosive "squibs" which will be rotoscoped in post production to give the effect of taser guns firing at each other. As directed I turned took out my taser gun and started firing at the approaching invaders. The camera is now shooting over my back. Suddenly the sound bell goes off and the scene is stopped. The sound man, a patient and lovely jewel of a man, says "I'm picking up a slight hissing sound from the set", so the effects crew rewires the passage way and we have about a ten minute delay to reshoot the scene. All is re set and action is called. Again the sound bell goes off and the same refrain of a hissing sound is picked up. The crew resets the squibs. Now Vincent is standing very, very close to the set watching all that is going on when action is called "Action". We start our firing at each other, there is suddenly the somewhat loud and patient shout of "Cut" from Vincent. We all freeze in wonderment. He gently, slowly moves his 6'3'" frame of body towards me with a slight smile of "Hello dummy" Vincent then says very nicely, almost too nicely: "What are you doing may I ask?" I replied: "I'm in the Hawk defensive position and firing at the advancing space pirates". Vincent says now with a slight suppression of a smile: "No, what are you doing with your mouth?" "With my mouth?" I replied in wonder. In a very gentle, fatherly patient way Vincent says "Yeeesss!" and proceeds to say to me "Do you realize every time you fire your taser that you are making a sound like "pitshoo, pitshoo". The child in me it seems was doing the thing that every child did when game playing a cowboy, a soldier or anyone shooting a gun. "pitshoo", one shot, "pitshoo", another shot. Needless to say the crew and cast burst into hysterics and I had to live with "pitshoo, pitshoo" all over the lot.

I saw on the site of Gil Gerard that there will be a 12 inch figure of Hawk released later this year.
Did you know this and what do you think of the fact there’s a figure made of Hawk, 30+ years after you played him?

I saw the Zica toy site and the respective figures. I am just amazed about the Hawk replica. And very flattered by it 30+ years down the line.

There is a rumor that during season 2 of Buck Rogers there were plans to make a spin-off series about Hawk. Is this true? What can you tell about this?

Soon after Time of The Hawk premiered, John Mantley our executive producer and his associate, a beautiful man, John Stephens came to the set and took me aside and said "Thom, if we get another season pick up on the show the studio and we feel we'd like to do a spin off series of the Hawk. The audience response has been so positive". I was stunned and very thrilled by the possibility. It is important to remember that I was fortunate to have a tremendous re pore with both John Mantley and John Stephens. Their support and confidence in what I was doing will always be cherished. I went on to work under the producership of John Stephens quite a few times. As I said, a beautiful man and an exceptional producer. John Mantley passed away some time ago but he will always be part of the architecture of my career.

Are there people you've enjoyed working the most with, that stand out in your mind?

It's a difficult question since I've been doing my work for so many years but the individuals who come to mind are Anne Baxter, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Rex Harrison, Gil, Erin and the entire crew, the One Life to Live company and crew and a wonderful actor named Gretchen Egolf, along with countless others in Television and Theatre.

What are doing currently? Do you have new projects on the horizon?

I have been working in theatre primarily. The afore mentioned Picasso, Trumbo several experimental theatre projects of new plays in and out of New York City. A very successful production of Another Vermeer playing the Dutch art critic of the last century, Abraham Bredius. And the ever constant auditioning for films, television and of course more theatre.

Chris Muncke | Captain Khurgee | Star Wars

2011-05-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

The name of American actor Chris Muncke will immediately ring a bell for fans of James -007- Bond and Star Wars. He starred opposite Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me and gave life to Captain Khurgee, who''s scanning crew failed to catch Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope.
In the following interview Mr. Muncke talks about his Star Wars memories and much more...

How did you get started in the movie business?

Before I moved to Berkeley, California to attend the University, I lived in Chicago and was
fortunate enough to complete a Theatrical Apprenticeship at The Second City Theater. After I received my degree in Drama, my wife and I moved to London and I attended The Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art for two years. After that, I worked as a teacher and as an actor with Steven Berkoff and it was through him that I was picked up by the Filmrights Agency in London. In 1971, I became a permanent resident in the UK and was allowed to work professionally as an actor and I got my first film job that year, a toothpaste commercial for Germany! I also was cast in some BBC plays and then in Scorpio in 1973. By then, I had become one of the group of jobbing American actors living and working in London. We met often at casting sessions and on film and TV sets and became good friends.

Can you tell how you got cast as Captain Khurgee for A New Hope?

It was a very normal thing, I got a call from my agent to go and meet Irene Lamb, the casting director, for a part in "...some science fiction thing..." I turned up at the production office in the 20th Century Fox building in Soho Square and as usual met up with a bunch of the guys who had also been called. After a short wait, I went in and met George and some other people, had a chat, admired the story boards which covered the walls of the office, said goodbye and left. A few days later my agent called and told me that I had been cast as an Officer and would be getting a costume call and 1 day's filming.

What do you recall of the filming of your scene?

Of Course! A studio car picked me up early in the morning and took me to Elstree. I was shown to my dressing room and I put on the costume which had been made for me; then to make-up and then to the set. I had been sent my lines, but not the whole script so I knew my scene but nothing of the whole story. I was introduced to Kenny Baker and David Prowse and he and I went through our dialogue and then our moves with George. We then had a break while our scene was lit and the cameras and extras were set up and rehearsed. The wide angle long shot was first; showing the Hanger Bay and the Millennium Falcon, with all the Troopers moving around, Vader coming over to the ship and me coming out of the ship and down the ramp to meet him. Then we rehearsed the close-ups for our dialogue. David's CU was first, and then mine. As the scene was short, we did all the dialogue each time so that George could cut it together any way he wished. The last shot was of Vader's exit and my orders to the Troopers to "...Get a scanning crew on board - I want every part of this ship checked!" And then it was over. I thanked George, said goodbye to the crew and cast, particularly David and Kenny, got out of my costume and makeup and was driven home. Another working day done!

Can you tell how the filming went, how many takes it took before it was done and if changes were made to the scene during filming?

As you can see from the previous answer, the whole job was very straightforward. I honestly can't remember exactly how many takes we took for each setup but I have the feeling that got through very quickly. Everything seemed to go smoothly and there were no script changes at all.

Did any strange, weird or funny things happen on the set?

Not really, although having a conversation with Kenny (3 feet tall) and David (6'9") was a bit like watching a vertical tennis match. There was a lot of joking on the set and a very relaxed atmosphere. David only put the top of his costume on for the actual filming as it was so hot, so all our rehearsals were done with him wearing Vader's trousers and a black string vest. In a lull in the conversation, I asked him probably the most stupid of questions, "Do you work out?" David was kind enough not to take offence but very politely told me about his body-building and weight lifting career.

For A New Hope, you were directed by George Lucas. How was he to work with?
Mr Lucas was very quiet and reserved. He knew exactly what he wanted and we did our best to give it to him. He did explain to me the power, position and fear which Vader commanded and the level of commitment which he would have expected from his officers.

What expectations did you have of the movie when it was filmed?

I had been a science fiction fan as a teenager and when I realized that I would get a chance to be in a sci-fi film I was really pleased. I'm not sure that anyone at the time had any idea of what a phenomenon it would become or the extent to which it would inspire and move people all over the world so long after it was made.

I don’t think there is a movie that has such a huge and strong fan base as Star Wars. For almost 34 years people buy the merchandise, watch the movies over and over again, and the movies have become a part of the modern culture. What do you think the ‘Force’ behind this is?

Personally, I think that the answer to that question is quite simple. It is a wonderful story told by a master storyteller. However, it does goes deeper than that. The setting of the saga "...long ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."; the extraordinary, yet easily identifiable characters; and the mixture of the remarkable futuristic effects within the recognizable and everyday situations. Most of all, the entire work fits together and appeals to the inner child in all of us and the desire to see right triumph over wrong. In its own way the saga is a quest which hopes to bring out the best in the world. In that, it compares with The Fellowship of the Ring.

Originally your character didn’t have a name. Years later the name Captain Khurgee was introduced. This character appears in games, novels and a card game. How and when did you find out you got a Star Wars name?

I only discovered my character's name when I was given one of the game cards by my son. Since then, of course, I have discovered much more about him - even that he was the Emperor's personal pilot! He is mentioned by name near the end of Episode III by the Emperor himself, "Tell Captain Khurgee to get my ship ready!"

What is the best memory you have regarding Star Wars?

Sitting in the audience in the Dominion Theatre on Tottenham Court Road where the previews for cast, crew and then Press were shown and being absolutely blown away by the opening scenes of the film when the Imperial Cruiser came overhead, chasing and firing at Leia's ship. The whole theatre erupted in cheers and applause.

What do you regard as the highlight of your acting career?

While I am very proud to have been a very small part of the Star Wars Saga, I still feel great pride in my role in The Unknown Soldier and His Wife, written, starring and directed by Peter Ustinov, in which I was honoured to play the title role. I am also proud to have played Joey's boss in the very popular and acclaimed revival of Pal Joey, opposite Denis Lawson. I also remember my featured roles in the much praised series Oppenheimer and The Nightmare Years opposite Sam Waterston. I have had quite a varied and eventful career as a jobbing actor in London, at a time during which many well known films were made here and I've enjoyed every minute of it!

What are you currently doing?

In 1990, I had begun a second family and had two little boys and another on the way. I felt that perhaps a more settled life and regular income was essential and I moved from acting to teaching. More precisely, teaching in English Primary schools. I taught in Hertfordshire schools for the next 20 years and retired in 2002. I continued to occasionally work as a supply teacher until 2009 and since then I have been fully retired.

Are you still in the movie business?

The only contact I have with the Industry now is when I am fortunate enough to be invited to events where I can meet and chat with Fans whether they are part of what I like to call our Star Wars Fan Family or fans of the James Bond series as I was also fortunate to have been cast in a small featured role in The Spy Who Loved Me, playing a weapons officer who helps Bond (Roger Moore) dismantle a Polaris Missile!

Please finish the following sentence: “When I look back at my work on Star Wars, I…”

When I look back on Star Wars, I feel very proud and honored to have been given the opportunity to participate in what has become one of the most original, iconic and significant cinematic creations. It has also given me the chance to meet hundreds of fellow fans, with whom I feel a very special and unique bond.

Gil Gerard | Erin Gray | Buck Rogers | Interview

2011-05-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

On September 23, 2005, I had an interview with Gil Gerard and Erin Gray (better known as Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering from the TV-series Buck Rogers.

Since I watched this show when I was a child (the reruns back in 1986) it was an honor to have these two great people answering my questions.

Ok, I won't hold you up longer, here's the interview:

Hi Gil & Erin! What are you doing these days, 25 years after the series?

Erin Gray:
I have done a film called Siren and I also just finished a play called ‘Same time next year’. I also represent Gil and about fifty other actors, teach Tai-Chi, do some speaking and I wrote a book. So, I’m still busy.

Gil Gerard:
I just sold a show to the Discovery Health Channel. I can’t really talk about it too much now because we just started with it and are getting the crew together. I’m very excited about it!

Gil and Erin along with Tim O'Connor as Dr. Huer in season 1.
It's been 25 years since the series. Suppose Universal wants to do a remake with different actors, who would you pick to play your character, and why?

Gil Gerard:
I really have no idea…

Erin Gray:
Wow, never thought about that!

Gil Gerard:
I guess that it would depend on the script…but I haven’t got any influence on that. Besides, I can’t imagine anyone besides Erin doing it.

Erin Gray:
I like actresses like Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Connolly…I like Jennifers I guess.

Gil Gerard:
Erin had the tough part; she had the Dean Martin job, I had all the fun like Jerry Lewis. She was great, it’s hard to play someone who is stiff, but still has to be sympathetic and believable. She was able to do that. I don’t know who else could do this, although Jennifer Connolly is a good actress, but I don’t know if she could do this without looking silly.

Buck Rogers was originally a television serial, and had a full length movie made back in the 30’s. Did either of you watch the old series?

Gil Gerard:
Well, the only similarity was the name.

Erin Gray:
No, I never saw it before.

Gil Gerard:
I saw it as a child, in the USA I always went to the movies on Saturday. We had no television, so you went to the cinema for the whole afternoon and watched all these serials: Tarzan, Flash Gordon…and Buck Rogers! With all the other kids you saw all these serials before the motion picture you paid for started. So, I saw Buck Rogers there for the first time, as well as Flash Gordon which starred Buster Crabbe. You paid for the movie, popcorn and a coke 25 cents back then! Can you imagine that? When he guest-starred on the new show, I talked with Buster Crabbe, and he made a very interesting comment: he said that “people laugh at the special effects of the old Buck Rogers series now, but twenty-five years from now, they’ll be laughing at the special effects of the new series!” Recently, I saw some episodes of Buck Rogers on DVD, and I was thinking: well, they still hold up, but they are starting to get close to the edge.

Well, that’s the charm of the series, the whole retro-style!

Erin Gray:
We’re called retro now!

Gil Gerard:
Twenty-five years from now, we won’t be called retro, we’ll be called: “oh my god, did they look silly!” But, you know, with all the CGI now, they can do so much more than they where able to do with the models back then.

Models look way cooler in my opinion.

Gil Gerard:
Yeah, I actually have the model of my starfighter with my name on it!

Erin Gray:
I have mine too!

Erin, in the second season Hawk was introduced. It is said that due to his popularity they gave him your lines in some episodes to enlarge his role, at the cost of yours. Is this true and how did you feel about this?

Gil Gerard:
They did?

Erin Gray:
Let’s put it this way: I got less and less. He was an added character, my position on the show changed then. I became less commanding, was less in battle.

Gil Gerard:
And you got your dairy-queen outfit!

Erin Gray:
Dairy-queen in space! Hawk became more Gil’s sidekick, so there was less room for me. But I wouldn’t say that he took my lines.

Gil Gerard:
It’ll be hard to tell because we get the script and I can’t recall seeing a script where Erin’s lines where changed so they where Hawks lines, and I would remember that because I was very watchful of her character. I fought very hard for her character in the first season to be more of a presence.

Erin Gray:
It’s just a bad rumor.

Season 2 cast: Gil, Erin (with dairy-queen outfit!), Felix Silla (Twiki) and Wilfrid Hyde-White (Dr. Goodfellow)

Some people prefer the first season of Buck Rogers, because it is showing Buck out of place with the post apocalyptic Earth. He just doesn't quite fit in, and everybody else is trying to figure out his speech and his customs. They also seem to be slaves to technology. With the second season, it seems more like Star Trek, where they are on a ship, out on exploration, and visiting new worlds. Whose idea was it to change the direction of the series?

Gil Gerard:
I hated that season, it was such a rip off of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. I was thinking: why are we doing this? I always wanted Buck to stay on earth, but we got a new executive producer who had no respect for the audience and the show.

Erin Gray:
He had a big ego and he wanted to create something with his own look, so he could say ‘I created this’.

Is this the reason the show was cancelled?

Gil Gerard:
Yeah, when Time of the Hawk; which was the kick-off of the new season, was aired we lost a large percentage of our audience.

I recall you saying that Time of the Hawk was your favorite episode.

Gil Gerard:
I may have said that when the show was on the air. I guess I was being loyal to the show then. I actually liked Satyr; it reflected the feeling that I wanted Buck to have. He was having adventures and exploring on earth. It was almost a pilot of the things I’d wanted to see.

Erin Gray:
I thought we also lost some of our audience because cable was new?

Gil Gerard:
No, they just didn’t like the second season.

I heard that Universal was planning to do a spin-off series of Hawk back then.

Erin Gray:
They where?

Gil Gerard:
Never heard about that! There’s a lot of stuff on the internet, but this is not true. I tried for two years to go to the producers and writers with my ideas; to have Buck staying on earth, but I was told to forget it. Then I went to see the president of Universal and told him what I would like to see. The response after the meeting was that it was the best idea they ever heard in two years and why they didn’t hear this earlier. I said: because no-one would listen. They asked me to pitch the idea to the president of NBC, and I did. He told me that if the show would have a third season, that would be the direction they would go into. Unfortunately, the new producer had damaged the show so badly, the show was cancelled and didn’t get a third season. But, I felt vindicated because they liked my ideas. They should’ve gone back to Buck, Wilma and Twiki, because they were the main characters. We also lost Tim O’Connor, a fantastic actor in the second season. He was a line of strength, a father figure.

Erin Gray:
And a mentor

So, because the new producer he wasn’t in the second series?

Gil Gerard:
Yeah, all because of him. Time of the Hawk was actually a script that he wrote for Gunsmoke. Barbara Luna was actually cast in the same role! Hawk's wife in Buck Rogers and the Apache-Chief's wife in Gunsmoke. He thought that it was great that he ripped off his own script. This just shows his laziness…

Erin Gray:
…and lack of imagination.

I still like the second season!

Gil Gerard:
you did? I’m glad!

Erin Gray:
Oh, good!

Thom Christopher (Hawk) along with Gil and Erin

Can you tell us your thoughts of these actors from the show in as few words as possible?

Felix Silla – Twiki

Erin Gray:
Short! Cute!

Gil Gerard:
Totally underappreciated.

Tim O'Connor - Dr. Huer

Erin Gray:
Wonderful actor to work with.

Gil Gerard:
Already said what I think of him.

Wilfrid Hyde-White - Dr. Goodfellow

Gil Gerard:
Oh…fabulous!

Erin Gray:
Always had a twinkle in his eyes.

Thom Christopher – Hawk

Gil Gerard:
Great actor, good friend.

Erin Gray:
Good friend, an angel in disguise.

Gil Gerard:
He has the feathers! They're all good people…

Gil, me, Erin

Anthony Forrest | Fixer | Star Wars

2011-04-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Anthony Forrest is an actor, composer, writer, director who was born in England and raised in Canada.
Star Wars fanatics know him for his part as Fixer, one of Luke Skywalkers pals at Tosche Station in Star Wars: A New Hope. Unfortunately this part was cut, but luckily his other part (stormtrooper in the famous Jedi Mind Trick scene) wasn't.
The following interview I had with him is about his Star Wars memories and his current interests and projects.

How did you get started in the movie business?

It was a combination of events. I had already been involved in drama and variety shows in high school in Montreal. A friend who lived down the street, his dad worked at the National Film Board, and asked me if I'd like to play a role in an anti-drug campaign film the NFB were working on. I guess I fit the part with long hair and spaced out. I heard the government showed it all across Canada in schools trying to scare kids... I don't think it worked. I enjoyed the creative process and took the acting further working in children's theater, doing workshops and also joined a classical theater group (Phoenix Theater) run by Maxim Mazumdar; he was a real inspiration to work with. I had also done a play at the Israeli Pavilion in Montreal with director Bill Millard. Although when I went to college I studied music composition, having grown up with music all around me and in the family, I used back up my sister who performed in the local folk coffee house scene in the 60's, and on Sunday's I would play at the folk mass at the local church in Valois. There were a lot of pretty girls who went to church. Movies really came later when I moved to London, England, although I had probably seen several hundred black and white films, as my mom would let me stay up to watch the late, late movies on TV to keep her company when I was younger. James Cagney and Richard Burton had a big influence.

Can you tell how you got cast as Fixer and a stormtrooper for Star Wars: A New Hope?

Well the casting for Fixer was pretty much by the book. Irene Lamb was casting and I was called into meet with George Lucas. We met a few times, I read a couple of scenes from the script, there wasn't a screen test or anything like that. Then my agent called to say I had been offered the role of Fixer. The part of the Sandtrooper was really a last minute request from George, as he needed someone to play the scene with Alec Guinness. I was at the hotel when they came to get me, the next I knew I was on the set in a Sandtrooper costume and working with Alec Guinness. As an actor he was a true Jedi and gentleman.

Your scenes as Fixer were recorded in Tunisia. Can you share some memories regarding those scenes?

The shoes or boots they had me wear as Fixer I was told were designed by George, I could hardly walk in them; he wouldn't get a job at Nike. Playing a small role is harder, as you have so little to work with. You have to convey everything about a character in a moment, so the scene works and rings true.

Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Forrest (Fixer), Koo Stark (Camie) and Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter) in a deleted scene from Star Wars: A New Hope
When the movie was released all of your Fixer scenes were cut. When did you find out they weren’t going to be in the final movie and what did you think of this?

Welcome to the Movie Business. I think I have more footage on cutting room floors than on screen; I seem to end up in scenes that are considered padding in a lot of movies.

Besides Fixer, you were the stormtrooper that stops Luke, Ben and the droids in Mos Eisley.
You even get to deal with Ben’s Jedi mind trick. What do you recall from the filming of this scene that featured the legendary Alec Guinness and the then unknown Mark Hamill?

Well Mark and I had got to know each at the hotel, but working with Alec Guinness out of the blue, that was very special. Even years later when we were both working at the BBC on different projects he remembered, and we would chat. I remember George wanting more dirt on my costume and doing it himself. George has great detail in his work, he was so immersed in the story and what he was looking for visually, something he didn't always share, but he knows what he wants and stays true to his vision.

You started signing and doing conventions a few years ago. Before that, it was sort of a mystery where ‘Fixer’ was. Did you stay 'quiet' on purpose and what made you decide to ‘enter the fan world’?

Yes I did stay quiet, I am quite a recluse, but mainly because I had 4 young children, who lead incredibly busy and active lives. Conventions happen on weekends and my kids and their activities came first. They grew up and my time became more flexible. The fan world has been an education and great experience in connecting with people. You can learn a lot from the fans about more than just movies, but their feedback etc.. is very special as an artist.

What expectations did you have of the movie when it was filmed?

None really... as an actor... you work, you give it everything you've got and go home. Movies are in the hands of the director/writer and his team of they should be, not the executives and bean counters. Star Wars went that extra step in daring to be original.

What is the best memory you have regarding Star Wars?

Mark and I coming down the baggage shoot at Heathrow Airport with Star Wars stickers stuck all over us.

Since the 80’s you have been busy making music. You even have your own label called Fixer Records (I suppose that’s named after a certain character?) What inspired you to go into music?

I was playing music way before my acting and movies... I'd go crazy without it and did for years. No matter how I'm feeling, I can pickup a guitar, and write a song about it or jam for awhile and feel better...

Which artists or bands have influenced you music-wise?

Frank Zappa, Buffy Saint Marie, the Doors, Stravinsky, John Adams, Elgar, Jeremy Steig, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and many more...

What are your plans for the future?

I'm launching my own music website AW Forrest as a free download, donate site... and completing my feature film Bob's Garage.

Please finish the following sentence: “When I look back at my work on Star Wars, I…”

Hope my small contribution helped make a difference in creating the magic...

Robert Watts | Co-Producer | Star Wars

2011-02-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Robert Watts is one of the few people who has worked with three cinematic legends: directors George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick.
He was responsible for co-producing two of the most successful and loved movie trilogies ever: Star Wars and Indiana Jones and worked on the classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. I am very proud to present you this interview with the great Robert Watts.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I began in the movie business in 1960. It was hard because there was no formal method of getting in, the business being a union closed shop. You had to be a member of the union to work in a union job and to become a member of the union you had to have a union job, a catch 22. The only job you could get was as a runner which was not a union job. These jobs were few and far between, so it was difficult.
I got my first job from a production manager who I knew, because my grandfather had helped him get his first job. My grandfather, after a varied career, became a script writer at Ealing studios in the years following the Second World War. He wrote the 1948 Royal Command film Scott of the Antarctic, starring John Mills. He used to get his car serviced in Ealing, and the guy who managed the place asked him if he could help him get a job at Ealing Studios. This my grandfather did, and many years later, after my grandfather's death, he did the same for me. I was a runner on a Boulting Brothers film called A French Mistress. My two half brothers were child actors, one of whom continued in the movie business as a career. His name is Jeremy Bulloch and many years later I was able to get him the part of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back.
I scratched about for the odd job that year until I got a permanent job, as a runner, with a company based at Shepperton Studios, which made TV commercials and documentaries. I stayed with them for just over two years, by which time I was their production manager. It was my equivalent of film school. I got union membership during this time and when I left I returned to feature films as a second assistant director on a film called The Man in the Middle, starring Robert Mitchum and Trevor Howard.
That is how it began.

Robert Watts, Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Howard Kazanjian and Frank Marshall on the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark
You worked on all three original Star Wars movies and the first three Indiana Jones movies. How did you get involved with Star Wars and Lucasfilm?

In 1971 I was at MGM Studios in Culver City wrapping up my work as Production Manager on a film called The Wrath of God, starring Robert Mitchum and Rita Hayworth, which was her last film, when a producer called into my office. He wanted to know about filming in England.
His name was Gary Kurtz and he was preparing American Graffiti with George Lucas.
About a year later he contacted me in the UK to ask for a resume, I sent it and heard nothing.
Some three years later I was working on a film in Greece called Skyriders for 20th Century Fox, when the head of Fox London, Peter Beale, called me and said they wanted me in London for a day to meet Gary Kurtz. I flew to London and the next day met Gary at Fox in Soho Square. Peter had lined up a bunch of production managers/supervisors to meet Gary. I got the job and I reckon it was because I had met Gary those years earlier.

Can you describe in your own words what your tasks were regarding the original Star Wars movies?

This is a massive question and could run for several pages, so I will keep it simple.
My job was to first schedule the film to see how many weeks it will take to shoot, and when the various crew members should begin. Next is the preliminary budget, based on the schedule, to see how much it will cost. This is not the final budget; this will be dictated by where we will shoot for the location elements of the film. The first person to be hired, apart from the production secretary, who starts the same day as me, is the Production Designer. He and I will travel to wherever to find the locations required. For example, on the original film John Barry and I travelled to Morocco and Tunisia to find the elements required. We all chose Tunisia because it had some very interesting actual buildings as well as all the desert and salt flats needed. Morocco architecturally was just too Moroccan.
During preproduction the art department assembles and prior to their engagement I meet them to do their deal for the movie. I, with the designer will take the director to see the chose sites so he may approve them. The director of photography is also taken to see the locations, often he comes for, say a week or two, before his full engagement commences. The sets are being built; other department personnel are engaged as preparation for shooting continues. Finally the first day of principal photography arrives and off we go. This is the most expensive part of the production and only now will the schedule I have done and agreed with the director, be put to the test.
So my job with the help of the heads of department is to oversee and be responsible for the running of the show. The director directs the film and all of us, every crew member is there for one reason, to help the director tell a story. When shooting is complete, the editor, who has been on for the full run of shooting, now takes pride of place. My job is easier now as the crew is quite small and not so vulnerable to going over. The composer joins and we organise the music recording sessions.
Finally it is all sound mixed and the first print of the finished film arrives. So my job is to coordinate these various stages of production.
In other words, if the shit hits the fan, it hits me first.

What are your fondest memories regarding working on the Star Wars movies?

My fondest memory of working on the Star Wars movies was working on the Star Wars movies.
Seriously though, things that stand out:

1. Finishing shooting the first movie.
We were under a great deal of pressure from 20th Century Fox. They were under great financial problems themselves and did not believe in the movie. At the time we were the only Fox movie then shooting anywhere in the world. Their eyes were focused on us and George was under a great deal of pressure. As a result so were we all. We split into three units to complete the film.
Gary Kurtz directed the second unit, shooting, for example, the hologram of Princess Leia as in "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope". I did the third unit which was just inserts, as in a close up of R2-D2 third leg coming down. So we finished shooting. When the movie opened Fox's price on Wall Street doubled. What a result.
2. Working with Irvin Kershner. A great director who directed The Empire Strikes Back. This, for me, is the best piece of film making of the three on which I worked. We did go over schedule and budget which I found difficult as George was financing this himself.
3. Completing Return of the Jedi, all units bang on budget and schedule.

Robert Watts rides a TaunTaun behind the scenes of The Empire Strikes Back
What difficulties did you experience while working on the three Star Wars movies?

All the usual problems plus on the first film we were greenlighted at the last moment with very little time to get it together. All the props and costumes had to be made, plus robots and a mass of creatures. The R2-D2 we had on the first film could not turn its head whilst in the three legged mode. And although it was radio controlled, we often had to pull it along on a piece of piano wire. The head could turn in the two legged mode because Kenny Baker was inside. We made it but only just. The C-3PO costume was finally put on Anthony Daniels complete on the first day of shooting in Tunisia. That is the scene where Uncle Owen and Luke Skywalker buy the droids from the Jawas outside the homestead set.

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen while working on the movies?

It is hard to pick out individual moments. It was remarkable we finished the first one.
I always knew it would be a hit. I thought it would do James Bond type business, but it exceeded all expectations and rewrote how much a film could take. I would have to think long and hard for individual moments. Perhaps one moment sticks in my mind again from the first movie.
That day we were due to shoot the last day on the homestead set in Tunisia. I was out very early that morning and it was raining very hard with a strong wind. I knew that we were in trouble to go on the salt flats as when they were wet the salt would crack. Underneath the salt there was greasy mud which would stop the vehicles moving, even those with four wheel drive. I called the assistant directors and told them to tell the crew I was calling a rest day. I then went out to the set with Les Dilley, the unit art director. The roof of the homestead was nowhere to be seen, it had blown across the salt flat heading for the Algerian border. Other bits of the set were damaged. Les got his crew together whilst I figured out what to do. We continued the next day shooting the other sets scheduled for this part of Tunisia. On the last day at this location, we returned to the salt flat to complete the homestead sequence. The last shot was done as the sun was going down. It is the shot of Luke gazing out as the twin suns are setting. One is the real sun the other was laid in by ILM. Just as we cut it started to rain and we were in a mad scramble to get all our vehicles off the salt flat. We got them all safely off with the exception of six wheel drive crane, which helped the other vehicles. The crane was on hire from the Tunisian army. We left it stuck in the greasy mud. Luckily we did not need it any more.
So all was well.

Robert Watts as Lieutenant Watts; his cameo in Return of the Jedi
In Return of the Jedi you had –along with director Richard Marquand- a small role as an AT-ST driver: Lieutenant Watts. Whose idea was this, did you enjoy it and can you share some memories of that scene?

We were shooting pick-ups at ILM having finished principal photography. I had no idea that I was going to do this when I came to work that morning. We had two extras lined up for this when, I think it was George, suggested that Richard and I played the roles. So we donned the costumes and did it. It took about 90 minutes. I'm glad I did it now. I'm the one who is yanked out of the vehicle. On the exterior it’s a stunt guy falling. They produced a card with my character on it and called him Lieutenant Watts, which is my own name. What they did not know was that I actually hold the rank of Lieutenant in the British army. I am old enough to have had to do two years national service. I got a commission and spent the rest of my time in The Royal West African Frontier Force, Queens Own Nigeria Regiment. Eight months after I left, Nigeria became independent and my regiment became the Nigerian army.

There have been a lot of rumours about deleted scenes from Return of the Jedi. There is one rumour that in the original cut the Millennium Falcon was destroyed in the Death Star battle. This scene was cut after a test audience saw it and didn’t like it. Can you confirm this? Or is it just a myth?

As far as I know this is a myth.

Every Star Wars fan knows about the deleted scenes from A New Hope; for example the ones in which Biggs and Luke are seen on Tatooine. Are there deleted scenes from the original trilogy the public doesn’t know of?

Not that I can recall right now. I find that the Star Wars fans tend to know much more than I do.

I read something about an abandoned concept for The Empire Strikes Back; the Elite Stormtrooper. It was basically an all-white Boba Fett. The concept was abandoned and Boba Fett was created out of this. Can you give more insight/information regarding this? Why was it abandoned and what did George Lucas initially want to do with it?

I remember it being called a super stormtrooper. What happened was that the character of Boba Fett appeared and the costume in a different colour was perfect for him. Remember that the screenplay was still being written whilst we were preparing so changes happened. I think the super stormtrooper was thought of for the Hoth sequence and became the snowtroopers you see in the movie.

The white Boba Fett, or super stormtrooper, with Robert Watts in the background
What are you doing these days? Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?

In 2000, I and my partner Linda Lowrance, founded Transformer Entertainment. During the years, we have worked with a plethora of emerging writers, directors and producers to assist them with the development of a wide variety of entertainment projects. I have reached the point that I want to begin producing films again. Transformer has several viable projects under consideration.

David W. Collins | LucasArts

2011-01-08T07:23:00.001-08:00

Being the lead sound designer and voice director at LucasArts, David W. Collins has worked on many Star Wars games. Jedi Starfighter, Obi-Wan, Battlefront, Bounty Hunter, Republic Commando....the list goes on and on. Fans will also know him as PROXY, the droid from popular game The Force Unleashed.
In the following interview that took place in January 2011 I had the honor to ask him some questions about his work and experiences at LucasArts.

Hi David!

Hi Dennis! It’s a pleasure to be doing this interview with you.

Thanks! Let’s get started! How did you join LucasArts?

I actually started at LucasArts in 2000, after working as an intern and scoring assistant on the Scoring Stage at Skywalker Sound. I learned so much while I was there, and fell in love with the Lucas companies all over again…. but this time as an employee.
After working for about a year, a position in game audio opened up at LucasArts, and I jumped at the chance. Having been a huge gamer all of my life, it was a great opportunity for me… and I think my love for film sound is something that they were looking for, as production value in games was becoming really competitive. I started as an assistant, working on titles like Bounty Hunter and Obi-Wan. Two and a half years later, I was rewarded with my own project as an Audio Lead. I’ve been lucky enough to work on Star Wars for over a decade now.

You are currently the lead sound designer and voice director with the video game division.
What does an average work day look like?

Great question! One of the things that I love about working for LucasArts is the variety of creative tasks that I’m able to do. In 2010, I got to voice direct Monkey Island 2, LEGO Clone Wars, The Force Unleashed II, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. So my morning may start out with a voice-over session with a talented voice actor, either in person or via phone)\. From there, I’ll go to a staff meeting, maybe answer some e-mails, and then head to lunch, where I’ll have an engaging and geeky conversation about game audio, film, level design, etc… and then head back to my desk. My office is a sound mixing and design suite, and the afternoon is usually when I’ll start the creative energy going: I was fortunate enough to be the mixer on all The Force Unleashed II cinematics, as well as a couple of really awesome trailers. And then maybe late in the day I’ll sit down with our great marketing folks and talk about an upcoming interview, etc…. much like the one we’re doing now!

Most fans will know you as PROXY; the droid from The Force Unleashed. How did you get this voice acting part?

That's kind of a fun story. My role on The Force Unleashed was that of the Audio Lead, which is responsible for every sound that comes out of the speakers. That means Sound design and effects, music, and voice-over. Well, for this game we knew we wanted to utilize ILM for likeness capture and motion capture, so we set about casting "theatrical" film and TV actors for the lead roles. My boss, Darragh O'Farrell, was the casting and talent director for that game, and I was assigned to read across from every actor that auditioned for every role! As a result, I traveled quite a bit, and read with dozens and dozens of actors.
One fortuitous thing that happened however was that the concept art for Starkiller was approved and I looked at it and immediately thought of my good buddy Sam Witwer. It looked just like him! Sam and I had been friends for years, and his career had just started taking off with Battlestar Galactica and Dexter, so I slipped his headshot and demo reel into the casting pile. I didn't tell anyone on the team that I knew him. Well, Sam was BRILLIANT in the audition, and was immediately the team's first choice. I got to read across from him quite a few times. That was fun!
As we approached the initial mocap shoot in February of 2007, we were still missing a few characters (we didn't prioritize their casting because they weren't going to be captured), such as Darth Vader, and PROXY. The team was still struggling for a direction with PROXY, and most actors read him in a very creepy way, which was not the team's vision for the character. When we got to rehearsals, I continued my role as the person who read all of the "other parts." In this case, I read for PROXY, Darth Vader and Bail Organa. This was before we got Jimmy Smits, who we shot a few months later. When I started reading as PROXY with Sam, the room lit up! People were giggling, smiling, and it just.... worked!
I kept reading him throughout the shoot, and it just stuck. We continued interviewing other actors, and finally, by summer of 2007, I was officially given the part. They just loved how it turned out, and that's how it all came to be! I like this story, because I can't help but think that my chemistry and friendship with Sam came through in the read... and I like that by helping him land his part, it came back around and gave me an opportunity to play PROXY. I'll always remember The Force Unleashed very fondly, in no small part because of that exchange.

How did you create PROXY’s voice? Were you inspired by something or someone?

Funny: I’ve never thought about this. I just kind of naturally showed up to the table read in February of 2007, and that voice came out. If I had to pinpoint it, I would say that it came from years of listening to sci-fi characters like C-3PO and Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the actual sing-song and tone that I gave it most likely came from a play I toured in college. I played a monk named Juniper who was very loyal, very sweet, and like PROXY, prone to mischief due to his simplicity.
The effects process adds a lot, of course. PROXY has a vocal effect that almost sounds like there are multiple voices in his head… this was done to emphasize that PROXY is a holo-droid, and most likely has millions of voices in his programming.

The story of The Force Unleashed got a very positive reception. What do you think about the storylines of both The Force Unleashed I and II?

I loved the story. The idea of giving Darth Vader a secret apprentice has always appealed to me. I was lucky enough to be included in some story workshops on the first one, and got to do a large portion of in-game dialogue writing on the second one. Like a lot of Star Wars fans, I find the dramatic possibilities surrounding clone technology fascinating: so many opportunities for great stories. I’m glad we got to go to Kamino for The Force Unleashed II.
And we just found out today that The Force Unleashed II received a Writer’s Guild Award Nomination!

In which way(s) is George Lucas involved with your work? Does he give you instructions on how he wants things to be done for instance?

George is deeply committed to LucasArts, and is very encouraging of the work we do. But George is also a filmmaker at heart, and a very busy one at that! The continuity of his products is extremely important to him… so much so that he has a whole group within Lucas Licensing that provides continuity and feedback notes to us on a weekly basis. We work very closely with all of the Lucas companies, and the collaboration is really rewarding.

Were you a Star Wars fan when the original movies were released? Do you remember when you saw your first Star Wars movie and what you thought of it?

Was I EVER! The original Star Wars films literally defined my childhood. I honestly credit so much of my early creative influence to Star Wars. It’s always been a huge part of my life.
Several years ago, I had a story that appeared in Bantha Tracks about a trip to see Return of the Jedi with my Grandfather…. So many important and awesome memories.
(click HERE and HERE for the two page Bantha Tracks article)

Are you involved in the upcoming Clone Wars LEGO game? Could you tell something about this game?

I’m definitely involved in the upcoming LEGO game. In fact, I just did an interview on G4 about it.
LEGO Star Wars III is all about the Clone Wars, and features episodes from the first two seasons of the Clone Wars, as well as scenes from Attack of the Clones. It is by far the biggest LEGO Star Wars to date… I love it! I’m really excited for fans to get their hands on it… it’s been a blast to work on.

What are you currently up to at LucasArts? And are there new Star Wars games in the works we don’t know of?

There are always new titles in the works… unfortunately, I can’t spoil the surprises! Right now I’m finishing up LEGO Star Wars III, and planning for the future….

Besides working for LucasArts, you worked as the contemporary music director at the Presbyterian Church of Novato in California. Can you tell something more about this job?

I did it for about four years. What a great group of people! I am a musician and I gig pretty regularly. In fact, I have a band called SwingSet that is about to finish its first album.

What would your ‘Star Wars dream project’ look like?

In a lot of ways, working on Republic Commando, Battlefront II, LEGO, and The Force Unleashed series have been “Star Wars dream projects.” I feel so lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to Star Wars, and make my creative mark on the franchise.

Of all the things you have done so far at LucasArts, what do you regard as the highlight of your career?

Boy, it’s hard to pick! As I mentioned above, I’m very proud of the projects that I’ve worked on as an Audio Lead, Voice Director, Sound Designer, Actor, etc. Republic Commando is one of the most special creative experiences of my life. How cool that those characters have found their way into the Clone Wars! And working on The Force Unleashed was an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. What a treat to make Star Wars with your closest friends. And the TALENT that I’ve worked with! From designers, engineers and artists, to musicians, sound designers and voice actors… I’ve gotten to work with and learn from the best of the best, and I’m so happy for those opportunities.
I’ve also had some wonderful opportunities to share my enthusiasm for Star Wars with fans at conventions like E3, Gamescom, and Star Wars Celebration IV and V. This past summer I got to sit and interview Ben Burtt. What an amazing influence he’s been all of these years.
I’ve also really enjoyed working on the Monkey Island and Thrillville franchises, as well as working with other divisions like Skywalker Sound and LucasFilm Animation. LucasArts has been so good to me, and I’m happy I’ve been here for over a decade doing what I love. If I wasn’t here, I’d be at home playing LucasArts games anyway, so I’m glad they put me to work!

James Arnold Taylor interview | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Clone Wars

2010-10-16T11:37:00.001-07:00

Taking over a part that was played by legendary actor Alec Guinness and Hollywood star Ewan McGregor isn't easy. Still, James Arnold Taylor pulled it off as he took over the part of Obi-Wan Kenobi for the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV series and various video games. In the summer of 2010 I talked with him about his work on the highly acclaimed Clone Wars series, how he got started and his future projects.

What got you started as a voice actor? Was it something you always wanted to do? And on what age did you discover your talent?

I have always wanted to be a voice actor, pretty much since I was 4 years old. I knew I wanted to do voices in cartoons, TV and radio. I did little radio shows with my friends creating sound effects. When I was 16 I started as a stand up comedian and I always did voices like Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Then I got into radio a year later and became a DJ. I tought myself how to work with all the equipment by staying over late at night and watch all the DJ’s working. I started to make my own shows and gave them to the program director. One day they asked me if I wanted to do my own show because the overnight DJ didn’t show up. So I ended up doing a show and from there on I went on and the rest is history as they say. I actually did over 8,000 comedy bits that I wrote, voiced, produced and directed for the premier radio network over the course of 12,5 years. From there on I moved into voice acting getting an agent and getting in cartoon work. I knew from a very young age that that’s what I wanted to do. I loved watching all those greats like Mel Blanc, Don Messick and Daws Butler as well the new breed like Jim Cummings, Jess Harnell and Billy West. I’ve always been inspired by them and knew that this was what I wanted to do.

Every Star Wars fan knows you as the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Wars and in a lot of video games. How did you get started working for Lucasfilm?

I started about 8 years ago when I auditioned for the mini series of Clone Wars and I was lucky enough to get picked. Collette Sunderman, who was the voice director and a friend of mine thought it was a perfect match. Her words, not mine! (laughs) I had done some voice matching for Ewan McGregor in the past and knew I could hit his voice very well, but I approached it as to match Obi-Wan Kenobi and not worried about doing Ewan as much. It was from this series that I got working at Lucasfilm. They used my voice for the videogames. Revenge of the Sith was in the making at that time so I got to watch so much of the movie before it was released as I had to voice Obi-Wan for the Revenge of the Sith video game. According to the folks at LucasArts it was this that locked me into doing all this and continuing it for Clone Wars.

How do you ‘create’ voices? Do you –in Obi-Wan’s case- study the actor (Ewan McGregor) that originally played the character?

I always study the actors’ voice for voice matching. I’ve studied Ewan’s voice more than anybody but I also studied Alec Guinness. I wanted my Obi-Wan to be a combination of both. I feel I have the ability to do that since I don’t have to look like them but just to sound like them. I try (with Alec Guinness’ voice) “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” and (with Ewan McGregor’s voice) “May the Force be with you” and combine them both so you get (with his own Obi-Wan voice) “My Obi-Wan Kenobi”. The trick is not to do a voice characterization but to being able to step in seamlessly and be the person when they are not available. I’ve had the honor to be Obi-Wan for so many years and have voiced him more than anybody else. Both George Lucas and Dave Filoni said “this is your role now, so take it and do with it as you would”. So, I don’t have to worry about sounding exactly like Ewan or Alec.

Besides Obi-Wan, you are also the voice of Plo Koon, a character that doesn’t speak in the movies. How did you create his voice? Did you get specific directions?

Yes, I did. Dave Filoni pulled me aside at one point and said they were gonna bring in Plo Koon. I didn’t know it was such a favorite of Dave. I learned this in the first recording session. He said he wanted me to think of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings; Ian McKellen. I thought that was a great stepping stone, great direction. That’s where I took it. I started (with Gandalf’s voice) “By thinking of Gandalf, how he would talk and present himself”. Then there’s the wisdom that Dave wanted to hear in the voice. It was great fun because Dave is such a fan of Plo Koon and we were able to get what he was looking for and hopefully what George Lucas and the fans were looking for. Thanks to Matt Wood and his abilities as a sound designer they’ll take Plo Koon and (with Gandalf’s voice) “I start as Gandalf and I’ll read the lines and they’ll pitch it down and put processing on it and it sounds a bit different”. But this is what he sounds when I start.

How do you experience a day working on Clone Wars? Can you describe how such a day goes?

Well certainly. We record at a studio in Los Angeles. Dave will pull all of us in and he’ll give us the rundown for that episode. We don’t get our scripts until 24 hours before the recording session and that is only if we have 10 lines or more. If we have less we’ll get it when we get there and we don’t know what the storyline is about until we step into the booth, so you’re almost cold reading in a sense, but that’s what voice actors are used to. Lucasfilm is very secretive about the scripts and storylines so the messenger the scripts to our homes and the scripts are covered with our names all over them so they can’t go online without anybody knowing whose script it was. S, Dave will run down the script and storyline for the day and tell us different aspects that we need to know for our characters, like what they are dealing with emotionally and the atmosphere that we’re in, what planet we’re on. If there are new characters he’ll tell us about it and who the guest stars are voicing. They’ll show us pictures and things of what is going to happen in the episode and Dave is very descriptive and has such a passion for it so it really brings it to life for us and then we start to record. We record the dialogue and we do it from page one until the end, everything in order. If one of the actors doesn’t happen to be there one of the others will read their lines. Tom Kane is usually in his home studio in Kansas City so one of us might read Yoda or Dave will read it to keep the flow going. We read through the whole thing just like a radio play, or just like you would when you read a book. We’ll record it and do 3-4 takes of each scene and Dave will give us directions. When the recordings are done the artwork will be done. They always have preliminary artwork and storyboards before we do the voices. Now, with the technology they can change the lip-flaps so they match. A lot of times there’s a camera filming us so the artists see how we move, which is helpful to them.

What is your own view on the Clone Wars series? Do you like it? And what is your favorite episode?

I’m in love with the show. I think it’s one of the best shows on television and I’d also say that if I wasn’t in it. There are several actors, friends of mine, seasoned actors, that watch the show religiously with their kids and I think it is due to the storytelling, the art and the love of filmmaking. These are mini-films and what Dave Filoni is doing with his crew and what George Lucas is imparting to all of them in this series and bring a whole new breed of Star Wars lovers into existence is fantastic. I think this show is just a great way of doing that but also giving all of us that are die hard Star Wars fans fro day one back in the 70’s a new chance of experiencing Star Wars in a different way.
My favorite episode…boy, that’s a tough one. I’d have to say I loved the 3 part Mandalorian arc that we had with Obi-Wan and Satine. As far as the work I’ve done for the show I was very proud of this. I also have to say Lightsabre Lost is a favorite as well as Senate Murders. It’s hard to name one particular episode, I enjoy all of them.

You were a kid when the original Star Wars came out. Were you a fan back then and which memories do you have of your first encounter with Star Wars?

The very first time I saw Star Wars was at a drive-in in San José, California and I loved it. I saw it many times after that in the theater in my home town Santa Barbara, California; the Arlington Theatre. This is an amazing Spanish style theater that seats several thousand people. That’s where I grew up, seeing all those films, the great Spielberg and Lucas films. I love all of the Star Wars movies. As I kid I used to play Star Wars with my friends. It wasn’t cops and robbers, it was Star Wars and then Indiana Jones as well. I’m a huge Indy fan but Star Wars was just amazing. I remember seeing it and thinking this is just the coolest thing in the world, or out of this world. This takes us to places we’ve never been. I was a little kid but thought “Wow, if we could live there, if I could do that”. And now, to be a part of this universe and to be so connected with LucasFilm is just a great honor. The thing I love about George Lucas’ work is that he has such a love for film and storytelling, the romance of it all. I don’t mean the mushy romance of the love stories but of film, fantasy, taking you to new worlds. George Lucas has brought us stuff that changed the world.

You have been the voice double for actors like Ewan McGregor, Michael J. Fox, Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale….the list is endless and full of great actors. As an actor, you were featured in Comic Book: the movie. Have you ever considered an on-screen acting career?

(Starts to say every actor’s name I mentioned ‘in character’ with the right voice and accent)
Voice acting is more of a challenge than most people will ever know. I’d love to see people change their ideas of what voice actors do. When we perform it’s just as much acting as an on-screen actor does. I will be doing some more on-screen acting in the future, but my first love is voice acting. I really do enjoy it. There are so many on-screen actors striving to be voice actors now because they think it’s an easy buck. They find out when they get in the studio it’s not that easy. There’s a lot going on and hopefully we can shine that light on people and let them see that.

Of all the characters you have voiced: which one is your personal favorite? And why?

There are so many characters I had the honor of voicing. Each one is so different from the next that it’s hard to name a favorite. But I would have to say that Obi-Wan is becoming my favorite. He has such a wide arc in his life and he’s a character we get to see a lot. We don’t know much about his young life except the little bits we’ve read but those aren’t from the mind of George Lucas. I’d love to know what he thinks about that. I love doing Obi-Wan, Plo Koon, working in the Star Wars universe, but it’s like children, trying to choose your favorite.

Do you have dreams regarding the future? Is there on specific thing you want to do?

There are many things. I enjoy producing movies and projects. I will probably doing more of that as time goes on. I try to be a realist in my work as a voice actor, performer and actor. I know that I’m not gonna be the young hotshot the rest of my life. I’m 41 and I see where my voice career can go knowing that as you get older your voice changes. (With a low, deep voice) “It gets deeper, bigger”. It changes and I won’t always be able to do (with a high voice) “10 year old voices like Johnny Test”. So I try to be a realist in it and know that I need to plan for the future. I am always planning ahead and always working on different ventures and things from writing scripts and producing films to being involved in stage shows. I have a stage show that I’m putting together, I love entertaining people and hopefully I will always be blessed with the ability to entertain folks and I’m honored to have moments like this to be able to chat about voice acting. I’m honored that you wanted to interview me. Thanks for the great questions, I had fun!

The honor is all mine! Thank you!

Celia Fushille interview | Greeata | Star Wars

2010-10-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

In 1997 the Star Wars Special Editions were released. The Return of the Jedi Special Edition included a new dance scene in Jabba's palace which starred ballet dancer Celia Fushille. As Greeata, the Rodian dancer, she entertained Jabba the Hutt. In the fall of 2010 I had the following interview with her.

How did you get cast as Greeata for the special edition scenes of Return of the Jedi?

George Lucas asked Michael Smuin, founding director of Smuin Ballet, to choreograph the scene from Jabba’s Palace that he wanted to drop in for the re-release of Return of the Jedi. Michael recommended several of his dancers, myself included, and so we auditioned for the casting director, Robin Gurland. Michael, who passed away in April 2007, and George were friends and George would often come to our ballet performances, since we’re located in San Francisco, where Lucasfilm is also based.

Can you share some of your memories regarding the shooting of the Return of the Jedi scenes and your time on the set?

Surprisingly we didn’t spend more than the better part of two days on the set, one day for a dress rehearsal and then a second day of shooting. We had rehearsals in a studio when the dance was choreographed prior to shooting . When we went up to ILM where the shooting took place, we had a practice rehearsal on a friday. George was directing things that day, as he was planning to shoot this scene. He was very clear about which angles he was going for at each moment. I understood that George hadn’t been behind the camera in nearly 20 years.

How long did the shooting of your scenes take, and how much time did you have to spend at the make-up department for the mask and prosthetics?

We were involved for one full day with the shooting. Some of my colleagues had a very early make-up call, 4:00am, since their makeup was more intricate. Since I was in the full latex suit and mask, I required no make-up and didn’t have to arrive until 6:30am. Prior to the dress rehearsal on the set, I went to ILM for a costume fitting. This was the first time I had tried on one of the masks. At that first fitting, I wondered if I would have to back out from being involved — it was awful having that mask on my head. I became claustrophobic since it felt like putting a bag over your head! They actually gave me a practice mask to use to put on for a few minutes at a time so that I could grow accustomed to wearing the mask for longer periods.

How did George Lucas direct you? And what impression did he make on you?

On the day of shooting, George told me that he would only shoot for 15 minutes at a time. This was due to the heat inside the costume and the heat on the set with all the lighting equipment. I was the only dancer wearing a full mask that covered my entire head, so breathing was challenging. The Lucasfilm staff learned this technique from experience with the original Star Wars film with C-3PO. Short takes were the safest way to manage filming the scenes. One take ended up going nearly 30 minutes that day and I did, honestly, think I would pass out from the heat. I can’t imagine how it was out in the desert for some of those characters being filmed in the original Star Wars films! With my entire body covered in that latex suit, it was suffocating on the sound stage.
George Lucas is a very dedicated and creative man. As a person, he is rather shy, socially, and yet when you meet him when he is in his element – on the set of one of his films, he is very animated and clearly loves what he does. I admire him tremendously for his work that has affected generations of movie goers.

Did any strange, weird or remarkable things happen on the set?

There is an enormous staff working on a sound stage such as the one at ILM. Everyone is there trying to realize one person’s vision. It was impressive to see that in action. It was fun to see Max Rebo there, as his band accompanied our dancing! He was one of the few characters that was actually there on the set that day, but he is operated from below and is actually a puppet. The crew on a sound stage is not that different from the production crew in a theater, so the environment wasn’t too foreign to me.

How do you look back at your part in Return of the Jedi?

I did not fully appreciate the whole phenomenon of the Star Wars movies. I now realize that I’m a part of cinematic history! I must say, after spending my life dancing classical ballet, I get far more fan mail from my Star Wars fans than I do from my ballet fans! Perhaps because the audience for the Star Wars films is worldwide.

Had you seen the Star Wars movies before you got the part? What did you think of the movies?

I had seen the original films – I certainly remember well seeing Star Wars when it first came out on the big screen. I never thought I’d be a part of it though! I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but my children were and they were thrilled to be able to come on the set that day we filmed and to meet George Lucas!

You have been a professional ballet dancer for many years. In which ways can your scenes be compared with the ballet dances you normally do?

It took the same rehearsal and focus doing the dance in the scene as it would in a performance. When you are working on a film, there is constant repetition to capture things just right, from different angles, focusing tighter in, or from above, etcetera. In a performance you have one chance to get it right. These film sequences were very different choreographically from what I danced in a ballet performance.

You are currently the artistic and executive director of the Smuin Ballet. Can you tell something about your current or future projects?

I retired from performing four years ago and had intended to focus on my job as associate director. Eight months after my final performances, Michael Smuin, our founder, passed away. I have been running the company since then, first solely as artistic director and now also as executive director, where I manage the administrative issues. Our three programs annually feature the work of Michael Smuin, so we keep his legacy alive, but we also present the work of other choreographers. I create all the programming each season. We are currently preparing to premiere a new ballet by American choreographer, Trey McIntyre. He has choreographed his ballet to the indie rock group The Shins. It’s very fitting for our company, because we have a very different and non-traditional style at Smuin Ballet. Every dancer is classically trained, but we take things in a different direction beyond the strictly classical.

Final question: Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

May the force be with all of you!

Richard LeParmentier interview | Admiral Motti | Star Wars

2010-10-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

American born british actor Richard LeParmentier is mostly known in the movie business for his role as Admiral Motti in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. The scene where he gets Force-choked by Darth Vader even got voted as the most memorable Darth Vader moment!
Besides Star Wars LeParmentier also starred in Superman II, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Octopussy.
The following interview was done in the late summer of 2010.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I was singled out at school as someone who should pursue acting professionally. I went to University majoring in theatre.

How did you get cast for A New Hope?

I did a video audition in LA for what my agent called a Space Western.
Nine months later I was back in the UK and I was offered a one line role which I turned down.
A friend took the part, but he was sent home at lunch when they cut scene.
A month later I was offered Admiral Motti, which was obviously a great role. It's the first time the audience sees the Dark Side of the Force. I said yes a minute after I read the script.

Your best known scene is the one where Darth Vader chokes you. How did you create the effect with your neck?

Some people can wiggle their ears. I can do that with my neck. I suggested it to George and he loved the idea. As the scene has been voted the most memorable Darth Vader moment and is the most parodied scene from the film, I seem to have attained a strange kind of recognition.

Can you share some memories the filming of your scenes as Admiral Motti?

It was very hot. We did the conference room scene with out boots off and my pants were rolled up to my knees.
Don Henderson did the same. Peter Cushing took his boots off after the first day. The conference room scene took four days to film.
The film was over budget buy then and things were serious.

One of your co-stars was the legendary Peter Cushing. Did you learn valuable things from him?

He had a remarkable stillness. He also slightly looked away from you during a scene, then he would make eye contact - that could be devastating. He did it to Carrie with great effect.

How did George Lucas direct you? What impression did he make on you?

He always said he casts well. He let everything get on with it. He used ideas, like my neck and I did mention I should do a mid-Atlantic accent as the other speak roles were British. He had the grand vision and always knew what he wanted.

What did you think of Star Wars when you got the part and during filming? Did you ever expect that it would become such a success?

It slotted in between two TV roles I was doing. I knew it would be a hit when I read the script, but no one could foresee that it would become a major cultural movement.

Star Wars was one of your first movies. How and in which way has Star Wars affected the rest of your career?

It's not helped me get other roles, it might have in the States. It is the most memorable film I've been in and I’ve been in some big movies.

What do you regard as the highlight of your career?

The first time a script of mine was filmed, watching it come to life. then watching Star Wars for the first is the close second.

You have attended various fan conventions over the world. Do you like attending them and interact with the fans?

I do, I love the fans and I love meeting them but I'm going to scale back on conventions in the near future and do the ones I really want to.

What are you up to right now? And do you have new projects coming up?

I'm developing a television project, a comedy- drama that would be great fun if we can get it off the ground.

Last question: If there is anything you want to say to the readers here's your chance!

Just a thank you for your love of the films and being great fans.

Star Wars & Lucasfilm locations

2010-09-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have visited many places that have a special connection with Star Wars, Indiana Jones and/or Lucasfilm.
Below is a compilation of some of these places. More will be added later!

Modesto: Birthplace of The Maker
The holy place. Modesto. Birthplace of George Lucas.
Modesto has honored George Lucas with George Lucas Plaza. A spot that's named after him and has a large bronze statue that refers to his movie American Graffiti. He grew up here and the streets of Modesto inspired him for this movie. I can surely say that when I walked these streets it really felt like the movie. A great moment for sure.

Death Valley: America's Tatooine

In Death Valley many scenes for Star Wars IV: A New Hope were filmed. R2-D2 rolled here, a Jawa Sandcrawler drove here, a Bantha walked here, a Landspeeder flew here and Mos Eisley's overview is also here.
Jabba's Palace road from Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi is also in Death Valley.

My attempt to do a Luke Skywalker pose. (without the twin suns that is).

Los Angeles: Prints & Stars

Above: August 3, 1977. The footprints of R2-D2, C-3PO (and Darth Vader) are taken at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Below: September 2009, me at the exact same spot.

Harrison Ford's prints....

...and the prints of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Harrison Ford's star on the Walk of Fame.

Star Tours
In the Disney theme parks the Star Tours ride can be found:

Disneyland (Anaheim, USA)

Disneyworld (Orlando, USA)

Disneyland (Paris, France)

San Francisco, USA: in the footsteps of Indy and Marion

Above: Harrison Ford and Karen Allen in their final scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Below: Me and my girl on the same stairs.
This scene and photo was shot in the City Hall of San Francisco.

Venice, Italy: search for the Grail Knight

Above: Some scenes shot at the San Barnaba church in The Last Crusade.
Below: That's me in front of the church.

Monument Valley: the Last Crusade

A scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was shot here.

Yosemite: Temple of Doom
The national Park Yosemite was used for some shots in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
.

Los Angeles: Spielbergs Star

Steven Spielbergs Star on the Walk of Fame.

Indy in Disney theme parks

Disneyland (Anaheim, USA): Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Wow. Unlike the ride in Disneyland Paris this isn't a rollercoaster but a really REALLY good ride. Truly one of the best rides anywhere.

DisneyWorld (Orlando, USA): Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular .

Indy props all over the world

One of the Sankara stones from Temple of Doom in Planet Hollywood, Paris

Below: various props in Planet Hollywood, London

Mark Dodson interview | Salacious Crumb | Star Wars

2010-09-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

In the third Star Wars movie a kowakian lizard-monkey was introduced: Salacious Crumb. Salacious was voiced by American voice actor Mark Dodson, whose career counts dozens of remarkable moments.
For instance: who can say they worked on the Skywalker Ranch, auditioned for a certain alien that wanted to phone home, annoyed C-3PO and can't be fed after midnight?
All of these things relate to the things Mark has done in his career and everything is discussed in the following interview I had with him in August 2010.

How did you get started in the voice acting business?

There’s a long answer to that! I’ll try to keep it short. I went out to Los Angeles right after high school in 1978 and I wanted to work into film as a director/producer. I know that I couldn’t afford to go to college as my family didn’t have the ability to do that, so I thought I should start as a production assistant and work my way up. That was in the late 70’s when it was easier to do that than it is today. I went to Los Angeles and had various jobs to pay the bills. There, I met a woman called Rita Bozyk who worked for Lucasfilm, doing the toys. We ended up together and she was told that she was going to be transferred to Marin County. I moved with her there. They were looking for carpenters to work at the Kerner Company in San Rafael where they were building the sound studio Sprockets. I took the job, working as a laborer. Then, Ben Burtt was looking for a voice for a creature. He wanted to know if someone had a raccoon, as he wanted to record raccoon chirps. Rita and I happened to have a baby raccoon called Mabel as a pet. Ben came to our house to record, but the raccoon didn’t make the sounds he wanted. We asked him to leave the equipment so we could record it when Mabel would make the sound. I had done some voices since I was a kid and thought why shouldn’t I try and see if Ben can use it. I did some impersonations, recorded them, returned the equipment to Ben and said I did some voices. A week or so later he asked me if I wanted to try out for a creature. I went in and did some lines. I didn’t know what it was for. I didn’t get the part, but some of the raccoon chirps were used. My wife Rita asked me what the creature I tried out for was. I said I had to say some kids name “phone home” and some weird sounds. When we went to the screening of E.T. all of a sudden E.T. says “Elliott” and I said to Rita “That’s the part I tried out for!” Elliott was the kid’s name I couldn’t remember. Months later I let Ben know that if he had other creatures I’d love to have another shot. He called me later that he had some voices he was looking for, I went to the studio I had worked on as a laborer and I was given a script for the part of Admiral Ackbar. I was so nervous and green…and I didn’t do a good job. I told this to Ben and asked him if I could loosen up for a minute. I walked away from the mic and started cackling and screaming to get rid of the nerves. Ben said he might be able to use me for one of the creatures. Ben directed me and the voice I had to do was between a bird a rat and a monkey who just saw something funny. I did the laughing and then I had to do some screaming as if I was chased by a giant. He said it was great and he’d use it. I got a check and weeks later I went to the screening of Return of the Jedi. Then, Salacious Crumb comes on and started cackling. I told my wife “That’s me!” “What do you mean?” she said. I said that it was the voice I ended up doing. After the screening there was a nice lunch with cast and crew. I went up to Ben and asked him if I was that little guy next to Jabba. He said I was and asked if I liked it and if I heard some of the other stuff. I said that I thought my sounds were used for some of the Ewoks and he told me I was right. So, that’s how I got started.

Did you have voice acting role models? People like Clarence Nash, Mel Blanc or others?

When I was in fifth grade we had to do a speech on how to do something and I did a speech on how to do impersonations. I loved voices. I knew who Mel Blanc was. As a kid I was always into impersonations, fun voices, crazy voices, evil voices. My biggest role model would be Paul Frees. At the age of 9, in 1970, I went to Disneyland and we went to the Haunted Mansion. I remember asking a crewmember who the voice was and I was told it was Paul Frees. I thought it was the greatest voice I ever heard. I found out he was also the voice of Boris Badenov from Rocky and Bullwinkle, the Pillsbury Doughboy, many of the voices from Fractured Fairytales and the Disney rides Pirates of the Caribbean and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I listen to his styles and try to put my own spin on them. I can’t sound like him, but it’s something to shoot for. The emotions in his voice are what I try to get close to.

On IMDB.com and your own site you are credited for Battle For Endor; a Star Wars spin-off movie that featured the Ewoks. Which characters did you voice for this movie?

For Battle for Endor I voiced the Marauders, some of the Ewoks and Teek. This came because Ian Bryce was a producer on this movie. Ian and I were friends and he knew I had done stuff for Return of the Jedi and he called me and asked if I wanted to do this. I said yes of course. I like doing the crazy characters, like Teek.

Can you share some memories regarding working on the Star Wars projects you did?

Besides working at the Kerner Company I also worked as a carpenter on the Skywalker Ranch. Because of my wife I was able to go to a lot of the screenings. My best memories are working at the Ranch, it was fun and amazing. They were building beautiful Victorian places and I was an apprentice carpenter on that. My time in the studio for the voices wasn’t long. My greatest memories are the comraderie, the feeling of family that George Lucas created. You really felt being a part of the family. It was the greatest place to work. We were treated well, paid well, fed well, the parties were great, the fourth of July party at the Ranch and the Christmas party in San Francisco…One of the most fun things I remember was the Christmas party in the year of Return of the Jedi, Ian Bryce saw to it I was at a table with Anthony Daniels. When we were sitting there, ready to eat, Ian said “Mark, I want you to meet Tony”. I said “Mr. Daniels, nice to meet you”. Ian said “This is Mark Dodson, the voice of Salacious Crumb”. Tony looked at me and with a voice of disgust, said “Oh, I hated you”. I was like ‘why does he say that?’ Tony went on: “You took my eyeball out and I hated that!” Of course, he was joking and we laughed about it. So, having C-3PO say he hated me is one of the best memories. Being an evil character you want people to hate you. We laughed, had a nice dinner, and danced. Of course, I didn’t dance with Tony! (laughs).

You are featured in a Star Wars movie and a Star Wars spin-off movie. How come you didn’t get a part in the latest Star Wars animation series: Clone Wars?

Well, if you were the voice director I probably would have by now. I took time away from voice over to work in the radio business. It was steadier work. I started a radio company that lasted about 15 years. As I got away from it I didn’t make myself that available, people didn’t know how to get a hold of me.
I was running the company, writing comedy, producing, doing everything. It was steady work and I like that. I’m not someone who likes to sit and wait for the next job for too long. I met Matt Wood and talked with him a few months ago. I told him I’m out here again and back to do voice work and if he needs me for Clone Wars I’d love to be a part of it. So who knows? Matt, if you see this, remember me!

How do you look back at the things you did for Star Wars and Ewoks?

I look back at it as some of the best times of my life, with a lot of affection. It was my start doing voiceovers. I met great people, worked with George Lucas, I ended up being a part of something I think is going to live forever and I’m humbled by it. I can’t believe I’m a part of it. Quite honestly, if it wasn’t for Star Wars, Ben Burtt and George Lucas I’d be another voiceover guy nobody really hears of.

After Return of the Jedi came Gremlins and Gremlins 2. Can you tell how you got cast for these movies? I understand it was Steven Spielberg who wanted you?

Well yes. Chris Walas and Tony McVey were the monster makers that made Salacious Crumb and they were brought in by Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and Mike Finell to do Gremlins. When they were working on the movie they had a meeting. I’m told that it was Steven who asked who the voice of Salacious Crumb was. Chris, who was a friend, said he knew and it was me. They asked if he knew how to get in touch with me. Salacious kind of looked like the gremlins and had the style of voice they wanted for Gremlins. Chris had my number and I had told him at one point that it would be great if they made a movie were Salacious Crumbs planet was involved. Chris called me and said we needed to get together. He reminded me of what I had said and told me there was a planet with many Salacious Crumbs and it was called Earth. He asked me if I was interested, which I was. I then went to Mark Mangini’s studio and did some wild lines and was told me they would use my voice. I also heard Howie Mandel and Frank Welker were going to be involved. I was a big fan of Frank, so I was like ‘Wow, I’m going to work with these guys!’ That was exciting. So, Salacious led to Gremlins.

What do you recall from your time working on Gremlins and Gremlins 2? I bet it must have been fun working with Howie Mandel and Frank Welker.

It was a lot of fun and exciting. Any time you’re working on a Spielberg movie you know it’s gonna be good. We watched a rough cut of the movie at Warner Bros and the next day we started recording, It were three 6 hour days of doing about 10 seconds at a time. It was done improve; here’s a scene, here’s a gremlin, what does he sound like, and go! We did it ‘to picture’. Gremlins 2 was even more fun because Howie, Frank, Kirk Thatcher and I were in the studio at the same time. I got to be many gremlins and mogwai including Daffy, Lenny and George. Daffy was a whole lot of fun to do because he’s so crazy. I modeled him after Daffy Duck; they pitched up his voice a bit. The recording took about a week, 6 hours a day of screaming, cackling, laughing and being crazy.

Which character you voiced is your favorite?

This may be the politically correct answer but it’s true: they’re all favorites for different reasons. Salacious Crumb is my favorite because of the Star Wars fans; they keep him alive. It was my first thing that got some notoriety. Daffy was the most fun because he has a big part in the movie and he’s a fun character. Last year I did a voice for the Silverwood theme Park, for their Halloween park which becomes Scarywood. I was the ghost host there and did a whole lot of voices for that. I got to do the Paul Frees style of ghost host. I modeled it after what Paul did for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

Suppose you had the chance to pick any character you’d like to voice. Which character would you choose, and why?

That is a hard question. I’d love to do some of the Transformer voices. I guess if I could be anyone wouldn’t Darth Vader be the one you want to be? But who could do it better than James Earl Jones? I love the dark characters, so pretty much any dark character is my favorite.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

Yes, I’m on my second season of a show for the Outdoor channel called Bow Madness. I’m the narrator for that. I’m also going to do another hunting show called Natural Born Killers. That can be seen on the Pursuit channel. Also, I’m one of the promo voices for NBC Universal Sports, I do commercials all the time and I audition almost every day. You know, in this business you wake up and don’t think you’ll work that day. Then you get a call and all of a sudden there you are. I’m hoping to get such a call for Clone Wars one day!

(editors note: Well Mr. Lucas, Mr. Wood and Mr. Filoni: don't hesitate and contact Mark Dodson!)

Angus MacInnes interview | Gold Leader | Star Wars

2010-09-21T04:50:00.001-07:00

Canadian actor Angus MacInnes will always remembered for his role as Jon 'Dutch' Vander AKA Gold Leader in Star Wars: A New Hope. Besides this part his best known movies are Peter Weir's Witness (that also starred Harrison 'Han Solo' Ford) and Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy. In september 2010 I had the following interview with him.

How did you get started in the movie business?

After leaving theatre school in London I decided to remain in the UK for a year or so to get experience of the British stage. A year later I landed a role as James Caan's bodyguard in Norman Jewison's Sci-Fi film Rollerball. Though a small role I was needed for pretty well four months of filming in Munich and London and so I spent a lot of time on set simply watching and learning. In one sense it was like doing a post grad crash course in the techniques and subtleties of acting for the camera. I fell in love with film work, it's technical demands and creative possibilities.

How did you get cast for Star Wars: A New Hope?

Of course it wasn't A New Hope then, it was Star Wars, plain and simple. Or rather at first it was The Star Wars. Every North American actor of my generation working in London was interviewed for a role in this little, low budget Sci-Fi film. The sheer numbers George Lucas needed for this project meant that virtually anyone who could walk, talk and not bump into the furniture got the gig. George had a unique method of casting; he would score actors one to ten and assign roles. 4, 5 & 6's might be fighter pilots. 2's & 3's might be Storm Troopers. If you looked particularly jaded you might get a 7 and wind up an Admiral. If your face was hidden by a tin can you might even get a second or third role. A lot of the people who couldn't do the required walking and talking thing had a rubber bits or plastic hats stuck on their heads and given weird voices. Movies; what more can I say?

What do you recall of the filming of your scenes?

My lasting memory is of terror. This was my second picture. In the first I didn't even have to talk never mind doing stuff while talking. This guy Lucas wanted me to scramble up a ladder and crawl into half a mocked up spacecraft made of cheesy wood and plastic that was balanced on a huge platform. Naturally I did as I was told, got settled into my seat. Then four large men at each corner of the platform removed the props that were holding it secure and they began to rock the thing back and forth and from side to side while a camera sat about eighteen inches from my face. I managed to babble through my lines and then they set off a large explosive charge behind me, scared six kind of shit out of me and let me go home. Later I was in the 'briefing room' scene and got to drool all over Carrie Fisher. That part was much more enjoyable.

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen on the set? Can you share some memories?

The only thing that was remarkable was the manner in which we filmed this movie and as this was only my second outing I had no idea it was unusual. Filming Star Wars had moments of working on the assembly line at Ford's. I followed one actor who did his bit and I was followed by another who did his. None of us had any idea what was actually happening in the scene except it was some kind of battle. I think we all pretended we were doing the Battle of Britain.

George Lucas, who wasn’t the powerful man he is now, directed you. Did you have the feeling back then that he was to become as big as he is now?

He isn't particularly 'big' even now. He's still a short guy though yeah, he has put on a few pounds. As for being 'big' in the biz, well that's what happens when you're behind a couple of big ass film franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. You get the cash, jack! So, no, at the time I had no idea George would wind up with several billion dollars in his pocket. I've never been clairvoyant.

Did you think during the making of Star Wars that this movie was going to become a success? And what did you think or feel when you first heard that Star Wars was becoming the highest grossing movie ever?

Unlike many of my fellow actors on Star Wars I was a big Sci-Fi fan at the time. I saw what George was doing and got right into it. The texture of the film was spot on and I was utterly confident it would be a success. Now, that is not to say I knew how big a success that would be. Like I said, I'm not clairvoyant. And by the way, neither is George Lucas. Believe me, he was as surprised as anyone with the success the film received. I only wish that he had set aside say, half of one percent of his gross of the films in some kind of a trust fund for the actors as a thank you. See, actors do fantasy too.....

Over the years you have attended various conventions where you had the chance to meet the fans. What do you think of these events and how is it to meet all those fans who want you to sign photos, posters etcetera?

Perhaps the greatest reward from doing Star Wars has been the conventions and the fans I've met at them. They are some of the nicest, if strangest, people I have had the pleasure to meet. As for signing the photos, hey, it's not exactly hard, is it? Mind you, the joined up writing was a little tricky to master at first......

Looking back at A New Hope and the whole Star Wars phenomena you have experienced: what are your thoughts and feelings?

The feelings are of satisfaction. That a film made thirty odd years ago can still work for an audience like this one does is quite remarkable, perhaps unprecedented. Of course it's terrifying to watch yourself at more than half your current age, when you had hair on your head and your bones didn't creak when you moved. That part is pretty weird.

In the 80’s you were in the highly acclaimed movie (and a personal favourite of mine) Witness, that also starred Harrison Ford. What do you remember of the making of this movie?

Along with Atlantic City, Witness is the most memorable film I've been part of . I could write a book on it's development and filming from being buried alive in corn to long bucolic summer evenings in the Pennsylvania countryside watching Amish buggies roll past. Witness was like a dream, Peter Weir perhaps the finest director I've had the pleasure to learn from. A truly remarkable life experience.

Other well known and popular movies you were in are Hellboy, Force Ten from Navarone, Superman II and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Which movie or part are you most proud of?

It's not the movies as much as the directors I've been fortunate to work with. Peter Weir on Witness, Louis Malle on Atlantic City, Guillermo Del Torro on Hellboy, Michael Apted on Enigma, Norman Jewison on Rollerball, Stanley Kubrick on Eyes Wide Shut, Costa Gavras on Amen and many others. The satisfaction of doing a film that works, no matter how big a hit it becomes is it's own reward.

Looking at the future: what are your upcoming projects and what would be your dream project?

My next project will be the one someone pays me cash money to do. I'm a hired gun, I need to work in order to live, to pay the bills and buy wine. My dream project is one suffused with imagination and creative verve. I love taking risks with my work which is why I do crazy short films every now and then. No money but risky and fun to do. With pictures you never know what is going to work and what isn't.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

I doubt there are any words of wisdom or intelligence I can pass on to Star Wars fans other than 'beware the Dark Side'. Go well my friends.

Nick Maley interview | Yoda crewmember | Star Wars

2010-09-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

The most popular, famous, talked about puppet in movie history must be Yoda, who made his first appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Although Muppeteer Frank Oz is often credited as Yoda, there was an entire team responsible for bringing the green, pointy eared Jedi Master coming to life. For instance, it was Ralph McQuarrie who sketched Yoda, Stuart Freeborn who designed him and Nick Maley who was responsible for making him work. In the following interview (that was done in September 2010) Nick 'That Yoda Guy' Maley talks about his career, his current activities, but mostly about working on the legendary Yoda.
(all images taken from thatYodaGuy.com)

How did you get started in the movie business?

I was a kid who's father was an actor. I grew up in theatre and thought I'd be an actor too so I learned stage make-up from the age of 7. I was teaching make-up at drama school at age 18 and realized I was too short and ugly to get frequent work as a performer. I applied to get a union ticket as a make-up artist in movies and I guess they thought I was a wiz kid because they gave me one after 2 years of trying. That gave me the right to work in movies. But then I needed to interface with the guys who could give me a job. That took another 4 years. I have a lot of info online at my website about this. I've been writing online for 15 years now and there's an extensive page about me getting started in the business with photos and details.

How did you get to work on both Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back?

Before Star Wars, nobody would have pegged George Lucas to make a sci-fi movie full of aliens. So even if you were into that stuff, you wouldn't approach George about it. But I knew Stuart Freeborn would get all the best make-up effects movies as he had built the apes for 2001: A Space Odyssey. So I targeted and harassed him until he gave me a day’s work. He liked what I did enough for me to join his team and when he got Star Wars I carried his bag and got it too. Of course it wasn't quite as simple as I make it sound. There were several important elements along the way. After A New Hope I worked with Stu on Spectre for Gene Roddenberry and Superman: the Movie and Superman II. So by the time we got to Empire Strikes Back I was an established part of the team and it was only natural that I would be included on Empire. When Graham was busy on set, I would supervise the trainees in the workshop. Bob Keen, Dave Barclay and Nick Dudman were all trainees on that movie. I worked mainly with Bob and Dave as Nick spent a lot of time helping Stu. Stu spent most of his time in his room working on the prototype Yoda, or attending production meetings, or coming by to see how we were doing with other projects.

For A New Hope you worked on the famous Cantina scene. What was your exact task and which characters/aliens did you create for that scene?

There were six of us working on creatures when we did the main unit shoot for that scene. I was still a junior member of Stu's team so I generally helped with ALL the creatures that we built. I made eyes for most characters. I made molds, foam skins and fabricated component parts. I stuck warts on Greedo and made his Mohawk tassel, I artworked many creatures, made hands and built a severed arm for Ponda Baba. I also did the prosthetics on the skinny "ugly" at the bar with the bubble pipe (Editor’s note: Dannik Jerriko). Many of the creatures there were modelled/designed by Stu's son Graham Freeborn. I was one of several artists finishing what he started.

You have worked with the legendary Stuart Freeborn for 7 years. How did your collaboration start?

I met Stu at union meetings and tried to strike up conversation so he would know who I was. Eventually he gave me two days on Young Winston and I devoted every moment of it to doing the most outstanding work possible... even though I was just working on the crowd. The director noticed and used my characters extensively. Stu noticed too and my two days grew to sixteen weeks. That put me on the map with him and started the road that lead to Star Wars.

Which valuable things did you learn from Stuart Freeborn? And how was it working with him?

Stu was like a headmaster. He kept you on your toes at all times. But I learned from him to look for lateral solutions to problems, to constantly strive to produce something new as well as a LOT of techniques specific to the jobs we were doing. I learnt from Stu's son Graham too who was his main assistant and a good hearted guy who helped me a lot in those early days.

You are probably best known for creating Yoda along with Stuart Freeborn. How did this creative process went, and which things were your idea regarding the creation of Yoda?

I don't lay claim to any ideas creating Yoda. Stuart decided how Yoda looked and changed him from the skinny young figure Ralph McQuarrie had designed into the gnome like creature you know today. I was involved in making Yoda WORK... making molds and skins and skulls, figuring out a walking version, assembling a radio controlled version with Ron Hone who built that mechanism and finally assembling the second animatronic puppet... assisted by Bob Keen. Fans don't realize there were four different versions of Yoda built for that movie alone, all based on Stu's design but different aspects of different puppets were done by different people. Consequently credits get very confusing. My ideas were all on the INSIDE of Yoda... the way the last head fitted to the costume, The way the neck fixture expanded as it stretched over the skull, the way the last mechanism was simplified so there was less to go wrong. These things are not perceptible to the viewer just as a car's breaking system isn't perceptible when you look at an automobile. But it's still integral to the final product. Stu headed the project and made all the key decisions. But Stu and I were not the only people working on Yoda. There was a team of us working different aspects of four versions. I am in the process of completing a new website on the subject. Your readers may be the first to visit it at thoseYodaGuys.com.

What do you recall from your time on the Dagobah set? How did the shooting of the Yoda scenes go?

I remember it was filthy. They built the entire thing on a sound stage. Mud and leaves, a lake and stream. They gave us wellington boots for the mud and Yoda got dirtier and dirtier. You can tell what order they filmed the sequences in by how dirty Yoda is in each shot. Once Yoda was on set, Wendy Midner and Dave Barclay looked after him and worked closely with Frank. So I wasn't on set that often.

How was your relation with Empire producers George Lucas and Gary Kurtz?

Most times they interacted directly with Stu. But the dealings I had with them were on good terms. I hear reports that George is difficult. Not the man I worked with. He was polite, very reasonable in what he wanted. Gave you what was needed to get by. At the end of A New Hope George and Gary presented key personnel with a signed and dedicated book of stills. Mine said "to Nick Maley, thanks for your contribution to Star Wars, George Lucas and Gary Kurtz". I worked on 53 projects and that was the only time a director and producer considered a group of key contributors enough to do something that. They were good guys and I still cherish that book.

What do you think of the ‘prequel Yoda’; the new Yoda puppet from Episode I and the digital Yoda from Episode II and III?

Basically I believe that if it isn't broke you shouldn't fix it. But the puppet for The Phantom Menace was so bad that I had the agree that the digital was better. Fans say he had to be digital in Episode II because he had to fight. I guess they've forgotten the animatronic fight sequences in Terminator II which, with brilliant digital enhancement, were far more impressive than the cartoons of Episode II a decade later.

What do you think of the fact that CGI is taking over from the ‘old effects' like puppets? It seems to me that an old craft is slowly disappearing.

You can't stop "progress". The industry is driven on new technologies. People want something new that they haven't seen before and so there is an assumption that "new" must be better than "old". People will say I'm a dinosaur when I disagree. But when CGI gets to be old hat I think film makers may go back to the combination of physical and digital effects which, whilst less extreme, are far more believable than the gravity-less CGI which allows forms to change proportion from frame to frame like Bugs Bunny and Roger Rabbit.
To me much more to the point is where is CG technology leading? It is 16 years since Forrest Gump met President Nixon. That means you can't believe anything that’s been on CNN for one and a half decades! Do you think that maybe the folks who feed us information have a political agenda? It's ironic that George Lucas should fuel a technology that might be used to mislead the masses just as Palpatine mislead the senate.

What do you regard as the highlight of your career so far?

Which career? I worked on 53 movie and video projects. Lifeforce has my best work, Krull was the most fun, Highlander was the least fun, but people always remember me for Star Wars. I exhibited my artwork in 18 countries, exhibiting in galleries and museums. A three year world tour with UNESCO stands out in that regard. I was Commodore of the Jolly Harbour Yacht Club for five years and sailed competitively for 15 years representing the island nation of Antigua in Antigua Sailing Week and winning three International Team Trophies was the highlight there. But if you want to know what I consider my greatest achievement... it would have to be persuading my actress wife Gloria to hang out with me through this adventure we call "life".

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

I just signed contracts to collaborate on a proposed Broadway rock musical involving prosthetics and animatronics that I can't say too much more about at this time. But I'm also working on creating a movie museum in St Maarten to keep me in pina coladas when I'm 95. (See aboutPlanetParadise.com). I recently turned 61. I need to focus enough to complete that before I reach 70. I just published my first book, combining my paintings with poems I've written over the past 45 years. I'm working on another book called Follow Your Star: a journey from Star Wars to Planet Paradise. Eventually, in another decade or so, I hope to produce a new range of Star Wars paintings honouring characters and technicians I had the pleasure of working alongside. That will be a limited edition unlike any Star Wars artwork produced to date. Hopefully these projects will be enough to keep me busy for another 40 years or more.

Gavin Bocquet interview | Production Designer | Star Wars

2010-09-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

British production designer Gavin Bocquet started his Lucasfilm career in the early 80's when he served as a draftsman on Return of the Jedi. After this, he worked as production designer for no less than five more George Lucas productions: the 1992 television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, the 1994 feature film Radioland Murders, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy films. In the late summer of 2010 I had the following interview with him.

What made you want to become a production designer? Was it something that fascinated you at an early age?

I was always very interested in film throughout my school days. The two films that were very strong influences on me while I was growing up were Jason and the Argonauts and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Maybe that’s why I have ended up working on the type of films I have been working on?
However, at that time, there was no obvious career path that would lead me into the world of films. So being quite creative at school I went to Art School, and studied Product Design. Firstly at undergraduate level, and then at Post Graduate level at the Royal College of Art in London.
During my time at the Royal College of Art, the first Star Wars film came out, and that again started to bring forward my interest in the film world again as a possible career.

How did you get started in the movie business?

During my last few weeks at the Royal College of Art, by complete chance, Stuart Craig, who has since gone onto become one of the worlds best Production Designers, was designing his first feature film, Saturn 3, and was looking for some designers to help on the prop making-design side of things. So I made the call, and that was the start of my film career.

Your first job at Lucasfilm was in the early 80’s. You were an art department draftsman on Return of the Jedi. How did you get this job?

I worked with the designer Stuart Craig for my first three films, then he was going off to India to make Ghandi, and he couldn’t take everybody in the Art Department. So he kindly recommended me to Norman Reynolds, who was about to start Jedi as the Production Designer, and he was kind enough to give me a job on that show.

How did you approach the task to design the backgrounds and sets for the Star Wars prequels? Did you have a lot of your own input or did George Lucas give you strict instructions?

The most important thing that the art department and I tried to achieve when we started on The Phantom Menace was to keep the visual spirit and identity of all the previous Star Wars films. We wanted the fans to really believe this was part of the same saga visually, and apart from pleasing George, which of course was our professional aim, that was our major personal aim.
George has very precise ideas about what he wants, although you have to put the ideas in front of him for him to react to. So by a process of elimination you would slowly get your ideas closer to the visions George had in his head.

For Episode I you were responsible for scouting and finding all the locations used for the Tatooine and Naboo environments that were shot in Tunisia and Italy. Can you tell how this process went? I guess there was a lot of travelling involved?

We travelled a lot on those scouts, mostly through Mediterranean Europe and North Africa. Sometimes it was just myself, sometimes a small group with Rick McCallum. Extraordinary travels and a once in a life time experience.
For the Naboo environments I travelled to most of the grand and impressive buildings that Southern Europe has to offer, from Cathedrals, Palaces, Monasteries, Grand Houses, etc, and eventually we decided on the palace at Caserta in Italy for the Naboo Palace.
We covered both Tunisia and Morocco for the Tatooine locations, and decided to stay with Tunisia. Rick McCallum and I initially did a tour of all the old Star Wars locations in Tunisia, to see what we might be able to use again, which was almost like an archaeological expedition, and we even saw remnants of old set pieces still lying around on many of the locations, which was extraordinary 25 years later.

What was the most difficult Star Wars set you have worked on in terms of constructing, designing or finding?

They were all as hard as each other from every aspect, as you are only as good as your worst design!

Can you describe an average workday on a Star Wars movie?

There was probably no average workday, and that is what can be so exciting about the film business in general, and even more so with Star Wars. Every day is a surprise and different. You could be in the office all day designing on the drawing Board, you could be on location scouts in different countries, or closer to the studio, or you could be supervising set builds and also supervising all the other design work being done in the art department.
But generally we got into work at about 6.30am every day and finished about 8pm.

Where there, when the Star Wars prequels were released, things that came out better or worse than you expected?

You are too close to the work to make that sort of judgment, so I was just happy that George was happy, Rick was happy and the fans were happy with the way the films looked.

What was it like, working with George Lucas and Rick McCallum?

Only one word really, incredible. Working with George on Jedi was brilliant, but I never thought that a few years later I would be the Production Designer on the Prequels, working with George again and Rick.
Basically I heard about Young Indy, and heard that Rick McCallum was the producer, and he lived in the next road to me in London. So in the days before E-mails, I just dropped a note through his post box, saying I would be interested in that job.
And that resulted in a couple of meetings and I was offered Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, that then led us onto Radioland Murders and then Star Wars.
If I had only done one Star Wars film I would have been happy enough, but to do three with Rick and George was absolutely brilliant, they were both an inspiration.

You worked on the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and even received an Emmy Award for this series. In which ways did working on Indiana Jones differ from working on Star Wars?

TV production is much faster process, you shoot one hour of film in two weeks, whereas with a Feature Film you generally shoot two hours of film over a 20 week period.
So the speed and application of the design work is much faster paced on a TV show. You are living very much on instinctive decision making as there isn’t much time to pontificate about ideas. Also you have a different Director for every two week shoot, so you are continually making decisions about locations and sets, on different episodes with different directors and often in different countries.
I think on all the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles shows we touched down in over 50 different countries, so it was a mad two years.

What would your dream project look like?

Star Wars! How can you get better than that?

What are you doing right now? Do you have interesting new projects we should look out for?

I have been working on a Bryan Singer project for 10 months now, Jack the Giant Killer, but we are still not greenlit, so not sure if you should look out for it yet, it might go away sadly.
Last year I did Gulliver’s Travels with Jack Black and that should be out at Christmas.

Zac Jensen interview | Kit Fisto | Star Wars

2010-09-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

He's green, got dreadlocks and is without a doubt one of the coolest Jedi ever.
His name: Kit Fisto. The actor's name: Zac Jensen.
The following interview I had with him was done in September 2010.

How did you get started in the movie business?

My brother Jesse had been working in the film and TV industry based in Sydney for the previous few years. I had been travelling a lot and doing some work in the building industry and decided to head down to Sydney from my home town on the Sunshine Coast to see if I could get myself a job in the movie business. Jesse had a few inside contacts and thanks to him, a couple of weeks after I arrived I managed to get a job on Star Wars as a set carpenter. As I was new to the trade, I was mainly setting up the workshops for the various departments. This gave me a great opportunity to meet the heads of many departments and it was very exciting to get a first glimpse of what goes on in the world of big budget films.

You portrayed the Jedi Master Kit Fisto in Episode II. How did you get this specific part? I understood your dreadlocks had something to do with it?

Not sure if that's true or not. After spending a couple of weeks setting up their workshop I had become pretty friendly with the creature shop crew, Matt Sloan in particular. Matt ended up playing Plo Kloon. I think Matt was instrumental in my being offered to play Saesee Tiin, which I was very excited about. One day not long after that, I arrived at work and my boss told me that I had a meeting with George Lucas later that day. I wondered whether I had messed up big time without realizing it! Anyway I met with George and Rick McCallum was there also. George offered me the part of Kit Fisto who was still being developed and had originally been concept sketched as a Sith Lord. Of course I took George up on his offer....who wouldn't? As Saesee Tiin and Kit Fisto had scenes together, someone else was needed to play Saesee Tiin. I offered up Jesse who was also working as a set carpenter at the time, he got the part and we ended up having on screen fight scenes together as Jedi Masters. Good times.

What do you recall of the shooting of the big arena fight scene?

One of the larger studios was decked out with green screens almost all the way round and sand coating the entire floor. We had sound tracks playing and there was lots of 'being a Jedi in the back yard as a kid' but with awesome costumes and lots of cameras. Jesse has had some Aikido training and he gave me some tips and moves to use. There were individual sessions where George had some specific directions as well as group scenes and lots of improvising. It was a long and tiring day but very fun!

What was it like, wearing all these layers of make-up and prosthetics? I can imagine it wasn’t very comfortable!

You know, if I had to wear it all the time I'm sure I would find it uncomfortable. It was 4,5 hours altogether for the make-up and wardrobe every morning for me. But as I was brand new to the film industry and being dressed up to play a Jedi with the likes of Samuel Jackson and co. alongside my brother........ we were loving every minute and all the prosthetics was just part of the fun! It was an interesting process as the prosthetics was glued carefully to the skin and airbrushed in where it met my true face. And when it was finished if I made a facial expression it would be Kit Fisto making an expression!

What do you think of the character Kit Fisto? Your brother Jesse told me he thinks Kit is cooler than his character Saesee Tiin. Don’t tell me you think Saesee is cooler!

I have to admit, although Jesse himself is the coolest person I know, Kit Fisto is definitely one of my favourite characters from the Star Wars saga.

Did any strange, funny or remarkable things happen during the making of Episode II?

The whole experience was strange, funny and remarkable! One thing that was pretty amazing to me personally was watching the development of Kit Fisto. As I was working behind the scenes as well, I saw the sculptor shaping the face over a plaster mould of my head and George would come and make his own adjustments each day. I had to shave off my dreadlocks to have my head and shoulders moulded so when I had the tentacles on it felt kind of normal again.

Did you meet the main actors from Episode II? Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson? Did you have a chat with them? How were they on the set?

I did have the chance to meet all of those actors and found them all to be very professional and very friendly both socially and at work. When I first got the part of Kit Fisto I approached Samuel and told him of my fortunate casting as Kit and asked him for some advice. He was very cool and basically told me to relax and have fun with it. As it turned out, he was with me in most of my scenes and we really did have a great time, his advice was both simple and perfect.

I know from Jesse that the two of you were Star Wars fans as a kid. How did you feel when you got wore your Jedi robes and Kit Fisto make-up for the first time and walked on the set?

As you can imagine, it was quite a buzz!

In Revenge of the Sith the part of Kit Fisto was played by Ben Cooke. Why didn’t you return to play Kit again? And what do you think of the way Kit gets killed by Palpatine?

Jesse and I were both in Panama working on Survivor Season 8 'Exile Island' at the time and unfortunately missed out on Episode III. Yes, Kit and Saesee both get killed a little quickly in my opinion. Although I have heard speculation that Kit Fisto didn't actually die!

You have done various Star Wars conventions where you signed photos for the fans. What is the best thing that happened to you at a convention?

The whole experience of meeting with fans, hearing their enthusiastic feedback, answering their questions and being able to interact with them directly is a rare treat and I enjoy them very much when I get the opportunity to go.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

I am working as the Art Director on the reality TV show Survivor. We are currently filming season 22.

Please finish the following sentence: “Looking back at the fact that I was in Star Wars, I….”

am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this incredibly imaginative world.

Jamison Jones interview | Rookie One | Rebel Assault II | Star Wars

2010-09-21T01:51:00.000-07:00

When the Star Wars game Rebel Assault II was released in 1995, it was very special.
The game was the first media (apart from the Ewok movies) to incorporate live-action actors and footage in the Star Wars universe since Return of the Jedi.
In the game players were able to control the actions of main character Rookie One, played by actor Jamison Jones. In the following interview that I had with him in September 2010, he talks about his career, his Lucasfilm experiences and playing the Rebel Assault II game.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I’ve been a professional actor for almost 20 years. I started my career during one of my summers in college when I was cast in a theater production that took me to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. We performed two new plays; Tennessee in the summer, about the life and times of Tennessee Williams and Purple Hearts, based on true events about three soldiers trapped in a sunken battle ship in Pearl Harbor.
After that summer I moved to San Francisco to study acting at The American Conservatory Theater and on my graduation I was cast in my first movie with Lucasfilm called Radioland Murders. So in a sense George Lucas gave me my start.

Your first encounter with Lucasfilm was the movie Radioland Murders.
A year after Radioland Murders you got cast as Rookie One, the main character of Rebel Assault II; a video game that had real live footage included. How did you get this part?

The Rebel Assault job came as a pleasant surprise. I was working on Angels in America at ACT at the time and got a call from my agent for this LucasArts video game. When I went to the audition, they were packed with people and I had another appointment across town. I waited as long as I could, but after an hour I told the casting assistant that I was leaving for another appointment, not really knowing what I was passing up. The next day I got a call-back to come and meet the director and I hadn’t even auditioned. Hal Barwood was the director and we hit it off right away. It wasn’t really much of an audition, more of a creative meeting where he told me all about the project and the concept about Tatooine and the Rebellion. I walked out of that meeting and drove home where a message was waiting from my agent about the project. They had offered me the part and we would start right away.

The scenes that were shot for Rebel Assault II were among the first Star Wars scenes shot since Return of the Jedi.
Can you share some of your memories regarding the shooting these scenes?

The environment on the set was great and working with Hal was a collaborative experience. This was also my first blue screen shoot and I didn’t know what to expect. We used all of the original costumes from Return of the Jedi which for me was the coolest thing in my life at that point. You see I had grown up in Geman and we didn’t have an English speaking movie theater in our neighborhood. We happened to be in the Netherlands when Star Wars came out in Europe and we watched it on an enormous 180 degree wrap around screen and lucky for us it was in English with Dutch subtitles. I was mesmerized. My brothers and I loved the movie so much that my parents drove us to the Frankfurt airport 13 times to see the movie again and again. So, to be working with these original movie pieces was a thrill.

Did any strange, weird or remarkable things happen during the making of Rebel Assault II?

When I saw the actor playing Darth Vader enter in his full regalia, I was instantly thrust back to my childhood and have to admit that I was struck with a little bit of momentary panic. The shoot itself was pretty smooth other than a major move for me in the middle of the process. My wife and I had already made plans to move back to Los Angeles and I had to fly back up to San Francisco to finish the work. The hardest part of the shoot was reacting to the things that would be added later as we shot on an empty blue set that would be filled by computer generated environments later. The funniest moment for me on the set is actually my blooper Easter egg on the game itself. Vince, the creator of the game was standing in for Admiral...Ackbar, the ”fishy guy” and was standing on a ladder doing the voice. I had been off the set at a fitting and came back to a room full of cadets and extras that were rehearsing the scene and prepping for my arrival. When I got there we started shooting and the voice that Vince was using to enact the moment was hysterical, combined the twisted expression on his face required to emulate the characters voice was killing me. I hadn’t been in the room and didn't know what he was doing and I couldn’t help myself and busted up laughing. Everyone else was so serious that it made it even worse.

In which way(s) was the making of Rebel Assault II different than shooting a motion picture?

Well for starters, I became a puppet you can manipulate in the game by shooting me in 24 different positions that would later allow the user to actually move the image of Rookie One as they played the game. The blue screen work like I said earlier had its own challenges. I recall one scene where I, as the character of Rookie One, knocked out a storm trooper and put on his suit to avoid detection in the enemies’ base. Let me tell you, those things are almost impossible to move in and the helmet is almost impossible to see out of. In the scene I had to run through the blue sound stage pivoting around blue marks on the blue floor that would later become boxes and debris and other set pieces, run up a flight of blue stairs and crouch behind a blue nothing, that would later become some sort of mechanical unit I was hiding behind. It was crazy trying to make all that happen and look like I knew what I was doing and where I was going.

I’m sure you played the game when it was released. What did you think of the final result and did you enjoy playing as ‘yourself’?

Well, I’m a little embarrassed to admit, but I couldn’t play the game very well. I kept getting stuck trying to get the Millennium Falcon out of the darn cave, so I had to have Vince, the game creator play the game and output it to a video tape so I could see the game and the videos in their entirety. After I saw all that I loved it. It’s always hard for me as an actor watching myself, but all of that aside I thought the team did a great job.

Since you were a Star Wars fan before you got cast, it must have been a dream coming true I guess.

Well, as I said earlier in the interview, I lived in Germany when the first one came out and overcame great obstacles to see that movie as many times as possible. One of the great moments of my young career was working on that game and all those original artifacts, only to be trumped by a trip to Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch for a lunch with the director a year after the game came out. What an amazing facility and it couldn’t be set in a more beautiful location. I also wrote a personal letter to George Lucas asking for an opportunity to work in the new movies that where casting at the time, but it wasn’t in the cards for me.

You currently run Jones Films; a Film Development and Production company based in Los Angeles and New York.
Can you tell something about your current projects and the things you do at Jones Films?

Among other things, we are currently in development on a 1920’s prohibition gangster movie set in Detroit about the notorious Purple Gang. It’s an amazing story and we’ve developed a great script.

At Jones Films you also train actors. What is, according to you, the one thing a beginning actor should always keep in mind?

We have a class on Monday nights in Hollywood that’s all about the art and business of acting. I think actors have to remember that this is a business and that you have to be smart about your career and the choices you make. Having the right representation is important as well. Not the biggest agent, but the one that will push you in the right doors. This business is a bit of a game of chance but I do believe that talent and tenacity will rise to the top and if you’re seen by the right people (directors, casting and producers) that you will have a career. Maybe not Brad Pitts’ career, but one that’s still worth having none the less.

What do you regard as your biggest achievement as an actor? And what do you regard as the highlight of your career so far?

I think some of my best work as an actor has been on the stage. I’ve done a great deal of work in television, most recently Burn Notice; what a blast working with Bruce Campbell, and one of my favorite films was with Christian Slater and William H. Macy; a movie from a few years back called He Was A Quiet Man in which I play the antagonist to Christian’s introverted office drone who goes postal. I believe much of my best work in film is yet to come and I look forward to the number of opportunities that are currently on the horizon.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

Thank you seems the most appropriate thing to say. It’s funny that a video game could have such an impact on people, but it has and a great many people have approached me and raved about what a great game Rebel Assault II was and how they were obsessed with it in their young lives. The great moments in life are fleeting an ephemeral and as much as we want to hold on to the great moments of the past, I think the most important thing to do is to move forward. I hope I have the opportunity in my future to work with the Lucas company again; it was a great experience and a highlight. Thank you to all the fans that bought and loved the game and made it a piece worth remembering.

Matt Lanter interview | Anakin Skywalker | Clone Wars | Star Wars

2010-09-21T01:49:00.000-07:00

American actor Matt Lanter was born just before Return of the Jedi was released in cinemas. 27 years later, he is one of the stars of the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV series as he is the voice of Anakin Skywalker...
Besides this series he has a leading role in the popular series 90210 and has also starred in series like CSI, Grey's Anatomy and Heroes, and movies like Disaster Movie and Vampires Suck.
In August 2010 I had the chance to ask him a few questions....

How did you start in the movie and voice acting business?

I did some background extra work for a film called Bobby Jones that shot in Atlanta. After falling in love with the magic of it, I decided to finish out my semester at UGA, save up some money then packed up my car with what I had and drove out to LA to make a career.

Can you tell how you got cast for the Clone Wars series?

It was a standard voice audition for a project that I knew nothing about; just that it was Star Wars something. Dave Filoni was there, as well as Catherine Winder and they asked me to read the copy as a combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. I gave it my best and here I am today!

You were given the tough task to voice an established character since Anakin was featured in the prequels, played by Hayden Christensen. Did you study Hayden’s portrayal of Anakin and his voice a lot to come up with your own version of Anakin?

Of course I watched all the prequel films to gather what I could about Anakin, but I’m not trying to copy a voice performance in any way. George and Dave and I have all chatted about how this Anakin is a bit different than what we have seen in the films and I feel I have the liberty to extend that into voice quality as well. I was cast with my own spin on the character, not as a voice double, so it’s actually really nice not having that pressure like a few of my other cast mates.

How do you look at working on Clone Wars? And do you like the series?

I love working on it and love watching it as a fan too. The cast is great, Dave and a fantastic supervising director and really knows how to work with the actors. We really have a great family feel from the actors to producers to everyone at Lucasfilm. We all have a passion for making the show the best it can be. Every time I watch it, it just blows me away. I am humbled that I’m a part of it.

Were you a fan of the Star Wars movies when you were a kid? When did you saw them for the first time?

I can’t really say I was a fan because I hadn’t seen them all. I actually saw the prequels before I saw the original trilogy, I think around 15 or so. I’m obviously a huge Star Wars geek now though!

Looking at the future: do you want to establish yourself mainly as an actor or as a voice actor? Where do you get the most satisfaction from?

Both. I love doing both for different reasons and I have a passion for both. You have to put yourself and your character in these hard to imagine situations, especially in Star Wars. It’s a great outlet for creativity! On camera is much different. You also get to travel and experience new places and cultures, which is a blast.

What would your dream project be and are there future Star Wars projects you are going to be involved with?

I’m always doing video games as Anakin. As far as other Star Wars projects, who knows… I wouldn’t turn it down, that’s for sure. I’m not sure that I have one dream project. There are a lot of things I want to do in my career.

Please finish the following sentence: “When I look at my work on Star Wars, I…”

Feel lucky and humbled to a part of it.

Cathy Munroe interview | Zuckuss | Star Wars

2010-09-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Even though Zuckuss has little screentime in The Empire Strikes Back, this Bounty hunter has become a cult figure and a fan favorite. The actress that played Zuckuss over 30 years ago is Cathy Munroe. For many years she was considered to be 'lost', but luckily she 're-surfaced' (thanks to Star Wars actor Dean Mitchell) a few years ago. This, and her experiences as a Gand Bounty hunter are two of the things we discussed in the following interview that was done in September 2010.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I attended the Italia Conti stage school in London for 4 years where I had training in dance, acting and singing, passing several LAMDA exams.
At stage school I helped form-and performed in a singing group called Encore.
Leaving school, I acquired an agent, and one of my first acting jobs was The Empire Strikes Back.

How did you get cast as Zuckuss for The Empire Strikes Back?

I was told to go to the E.M.I. Elstree studios, where I was asked my availability for the next few weeks, and if I had any problems with wearing a mask.
My height seemed very important to them as I had to make several visits for fittings.
On the final fitting at the studio the costume was complete. It was quite restrictive and not very glamorous. I was briefed about the scene, and that I would be working with Dave Prowse, and four other actors collectively named the Bounty Hunters.
I reported to the wardrobe department where all the headdresses are designed and made. I saw my mask for the first time, which had to be locked onto my head, and could not be taken off without help. I took a deep breath and the mask was locked in place I could only see ahead of me. I also had a tube near my mouth which I had to blow into to create bubbles. This tube was connected to a cylinder on my chest which had colored water in. I had my own permanent wardrobe lady, and if I raised my hand she would know that I needed to get the mask off quickly. Because it was so hot in my costume especially with the hot studio lights, I was allowed a chair on set if I needed to sit down.

Zuckuss has become a real cult figure over the years and got a background story. Did you keep up with these stories?

I know now how important Zuckuss has become having met many fans at different conventions, and all the numerous cartoons, books, and publications relating to Zuckuss.
I try and keep up with the latest developments. I find it all so fascinating! I feel very privileged, and special to have been part of Star Wars and to be ‘immortalized'.

Can you tell something about how Irvin Kershner directed you in The Empire Strikes Back?

Irvin Kershner was a very interesting director, he had a precise and clear vision of the scene. He was very polite, yet quite serious. On the set it is always difficult for directors as they have so much to think about.

Did you meet George Lucas on the set? What impression did he make on you?

Yes, I did meet George Lucas. He was a real gentleman and very handsome.

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen on the set? Can you share some memories?

Because I was the only female on set, I was quite spoilt. The actors and crew were great to work with and I loved the atmosphere in the studio even though the costume was difficult to wear.
I can't remember any funny things except when all the actors were in full costume; watching them trying to mount the set took ages.

Besides Zuckuss, you also played Wiorkettle in some Cloud City scenes. What do you remember of these scenes and the Cloud City set?

I was very pleased to be asked to play another character, Wiorkettle, on the Cloud City set, especially when I found out the mask was a rubber one which I could pull on and off myself.
I worked with another Wiorkettle dressed exactly the same, including the mask. The only difference was the he was nearly 7 foot tall! We looked very funny wandering around the set, with me so small and him so tall! We were nicknamed Mr. and Mrs. Pig. The Cloud City set was completely white; beautiful, even magical. I met Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, both were very friendly and pleasant. I remembered thinking how glamorous and beautiful Carrie looked.

You ‘disappeared’ from the fans for many years after The Empire Strikes Back. You didn’t do conventions for instance and the fans didn’t know where you were. A few years ago you ‘re-surfaced’ and started doing conventions, signings and even got your own website. Why did you choose to step out of the ‘Star Wars spotlights’ for so many years and do you enjoy being back in the spotlight?

The reason I disappeared is a strange one. I worked on The Empire Strikes Back under my real name of Catherine Munroe, with a provisional Equity card. After I finished The Empire Strikes Back I was granted my full Equity card, but because someone had a similar name, I had to change mine to Katy Jarrett. Under Katy Jarrett I worked mainly in television usually for the BBC.
I knew Star Wars was big, but had no idea that anyone would be interested in me, or of the conventions and shows. In 2007 whilst working at the BBC, during a long coffee break, a few of us actors spoke about past work. I mentioned among other things that I had worked on The Empire Strikes Back; one of the actors nearly fell off his chair when I described my costume to him and the scenes I played in. He told me that every Star Wars fan thought I was dead, as they had given up trying to find me under my original name. I am now very happy to be on the Star Wars circuit, and have met many my fellow actors, including Dave Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch, and my dear friend Chris Parsons who has helped me. Chris and I speak nearly every week and we love doing shows together.

You have attended various fan conventions over the world. Do you like attending them and interact with the fans?

I was extremely happy to have been 'discovered'; it has been wonderful to travel the world meeting all the lovely fans and telling my story. I am still amazed at the dedication of all the fans, and all the memorabilia waiting for my signature, especially when it's to complete a bounty hunter set. The joy in a fan's face makes it all worth while.

What are you up to right now? And do you have new projects coming up?

I have returned to singing which is my passion, I love writing songs, and enjoy painting especially in oils.

If there is anything you want to say to the readers here's your chance!

I would like to say a big sincere thank you to all my fans-they make me feel so welcome and very humble. I am very privileged to have been involved with such an important film, and to have been 'discovered’. I hope I can continue as long as possible to meet and talk about my wonderful story, which started all those lightyears ago.

Goran Kleut interview | Lampay Fay | Star Wars

2010-09-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

How did you get started in the movie business?

Well I was singing in a band for many years, doing gigs all over Sydney and around. Until pokie laws were laxed and the Sydney Olympics happened, so they shut down a lot of venues in favor of gambling and Olympic fever. And since Star Wars had moved their production to Sydney I knew I had to get into it. So I scored an agent and got accepted into drama school.

How did you get cast as Lampay Fay for Revenge of the Sith?

I was trying to get into Star Wars somehow. I even tried to be a guard of some sort. Until one day I got the call from my agent. Actually I missed the call because I was involved in a theatre production. But I had a feeling I new what it was about. A tremor in the force. I returned the call a day later hoping it wasn’t too late. And as it turned out auditions were on the next day. I turned up and sat around with six other tall people. Waiting our turn to be escorted to the creature shop. As we left another six tall men arrived and as we entered the creature shop another six tall men exited. The aim was to find people who resembled Bruce Spence’s physique. I was one of the lucky two.

What are your specific memories from the set during filming? Do you have any anecdotes from your time on the set and the filming of your scenes? I’d like to hear as much as possible of course!

I have very fond memories of my time on the Star Wars set. I had to come in regularly and test out the costume or parts of the mask I wore in the platform scene. So I got to see a lot of things being prepared, it was utterly fascinating. My time spent wondering around the creature shop won’t soon be forgotten. Then there were all the different costumes I saw being made and finally the filming itself. Becoming a character like Lampay Fay and immersing myself into the Star Wars universe was something I always wanted to do. And being in a scene with Obi Wan Kenobi was a thrill. I was particularly happy that I got to work with Bruce Spence. He’s a legend.

Were there scenes filmed with you that were cut from the final movie?

Yes there was. More of an alternate scene, as the dialogue managed to survive and was dubbed to the end of the Utapau platform scene. It was a set in a golden room and you got to see a closer look at Lampay. So more delicate make up was needed. This scene was filmed as a pick up.

How did George Lucas direct you? And what impression did he make on you?

In the platform scene there wasn’t much other than positional things. But the Utapau room scene was a little more intricate. I was shown a previz of the scene and told to go out in the centre of a big green screen sound stage and do it. I got given my marks and my eyelines and we did a few different takes. George seemed pleased, he only wanted it a little faster and then to a number of angles and finally he said “Perfect”. He came across like a calm easy going guy. George and everyone on set seemed to be having a great time.

Were you a fan of the Star Wars movies before you got cast?

Absolutely. I have a lot of figures and still keep up with the latest news.

How do you look back at your Star Wars work, and what would be your best memory regarding Star Wars?

For me it was a dream come true. The whole experience was fascinating to me I absorbed as much as I could. I’m glad I could be a part of something that was very influential to me when I was growing up and continues to be. I’m also very honored to have been chosen to do my part for the saga. It is one of my most cherished achievements. If I had to pick a favorite memory it would have to be, meeting Obi Wan for the first time in costume.

As an actor, do you have a dream you'd like to achieve movie-wise? If so, what would that be?

Other than more Star Wars. Hmmmm. Yes, funny enough. I’ve always wanted to one day star as Strahd Von Zarovich in the adaptation of Vampire of the Mists. He is cool character and I like Christie Golden’s work.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

At the moment I am filming an Indie Aussie horror called The Tunnel. It is part of the 135k project and has been getting a lot of press here in Australia. Mainly because of its format. It should be available by the end of 2010.
And after that I start work on a film called Frozen Moments which is being directed by Kiwi director Craig Newland. It should be coming to theatres around 2011.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

Just the usual “May the force be with you all”.

Anthony Phelan | Lama Su | Star Wars

2010-08-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

When George Lucas went 'Down Under' to shoot Episode II: Attack of the Clones, many Australian actors were cast to portray the inhabitants of the Star Wars Universe.
One of them was stage actor Anthony Phelan, who became Prime Minister of Kamino: Lama Su.
He provided the body movements and the voice of this character, who shows Obi-Wan Kenobi the clone factory in the movie.
In August 2010 Mr. Phelan was so kind to answer some questions regarding his work on Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I have been working as a professional actor for 30 years, so it was a natural progression I suppose.

How did you get the part of Lama Su in Episode II? Did you have to audition for instance?

The role of Lama Su came to me, fortunately, as I was doing a stage play for the Sydney Theatre Company. The casting Director for Attack of the Clones was in the audience one evening and heard my voice, and left the theatre convinced that mine was the voice for Lama Su. She only needed to convince George and I was in. I had no formal audition, only to record part of the script for George to listen to, and the rest is history, as they say.

When did you find out that the character you were going to voice was a long, pale, thin alien called Lama Su?

I arrived at Fox studios in Sydney for my first 'meet and greet' with casting and creatives and was shown part of a story board of my scenes. There he was, the luminous, thin Lama Su. I must say I was impressed with the artists impression and became excited about the prospect of creating a new character voice, and daunted at the same time with the prospect of creating a 'sound' that suited Lama Su, a Prime Minister.

How did you come up with Lama Su’s voice? Were you influenced by certain existing people for instance?

I suppose I was influenced by the fact that Lama Su was the Prime Minister of Kamino and needed a sound of authority, and intelligence. He also appeared calm and confident. He needed to impress Obi-Wan Kenobi after all. I wanted something unique. No other voice influenced my creation.

Can you share some experiences regarding the days you worked on Episode II. How did your days look?

The most interesting, and I suppose challenging aspect of my days on set was having to work with a 'blue screen'. Having no eye line points of reference except crosses on a wall was a new experience for me. Ewan however had a different, and I suspect, amusing time in that he had to refer his eye line to a life size cut out of Lama Su's head positioned atop mine. Kaminoans are tall of course. He became amused at one stage realizing he had not actually looked into MY eyes. We both had a laugh at the ludicrous nature of it once that actor to actor contact had been made. We had many memorable conversations about literature and the theatre. He generously found time in his busy shooting schedule to come and see the theatre production I was in at the time. A very generous human being, and actor.

Was George Lucas present at the recording sessions? How did George Lucas direct you?

George was present and was constantly coming out from behind his monitor to suggest moves. I was in awe of course, and needless to say nervous.
Did any strange, weird or remarkable things happen during your recording sessions?
I suppose the remarkable thing for me was being there to be part of Star Wars history in the making. Of course being in the presence of George Lucas and Ewan McGregor gave a great feeling of accomplishment.

When you joined the cast of Episode II the Star Wars movies were the most successful movies ever. Had you seen the movies? And what did you think of them? Also, did it influence your decision to join the Star Wars cast?

I shall never forget seeing the first film Star Wars in the seventies. I nestled into my cinema seat with a tub of ice cream close to the screen, and right from the opening scenes was hooked, and have been ever since. I only dreamed of what it must be like to act in one of these films, never did I imagine being part of that great saga one day. You can only imagine my delight when I was cast for Attack of the Clones.

In which way(s) was voice acting different than physical acting? Is it easier, harder or can’t they be compared? And what do you prefer yourself? Acting or voice acting?

You are forming and creating 'character' whether it be with the voice or with voice and body. I always like to picture in my mind the character behind the voice. You need to 'see' the person before you put the music of the voice to the physicality. Having said that I suppose 'voice acting' is more of a challenge. The character you are 'voicing' can sometimes change in the short period of time you have to create him. I like both of these acting experiences, they both have there challenges and rewards. I would like to one day voice an animated film. Now that would be a delight.

What do you regard as the highlight of your career so far?

It is very difficult for me to zero in on one highlight in my career. There have been many memorable experiences. Most of my work throughout my 30 year career has been for the stage. There hasn't been as much film exposure as I would like, so I relish it when it presents itself.

What are you doing right now? Can you tell something about your current projects?

At the moment I am waiting to begin rehearsal for the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya, which will also star Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving.

Final question: how do you look back at the fact that you are part of the ‘Star Wars Universe’?

To be part of the ‘Star Wars Universe' fills me with great pride and a sense of achievement. Lama Su is out there in the ether and he has my voice and my body movements. To be part of that illustrious film acting history is a feeling one finds difficult to describe, only to say it feels awesome!

Niki Botelho interview | Teek | Star Wars | Battle For Endor

2010-08-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

Niki Botelho was only 16 years old when she was cast for a role Star Wars fans will always remember her for: the rodent-like Teek from the TV movie Battle For Endor. This movie was the sequel to The Ewok Adventure and featured Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok), Aubree Miller (Cindel Towani) and veteran actor Wilford Brimley (Noa Briqualon).
In August 2010 I had the rare chance to chat with her, mainly about this Star Wars spin-off of course. According to Ms. Botelho, it was her first Star Wars interview in over 20 years...

What do you recall of the filming of your scenes for The Battle For Endor and how did you get cast as Teek?

Originally Teek was an actual puppet. However, Wilford Brimley was throwing a fit with the directors, the Wheat Brothers. "I can't act to a F****** puppet!" Often, I would be off the clock for work and Wilford would kindly ask me to act as the puppet for line sight so he could be interacting with something real.
I did not even see it coming. One day they told me my call time was god awful early, like 6 am -for a sixteen year old that is early-. I was to report to the creature shop.
Next thing you know parents are there signing contracts with me. I had to join the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) as soon as possible. It was a bit crazy. You know, no one ever ‘asked’ me if I wanted to do the part. I was the tiniest of the bunch, always was and always will be.

The main cast for The Battle For Endor were you, Warwick Davis, Aubree Miller and Wilford Brimley. How did all of you get along during the filming of the movie?

We all got along wonderfully. They were like my first second family. We went out to dinner a lot, swam together....we were all so young, it was a blast! Once, Wilford asked all of us -at the time- kids if we were free for dinner and also if we liked sushi.
He ended up getting a limo to take us all to his premiere of Cocoon in San Francisco. We were all so surprised with all the photographers etcetera. It was a good time.

The Battle For Endor was directed by Jim and Ken Wheat. How were both men to work with?

Well as I said before how pissed Wilford was about the damn Teek puppet; he screamed at the Wheat Brothers and called them the Idiot Brothers. Wilford refused to work with them, therefore all of Wilfords shots were shot by the second unit director who was Joe Johnston at the time. He is pretty big in Hollywood these days and cool as hell to work with.

Where you a Star Wars fan before you were cast? When did you first see the original Star Wars movies?

My mom was a huge Star Wars fan. I think she was more excited than I was! I was young and semi-into it.

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen on the set? Can you share some memories?

Lots! Someone was always messing with someone!
One shot we were filming a POV shot across the ravine of all the Marauders descending down the hill. The Idiot Brothers wanted me to get up at the end of the scene and walk out of frame. Joe was directing me at the time. He did not like the idea so he put DUP on the slate (directed under protest). Joe did not have a good feeling about this one and he was right. I walked right out of frame and over the edge. I tumbled and tumbled and tumbled some more. Finally I ended face down in the creek, water rushing through me as well as the costume, making it weigh about two tons. I was choking on water by the time they yanked me out of the water and ripped my mask off.
Everyone freaked out and thought I was seriously hurt, the way the fall looked. I was 16, nothing hurts when you are 16. The creature shop was so pissed at the Wheat Bros. They painted a huge fake bruise on my back. The Wheat Bros. called me over, all concerned. I told them I felt fine, however my back kind of hurt. I lifted my shirt to show them my back…the fake bruise was huge. They shit their pants! We all got a good laugh at it.

How do you look back at the fact you were in The Battle For Endor, and are you proud to be a part of Star Wars?

You know Dennis, I knew, even though I was only 16 this gig was beyond special in so many ways. I was so young, traveling to Japan with Lucasfilm -everything First Class of course-. I realize now that I am older -and I hope wiser- I see how cool it is to be a part of major entertainment history.
I enjoyed playing Teek, it was fun. My friends say they knew which character I was right away by my mannerism. Funny huh?

In the Star Tours ride at the Disney theme parks the visitors can see Teek in the pre-ride show. On TV screens the visitors see Teek in a chair, getting ready to fly to Endor. Did you play Teek for this short film as well?

I honestly do not remember if I shot that or not. I did so many appearances and commercials and traveling with George Lucas. I am not sure. A lot of stuff is shot totally out of index. I saw it years ago and it did not look like my movements. It almost looked puppet like.

Niki Botelho and Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino
Are you still active in the acting business these days?

Yes I am active. Quite more these days.

Final question: of all the movies and series you have worked on: which particular one are you most proud of, and why?

That is really hard to say. I cannot stand watching myself, so I tend not to at times. I think every project I have ever worked on had some special quality about it that I have fond memories of. Some for the crew, some for the incredible food, some for the great script, some for the great co-workers. They all have been associated with wonderful memories. I would not have changed one thing about any of them.

Many thanks for this great interview!

No problem! You got lucky and caught me, not many people are able to. You must have good energy, good karma.

Was this your first Star Wars interview by the way?

That was the ‘Martini question’?
The first detailed one in over twenty years. Wow! That is a trip!

John Stocker interview | Vlix | Droids | Star Wars

2010-08-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

In his career (that spans four decades) John Stocker has voiced many animated characters from series everybody knows, from Super Mario Bros. to Care Bears and from Babar to Dog City.
He also worked on the two animated Star Wars series from Nelvana in the mid-80's: Droids and Ewoks.
For Droids he provided the voice of Vlix, Zatec-Cha, Sollag and Greej, and for Ewoks he did the voice of Widdle Warrick, Mooth, Hoom, and the Dulok scout.
Enjoy this interview with John Stocker, master of many voices.

How did you get started in the entertainment business and what got you started as a voice actor? Was it something that fascinated you as a kid for example?

I always wanted to be an actor - since age 4, actually. I seemed to have a facility for dialects and voices, but they never really came to the fore, at least professionally, until I was about 20 or 21, when one of my agents took notice, and sent me out on a job for which an advertising agency had simply asked for someone who 'would do a good, professional job'.
I've never looked back.

How did you get cast for both the Droids and Ewoks TV series?

I had done a couple of small jobs for Nelvana, and the Droids/Ewoks producer/voice director simply hired me - no audition required.

For the Droids and Ewoks series you voiced characters like Vlix, Widdle and a Dulok.
How did you get your parts for these series assigned?

This same person would simply call me into the session and say "What have you got for this guy?"

How do you create voices for (your Droids/Ewoks) animation characters? Do you use specific techniques, do you get inspiration when you see the characters, etc?

I would either see a drawing, or get a verbal description, and pray that I'd be inspired.

When you joined the Droids/Ewoks cast the Star Wars movies were the most successful movies ever. Had you seen the movies? And what did you think of them? Also, did it influence your decision to join the Droids/Ewoks cast?

Yes, I had seen the movies, but I wouldn't say they particularly influenced me. It was great to be a part of something that was so obviously going to become iconic.
The decision to join the cast was not mine, but as an actor, my main motivation to work on the show, at least initially, was money. Who knows which projects will ultimately become fun to be a part of, and take you beyond the purely financial reward.

Hoom, a Dulok and Widdle Warrick from Ewoks, and Zatec-Cha from Droids; all voiced by John Stocker
What does an average day working on Droids/Ewoks (or any other animated series) look like?

Animation performances are usually recorded individually, unless it's either essential or more convenient to record ensemble. It's not necessarily better or worse to practice this method, it's simply a matter of style or preference.

Did you know that there was an action figure made of your Droids character Vlix, but since it was only available in Brazil it is worth +- $ 10.000 in mint condition due to its rarity?

I had no idea. My ego says I'd love to have it. Unfortunately, I don't speak Portuguese. Got a spare one you can send me as a small 'thank you'?

Your résumé of characters you have voiced and series you worked on is endless. Which character or series is your personal favorite?

No question - Beastly from Care Bears, followed by Newton Gimmick (Teddy Ruxpin), Clogg (Redwall), Mr. Cube (Mischief City) and Edgar (Benjamin Bear).

Being a voice actor you have seen a lot of animation series. What do you think of the fact that most modern animation series are done by computer instead of the traditional hand painted cells?

I love tradition, but this is the way of the world. Now we have both. Some day, perhaps, our current computer techniques will be yesterday's news, and so become the nostalgia of future generations.

Mooth, the trader from the Ewoks series
What would you advice someone who is reading this interview and wants to become a voice actor as well?

Wait until I'm dead. I don't need any more competition.

What are you doing right now? Can you tell something about your current projects?

Right now, I do more voice directing than voice performing. I absolutely love it. Currently, I'm voice directing a 52 episode series for Amberwood Entertainment called Rob the Robot, on which I also perform a continuing role, and a new series for SpinMaster/Marathon called Ky Staxx. There's another series on the immediate back burner, plus a video game.

Final question: how do you look back at the fact that you are part of the ‘Star Wars Universe’?

I don't think this will necessarily be a part of my legacy, but hey, we've all got to be a part of some universe. And this is a pretty unique and special one.

Hal Barwood interview | LucasArts | Star Wars

2010-08-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

After going to USC (where he met a fellow student called George Lucas), Hal Barwood began his career as a screenwriter. Along with Matthew Robbins (who also studied at USC) he wrote Sugarland Express, the first movie of Steven Spielberg. After this, he appeared in the Spielberg classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and produced the cult fantasy movie Dragonslayer with (once again) Matthew Robbins. Then, he moved to Lucasarts where he worked as a designer, writer, and project leader on games such as Star Wars: Rebel Assault II, Yoda Stories, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.
In the following interview I had with Mr. Barwood he talks about his career, and how he knew about the fourth Indiana Jones movie.....almost 15 years before it was released!

How did you get started in the movie business?

My father ran the local movie theater in Hanover, New Hampshire, where I grew up. I was exposed to every kind of movie ever made from an early age, and I guess the experience festered in my brain. Sometime in high school I saw Bergman's Seventh Seal, and its weirdness made me realize that movies were made by individuals with ideas and not manufactured like Ford automobiles.
At about the same time I read an issue of National Geographic that was all about the construction of Disneyland. I thought any place that embraced airy fantasies so enthusiastically was my kind of society, but I didn't know how I was going to get there and join up. During my college years, I began making short animated movies in 8mm. Then I heard about USC's famous film school, applied, and won a fellowship. That was my ticket west. So I married my childhood sweetheart, Barbara Ward, and we migrated to California, me to study movie-making, she to teach.

You worked on THX1138, the famous George Lucas movie. You knew George from USC. How was he in those days? Did you expect he would become as big as he is now and your paths would cross again (at LucasArts) 25 years later?

George was always George. We all thought he was a tremendous talent from the very beginning, a precocious master of movie material. All of us in that USC cohort admired his imaginative work and his organizational skills. I didn't imagine the magnitude of his career, but I did think he would be a big success.
Our paths never really uncrossed. The reason I wound up at LucasArts was because, through my friendship with George, I got to know a number of the early employees of what was then called Lucasfilm Games.

In the late 70’s you had a small part in the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. How did you get this part?

Well, Matthew Robbins and I were screenwriting partners. We wrote Steve's first feature, The Sugarland Express, and he kept us abreast of the developments on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. After a couple of screenplay drafts by other writers that didn't ring any bells, Steve himself did a draft and showed it to us. We liked it, but thought it needed a lot of help. Steve liked our suggestions, so we wound up doing a lot of re-writing. Instead of a credit we got a percentage and appearances in the film.

In the early 80’s you produced and wrote the great movie Dragonslayer. Can you share some of your experiences regarding that movie?

Thanks for the kind remarks. Matthew and I were looking for an exotic concept that might grab attention, but not attempt to compete with Star Wars or Close Encounters of the Third Kind or Alien. We thought we knew how to do a fantasy by grounding it in historical iron-age reality. We were right about that, but wrong about grabbing attention. It wasn't a commercial success -- but I still love it.

If I’m correct you joined LucasArts in the early 90’s. Why did you make this change from movies to games? And where and when did you get an interest in games?

It was in the middle of Dragonslayer when I realized I wanted to pursue another childhood passion -- games. We were preparing one of the most difficult sequences, the burning of Valerian's village, and it was a logistical nightmare for me, the producer. One of our actors didn't read his call sheet and was off in Ireland. We were building very expensive thatched huts on a farm in suburban London that had to burn without setting fire to the local countryside. We had 200 extras dressed in burlap we had to check for wrist watches and sneakers. We had a choreographer teaching them how to dance an iron-age gavotte. We had to reveal Valerian's gender. We had to light the whole thing with moonlight, which meant tall towers with cable stays and 10K arc lights. When all the goods and services were delivered and the cameras started rolling, I found I had no desire to watch my partner Matthew direct the action. It should have been among the most exciting moments of my life, but a few months earlier I had purchased an HP 41C calculator, the first little gadget that could do alphanumeric displays, and I was happier sitting in my trailer teaching that thing to play a Dragonslayer version of Hunt the Wumpus than to be on the set. I knew right then I was in the wrong business, but it took me 10 years, another movie, several more screenplays, and a couple of ambitious Apple 2 projects to make the switch professionally.

One of the first games you worked on was Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. You even wrote the story for this game. A lot of fans (including me) think that story is the best Indy-story outside the movies. How did you come up with the story?

As part of The Last Crusade project, George's group built an adventure game based on the movie. The guys involved, David Fox, Ron Gilbert, and Noah Falstein, didn't want to do another one, but they wanted a follow-up. I had gotten to know them through George, and they decided that I knew what I was doing, so they brought me on board. The group had been handed a script for the purpose. It had been rejected as a fourth installment of the Jones franchise, but management, which didn't know any better, thought it would be good enough for a game. It was rejected for a reason, though, and I thought it was hopeless. Noah agreed, so we marched down to George's wonderful research library and started thumbing through Dark Mysteries of the Past -type coffee table books. We opened one of them up to an illustration of Atlantis arranged in three concentric rings, and we both thought, wow, this looks like a game.
That's not enough for a story, however. Atlantis, unlike the Ark of the Covenant, never had a historical basis. But I knew that Plato was the origin of the myth -- at least in written form -- and we decided to fasten on Plato's reality to give the thing legitimacy. Orichalcum, the mysterious metal he wrote about, seemed like an ideal McGuffin to lure the Nazis if we could pretend that it harbored atomic power. And then we needed a companion who was connected up with the whole problem, so I cooked up Sophia Hapgood as a fellow archeologist. She was kind of a shadow version of Indy -- sharp, capable, fascinated by antiquities, but she jumped the ethical tracks after finding a supernatural amulet in Iceland.
Noah, more sensitive to the delicate sensibilities of adventure game players than I was, thought we should cater to varying tastes by instituting three paths through the game emphasizing either wits, fists, or team play. He then went off on another project, and I spent long agonizing months making that idea work. Whew, I'm still tired.

A screenshot from Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
After Fate of Atlantis came another popular game. You directed the live action cut scenes of Star Wars: Rebel Assault II. How was that, directing scenes that come as close as possible to directing a Star Wars movie?

That was the era -- don't blink, it was brief -- of Multimedia. Remember? Anyway, live action video was briefly in flower, and I was the only one at LucasArts who had ever directed a movie. So I got recruited by Vince Lee, the project leader. It was great fun, very intense, because we had almost no budget, and we had to work very fast. We also had to solve a lot of production problems: how to integrate 3D models, how to capture the video material, how to do it all against blue screen. Digital movie-making years before it became the current practice.

What are your best memories regarding working on Rebel Assault II?

The speed. I think we were in production for five days. Most game development takes years. Fate of Atlantis took two years; my last game at LucasArts, Red Rock took almost four. So blasting through a project like Rebel Assault II was exhilarating. Oh yeah, our CEO quit in the middle, I remember that too.

In 1997 you created the game Yoda Stories; a desktop adventure game. (I must admit: I played this game for hours….I really loved it) It was the Star Wars version of the 1996 Indiana Jones desktop adventures game. Where did you get your inspiration for the Yoda game and the short stories?

Both of these Desktop Adventures were casual games before such things had a label. I love storytelling in games, and I wanted to build games with broad appeal. I thought the key was to minimize players' time commitment, and provide lasting value with replayability. Convincing management to make these things, however, was an agonizing process, because no one had yet plowed the field for me. The casual game business, now prominent, was undiscovered territory.
The Jones game was a little bit experimental -- it was the first replayable story game ever, I think. Yoda Stories -- another quick project that we turned out in about eight months -- was a better idea. The story premise works perfectly, just like the second movie, with Luke learning his trade from the Jedi Master. We made big improvements to the structure of the puzzles, and we introduced a simple campaign mode. I'm very proud of both of these games, especially Yoda. Figuring out how to do algorithmically-driven puzzles and stories was a genuine accomplishment. I still play them now and then.

Luke Skywalker encounters Boba Fett in the Yoda Stories game
Then, in 1999 you did another Indy game: Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine. Again, I’m curious regarding how this story was conceived.

I was at a dinner party with George one evening in the mid-nineties, and he casually mentioned he had an idea for a new Indy movie, to take place during the 1950s. I thought, hmm, what kind of exotic artifacts might my favorite archeologist be after in that time frame? So I guessed -- Science fiction? Roswell? George froze, and even though he wouldn't confirm it at the time, I knew I had guessed right. So years later, when I wanted to drag Indy into the 3D action-adventure game genre, and when another Indy movie looked out of the question, I proposed it. Word came back, "Don't go there." Uh-oh, the movie wasn't dead after all, but unless I could squiggle up an alternative tale, my game was.
In desperation, I started making lists of all the ancient mysteries that Jones hadn't already tackled. The Tower of Babel is a well-known idea with some basis in fact as a companion to the famous hanging gardens of Babylon. I thought we could make use of the Babylonian god Marduk as a supernatural force and bring the Russians along as well. Looking back, I'm glad my Roswell proposal was denied. I like my story much better than what turned out to be The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects and is there any chance you’ll work on a new Star Wars or Indiana Jones game?

These days I'm a freelance consultant, designer, and writer. I do small projects for various clients. Most of the time, I'm not that busy, so I'm also working on some small one-man game projects in Flash. My Star Wars and Indiana Jones days, much as I enjoyed them, are over.

Jesse Jensen | Saesee Tiin | Star Wars

2010-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Star Wars fanatics will remember Jesse Jensen for his role as Jedi Master Saesee Tiin in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Besides this part he is known for the TV series Survivor where he is the Production Designer/Producer.
In the following interview he talks about this series, how he became a Jedi Master, how he scared Ewan McGregor's kids and a lot more!

How did you get started in the movie business?

I was travelling the world when I was younger working all types of jobs and met some people that worked in the industry. When I visited them back in America got to spend some time on set with them and really liked what I saw especially the art department. I really enjoy working with my hands and designing things. Before working in the industry I was in construction, mainly Bar and Restaurant design. Anyways, upon getting back to Australia I moved to Sydney to get into the industry, first few jobs in the industry was parking cars and working in catering but with hard work and getting to know the right people. I was soon working in the art department on all the big movies.

You portrayed the Jedi Master Saesee Tiin in Episode II. How did you get this specific part?

I can thank my brother Zac for that opportunity. He had actually come down to Sydney to find some work and I helped get him a job working on Star Wars as a carpenter helping fit out different departments work areas. I was currently working in the Art Department building a space ship, the “Solar Sailer”. The guys in the creature department really liked Zac and next thing we knew he was playing a Jedi……..Saesee Tiin. I was pretty jealous but super happy for him, who doesn’t want to play a Jedi master? A week or so later George Lucas saw him cruising around set with his long dreadlocks and Kit Fisto was born. He then found out that he could no longer play Saesee Tiin as they were in the arena scene together. As we have similar face structures he was able to talk them into giving me a go at trying for the role as Saesee Tiin. I ran straight up from the art department, tried on the mask and it fit like a glove, so from then on I was Saesee Tiin and mum and dad had two Jedi in the family.

You were in the big arena fight scene with Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. Can you tell something about the filming of this scene?

Well, it was just a huge sand pit built in one of the larger sound stages, surrounded by green screens. In strategic spots they had basic platforms positioned to represent the shuttles we escaped in. It was a lot of fun, I was allowed to work with the more trained stunt guys as I had some experience in martial arts so could wield a lightsaber at a decent skill level. The AD’s pretended they were battle droids and we acted as if we were defecting lasers fired from them. At the end of the scene I had to leap up onto one of the platforms with the other surviving Jedi. Later on in CGI it was replaced with the shuttle.

Were there other scenes filmed with you that were cut from the final movie?

No, I did a few days filming but all in and around the arena scene.

How do you look at your character?

I like Saesee Tiin a lot, he may be not as “cool” as Kit Fisto but I like his background and abilities. His look is a little harsh, but I think he is a pretty good character to play. There are not many Jedi roles I would have chosen above him.

There must have happened strange, funny or remarkable things when filming. Can you tell something about these moments?

Not a lot to tell really. I know it was pretty exciting at the time to just be there and be involved. One funny moment was when Ewan McGregor’s family came to visit on set and he went to show them some of us characters in prosthetics. When they came over I said hello and the kids took one look at me and started to cry, with the yellow contacts in I do make for a pretty imposing figure. Zac and I also played a few minor background characters in other scenes such as the bar scene. In that scene I was standing next to and talking with a young girl who was also an extra and it turned out it was George Lucas’s daughter, that as a bit of a trip.

You were directed by George Lucas. How would you describe him?

He was very polite and respectful but at the same time knew exactly what he wanted. I really didn’t get much time with him but from what I saw a great guy.

You were young when the first Star Wars movie was released. I bet you had the toys as a kid? Or weren’t you a fan back then? If you were, what was it like to be on a Star Wars set?

Yeah, Zac and I were both huge fans as kids. I still remember going to watch the films in the local cinema as soon as they came out, then the next day making up our own lightsabers to play in the back yard. We had a bunch of the figurines as well. It was pretty amazing to be part of the Star Wars movies even behind the scenes, but once we lucked out with the roles of Jedi Masters it was amazing. We were on such a high at that time, felt a little like a dream, who ever expects to be a Jedi for real.

Over the years you have attended various conventions where you had the chance to meet the fans. What do you think of these events and how is it to meet all those fans who want you to sign photos, posters etcetera?

It’s great, I actually haven’t been able to attend that many conventions due to work commitments but the ones I have done have all been really enjoyable. It is great to be famous for a day, where people want your autograph and photos with you etc. All the fans are always so nice and polite, and in turn I try and give 100% back to them. It can get tiring but I always have a great time. I have not done one for years, I actually miss it as they are a lot of fun.

Besides Star Wars you are best known for the TV series Survivor. You are the Production Designer/Producer of this series and even got three Emmy Award nominations. What is it that makes this series so important for you? And why should everyone who reads this interview start to watch this series immediately?

I love working on the show mainly because it allows me to travel the world and settle into various places and cultures in remote areas for lengthy periods of time…..and get paid for it! We have a tight group of people working with us so it’s like one big family moving around to different countries making a TV show. As for watching it, if that’s your thing it’s a great show and we try to keep it as real as possible, what you see really happens and we don’t allow anything to break that reality behind the scenes. It’s a lot harder for those people out there than anyone could imagine.

Looking at the future: what are your current and upcoming projects?

I am currently in Nicaragua filming the next season of Survivor. After that I’m not sure, bit of a break then start working on the next Survivor I suppose, assuming it is picked up for another season. Can’t see why not though it’s been running now for 11 years and still going strong which is all good for me and the rest of the crew. Not sure what I’ll do when it’s all over but that’s part of the fun isn’t it!

If there is anything you want to say to the readers here’s your chance!

Thanks for all the support and may the force be with you all!

Frazer Diamond | Jawa | Star Wars

2010-08-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Frazer Diamond is one of the youngest persons to have appeared in a Star Wars movie.
At the age of 7, he and his brother Warwick were featured as Jawas in Star Wars: A New Hope, a movie where their father, the legendary Peter Diamond, was the Stunt Co-ordinator.
In the following interview Frazer talks about his memories regarding that Galaxy far, far away...

Can you tell how you got your part in Star Wars: A New Hope?

Good old-fashioned nepotism, I'm afraid. My father was the Stunt Co-ordinator on the original trilogy.

In which Jawa scenes did you feature? What do you remember of your scenes?

I'm only in one small scene. 3PO and R2 have been captured on Tatooine, and they've just been reunited in the Sandcrawler. A door opens behind them and three Jawas scurry on to the scene. The lead Jawa points towards the droids, and his subordinate swings a gun at them. 3PO cries out "Don't Shoot!". And that's me, swinging the gun...
It's five to ten seconds of screen time, at most. But it's memorable, for the gun and the reaction from 3PO. So that's fun. We were filming with Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker. Rusty Goffe played the lead Jawa, and my brother Warwick was the third. Jack Purvis was a Power Droid stalking around the set, too.
Mainly, I remember the heat. I've said this before when folks ask me. We had heavy costumes, big cloaks, black material masking our face and a pair of light bulbs strapped to our heads. It was really hot under those stage lights.
I also remember, it was tedious. There was a lot of waiting around. We were On Call for three or four days, I think. Warwick and I spent a great deal of that time in the dressing room, waiting, whilst they filmed other scenes. And my father was off filming stuff on different stages, so we were left reading our "Whizzer & Chips" comics... waiting...

How did George Lucas direct you?

I was seven years old, so that kind of detail is a bit vague now. I don't recall there being much direction at all, for us. I just remember a quiet man in charge.

Did you witness the filming of other scenes for the movie?

I was lucky in that I spent more time on the original Star Wars stages than my brothers (I have five). I think, maybe, I was at the right age to get bitten by the film bug. I was fascinated. During filming of New Hope I toured the Death Star stages. I remember they were huge, to a little guy like me. And very shiny. I couldn't believe how shiny the floor was. I also saw them filming in the Millennium Falcon cockpit, and the Trash Compactor scenes.
I've a story I've told before, on my first day visiting the set I was met by these two guys in Stormtrooper outfits, and one of them scooped me up whilst they talked to my father, and they ruffled my hair. It was Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill. But back then, they weren't famous, and that whole Star Wars phenomenon didn't exist... It's a strange world...

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen on the set? Can you share some memories?

Well, I screwed up my first take. Just before we started shooting, Rusty had been fooling around with us, showing us a stupid Jawa Shuffle. But I thought he was serious. So cometh moment, there's the cry of "Action!", and I shuffled and jerked on to the stage.... Oops..

Why weren’t you involved in the two Star Wars sequels?

There was nothing for me on Empire. I was too young for anything. I went on set a lot, though. Just hanging out, whilst my father was at work. I toured the stages, behind the scenes, saw them filming the Wampa scene, and Luke's confrontation with Darth, on Bespin, when he loses his hand. Action stuff, mainly, because that's what my father was there for...
And on Jedi, I was lucky to go over to the States on holiday, during filming. So we were with the cast and crew at Yuma and Crescent City. Six weeks with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker... It was terrific... Special...

You were very young when you played a Jawa. I bet your friends loved Star Wars and had the Star Wars toys. How did they react when they heard you were actually in the movie and that you had your own toy (the Jawa action figure)?

I'm not so sure that Star Wars bug was that big, here in the UK. At least, not at first. Sure, my friends thought it was cool that I was in this big film. And I used to wear my New Hope T-shirt to school - the McQuarrie triangle design, with Luke and his lightsaber. I wish I'd kept that now!... But I don't think my classmates were that fussed, to be honest. It became more of a deal as I got older. After Empire and Jedi, as a teenager, it became a bit of a party game for them. "This is Frazer, he was in Star Wars..." And of course, here we are, thirty-something years on and we're still talking about it...
By the way, I actually had one of those super-rare Jawas, all those years ago. We went to Gary Kurtz's party one year, and there was a Star Wars Treasure Hunt. I got a bunch of figures, including a Jawa in a plastic cape. It went missing somewhere, along the way. Another item I really should have kept hold of. I've still got all the other Palitoy/Kenner toys, though. And a cardboard Death Star!...

Unmasked Jawas Warwick Diamond and Frazer Diamond with an unmasked Anthony (C-3PO) Daniels in the Jawa sandcrawler
Unlike many other people involved with Star Wars you haven’t attended fan conventions over the world. Is there a specific reason for this?

It's just not for me, I'm afraid. I'm uncomfortable with that kind of thing. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was very, very fortunate to have a father working in the industry. I didn't need any talent, and I didn't even have to audition. And we're talking about five seconds of screen time. I just feel awkward trading off that. Even this interview is weird for me. But I get asked all the time.... I get autograph requests, as well, and I'm afraid I normally decline these too. But in my absence, a few silly stories have emerged online to fill the void. There's an old story I refused to sign stuff after I saw one of my autographs for sale on eBay, which is just not true. I used to sign, back when my father was still alive and appearing at conventions. But stuff went missing in the post and I also had one or two aggressive letters from so-called fans that really unnerved me, so I'm afraid I walked away from it... But there we go, I'm here now, talking Star Wars. We all move on...

How do you look back at your work on Star Wars?

It wasn't work, of course. It was just a lucky few days in my life. But it's fun to walk past those big TV screens in stores, once in a while, and catch your little moment playing again. Absolutely, I like that. It takes me back. I learnt an awful lot, at an early age. People go to Film School for this stuff now. And then there's everything my father did, not just on the original trilogy, but on Raiders, Highlander, Princess Bride. I'm very proud of that. It irks me that his contribution is all-too often overlooked nowadays. I've seen lots of articles only talking about Bob Anderson's role on the films, as if he worked solo. But my father was the Stunt Co-ordinator, he arranged all the action, and he and Bob worked together to train the actors and choreograph those sword fights... It's worse with Raiders... He's been airbrushed out of that film altogether, in some quarters...

You currently run an animation website called Toonhound.com. What is according to you the main reason every reader of this interview should immediately check out this site?

Well, I'd say that if you're at all interested in British animation you might find some useful information on the site. I've kept it online for eleven years now. I was just filling a void at first. There was nowhere to go for that kind of info - series credits, episode titles, news, etc. The IMDB was very sparse, Wikipedia hadn't yet started up, and everywhere else seemed to concentrate solely on the nostalgia aspect. I wanted to join the dots, celebrate these productions whilst providing meat and potatoes information, and to steer folks on to other similar shows and new productions. And I'm still doing that today...

Are there any other things you’d like to do in the future? Maybe a cameo in the planned Star Wars television series?

I'm no actor, sadly. I write and I cartoon. I always seem to have umpteen projects on the go. Like so many people, I've come within a whisker of several film commissions. I had a TV series with a greenlight in the UK. It was sitting on the table at Disney for nine months, until they passed on it and the financing collapsed... That kind of thing... It's just been nearly, nearly, nearly there for far too long... Right now, I'm freelance cartooning and writing. Bread and butter stuff. I'm also working on the first draft of a Victorian adventure book and I've a little graphic novel project that's nearing completion... So I'm still chasing!...

Paul Hirsch | Editor | Star Wars

2010-07-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

One of the elements that made Star Wars: A New Hope such a success was its editing. Three people shared the credit for the film: Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas and Richard Chew. In 1978, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences awarded them an Oscar for their work. In his career Paul Hirsch has worked 11 times with legendary director Brian DePalma. He also edited, among others, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Footloose, Mission: Impossible, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Carrie and Ray, for which he received a second Oscar nomination. I am extremely proud to present this interview with Mr. Hirsch.

How did you get started in the movie business?

My first job was running the shipping room at Dynamic Films, an industrial film house in NYC. After 2 weeks there, I had met a negative cutter who was looking for a trainee, so I gave 2 weeks' notice. After 6 months, I had learned all about the technical side of the business, how to cut and prepare negative for printing, as well as how to thread and operate a Moviola. I then became an assistant editor to a trailer editor named Chuck Workman. He had more work than he could handle, so I started cutting the little projects he didn't have time for. The first one was cutting a 3 1/2 min. version of a 10 min. featurette, a making-of promotional film for United Artists on The Thomas Crown Affair. I then cut one from scratch for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and then started cutting trailers.

What got you interested in film editing in the first place?

I visited an editing room, and became fascinated by the tools. I wanted to learn how to operate them. And I had been at a Columbia University program in Paris, and had seen Citizen Kane for the first time at the Cinematheque there. I was absolutely transfixed. The passion and enthusiasm of the French for film and particularly American film excited my interest in film as a medium.

Editors Richard Chew, Marcia Lucas and Paul Hirsch with their Oscars. On the right is actress Farrah Fawcett
How did you get approached to work on Star Wars: A New Hope?

My brother Charles produced Greetings, a comedy directed by Brian De Palma, and came to me for the trailer. He and I hit it off, and he hired me (at my brother's urging), to cut the sequel, Hi, Mom!. I then cut his next four films, and came to the attention of Brian's friends, who included Marty Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Marcia Lucas was cutting Taxi Driver for Scorsese, and when they needed help, called me to work on it, but the studio nixed it. Then, the following year, they again needed help, this time on Star Wars, and called me in. The studio went along and the rest is history.

How did you approach the task of editing the first Star Wars movie?

I was given a scene to re-cut, the robot auction where Luke's uncle buys R2-D2 and C-3PO, and changed it to more closely match my sensibility. George liked my work, so I went on to the next. Richard Chew would be working on one reel, and I would leap-frog onto the next and so on. Marcia was buried in assembling the end battle.

You were one of the first people that saw Star Wars. What did you think of the movie back then? And could you have guessed it would become such a big success and you would be awarded an Oscar?

I loved it, but never dreamed it would go on to be the cultural phenomenon it grew into. Brian De Palma was the first person to suggest I would win an Oscar for it. Before that, it had never crossed my mind.

How did George Lucas and Gary Kurtz ‘direct’ you? Did they have specific requests or guidelines?

Gary was not involved in aesthetic editorial decisions. George basically let me do my thing with each scene, and then would give me notes. And he consulted very closely with Marcia of course. And then at a certain point, he decided he preferred working with just one editor, and chose me to finish the film. I was the only editor on the picture over the last 5 months, during which they re-shot the Cantina sequence; R2 in the canyon, captured by the Jawas; some of the land-speeder shots; as well as the gearing-up of the planet-destroying weapon on the Death Star. It was during this period that we completed the blue-screen shots and I watched the space sequences come to life as the backgrounds were filled in.

Can you share some of your best memories regarding working on Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back?

My wife Jane was pregnant with our first child when I was cutting Star Wars, and the small film community up in Marin County could not have been more welcoming to us. They held a baby shower for us, and accepted us into their circle unreservedly. George and Marcia even gave up their ground-floor bedroom for us (and their own bed) when Jane had to have a Caesarean when Gina was born, and could not negotiate stairs. Their generosity and personal kindness was beyond anything I had experienced before, or since, come to think of it.

You didn’t get to work on the third movie: Return of the Jedi. What was the reason for this?

George had hired an English director, Richard Marquand, and Richard wanted his own editor, with whom he had worked before.

In which ways has editing evolved over the period between Star Wars and now?

Different styles have emerged due to the influence of commercials and MTV. Digital editing tools have afforded us new flexibility and creative freedom, and audiences have progressed in their understanding of unconventional story-telling. Editors and directors have learned from each other, watching new work and adapting new ideas into their own personal style.

In your career you have done Sci-fi (Star Wars), musical (Footloose and Ray), comedy (Ferris Bueller), thriller (Carrie), action (Mission Impossible); a lot of different genres. Does every genre require a different way of editing?

Not really. The intent in each is the same: to maximize the impact of the material, whether the goal is to excite the audience, scare them, or make them cry or laugh.

Of all the movies you have edited, which one are you most proud of?

Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back are the most famous, so I suppose they would lead, although the most human picture I have ever done was Ray. Taylor Hackford and I were both nominated for our work on it, and it is special in my mind. But you would also have to include Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Footloose, Mission Impossible, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Falling Down, Carrie. Trying to pick one is like choosing your favorite child.

What are you doing these days? Can you tell us something about your current and future projects?

I am cutting Source Code, a sci-fi thriller/love story for Duncan Jones, the director of Moon. We are starting to have previews and I have great hopes for its success. As for the future, who knows? That's what I love about the business: an unexpected phone call or chance meeting can suddenly change your life for the better.

Press

2010-07-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Below is a selection of media that have featured me.
More is added soon.

Omroep Brabant (Radio)
In May 2005 I was featured in a live show on Dutch radio. The station: Omroep Brabant, the show: een Robbertje Bartol.
For 30 minutes they interviewed me because Revenge of the Sith had just been released and I had seen the movie a few days in advance at a press screening.

AT5 and many other Dutch regional TV stations (Television)
Not Star Wars related, but in April 2007 I was interviewed by a cameracrew at the 'Atmosfere Spaziali' press day at the Space Expo. E.T.'s creator Carlo Rambaldi was there and I was asked to share some of my 'E.T. memories'. The segment was shown on every regional TV station in the Netherlands.

Parool (Newspaper)
In May 2007 I was interviewed for the Dutch newspaper Het Parool. This is one of the biggest daily newspapers of the Netherlands.
The reason they interviewed me was the 30th anniversary of Star Wars.

Star Wars Insider (Magazine)
2009: Issue 111 of Star Wars Insider features this photo of Gerald "Tessek" Home and me.

The Guardian (Internet)
June 2010: British newspaper The Guardian ranked my site in a Top 5 of Star Wars sites.
See for yourself: CLICK

Sarlacc Pit Podcast (Internet-Podcast)
In July 2010 I was the guest of the Sarlacc Pit podcast. It was an interview about this website and Star Wars celebs. Here you can listen to it: CLICK
Note: it's 1,5 hour long and my segment starts after +-26 minutes and goes on until the end of the show.

Radio 1 (Radio)
On May 25 (the 34th anniversary of Star Wars) I was interviewed by Dutch Radio station Radio 1. It's one of the biggest stations of the Netherlands!
I was featured in the show Nu Al Wakker Nederland.

MORE WILL BE ADDED SOON

David Ankrum | Voice of Wedge Antilles | Star Wars

2010-07-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Years ago, many Star Wars fans didn't know that the voice of heroic X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles was dubbed. It was David Ankrum who spoke his famous lines in Star Wars: A New Hope.
To some older readers his last name may sound familiar; his father was none other than Morris Ankrum, an actor that was featured in many TV series and movies.
I was lucky to have the chance to ask David some questions about his career, Star Wars, and growing up with a certain effects legend...

How did you get started in the movie business?
I read that you grew up in an acting family so they must have had something to do with it.

Yes. I was certainly influenced at an early age. I’ve always had a very active imagination. When I was nine years old I tied a towel around my neck and became Superman. I climbed up onto our roof and jumped off. I know I was flying for a second but the Kryptonite got me. I landed hard in the front lawn and sprained my ankle. But for that one second I was Superman. That was a close as I came to playing a Superhero until I was cast as the voice of Wedge Antilles in Star Wars. But to answer your question, yes growing up in a family of actors had a big influence on me. My father was always coming home for work in some wardrobe. Cowboy outfit, Indian makeup still on, mad scientist. He'd pour himself a scotch and complain about his television roles. He really loved the stage. He was bigger than life. I did have a chance to visit him on the set of an old TV series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. It was an American children's television program the aired on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959. It starred child actor Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, who was being raised by the soldiers at a US Cavalry post. He and his German shepherd dog, Rin Tin Tin, helped the soldiers to establish order in the American West.
It was shot on location up in the Angeles Crest Forest. When I arrived on the set my father was already there in his cavalry uniform. I noticed that I was seeing double. There were two Rin Tin Tins and two Rustys. My first encounter into the world of Television make believe. I did spend time on Television and Film sets when I was a child visiting my father.

How did you get cast as a voice actor for Star Wars: A New Hope?

Well, Fred Roos, who had cast my stepfather William Challee in the film Five Easy Pieces to play Jack Nicholson’s father, became a patron of my family’s art business. One of the artists that The Ankrum Gallery represented was Bernie Casey. Bernie had written a book of poetry and he decided to do a staged reading of the book at the art gallery. I was cast in the reading along with the actor Michael Warren. Fred Roos attended the reading. He then cast me in my first union film Every Little Crook And Nanny starring Lynn Redgrave. I had a scene with Victor Mature. I played a longhaired hippie. A few years later Fred called me in to read for a role in a sci-fi film that George Lucas was doing something called Star Wars. I auditioned for C-3PO. I never heard a word and a several months later, out of the blue, he called me to come in and do the voice of Wedge Antilles. And there you have it: The Hollywood machine in action.

Did you voice Wedge Antilles for all three movies?

No. Just Star Wars: A New Hope. I believe Denis Lawson worked on an American accent and it worked for the rest of the films.

Have you ever met Wedge actor Denis Lawson?

No but I’d love to meet him. At the Anaheim Comic Con 2010 a collector showed me an action figure of Wedge Antilles. It was signed by Denis Lawson and me. I had signed it at a convention a couple of years earlier. The collector really wanted both of our signatures on the piece so he tracked Denis down. He waited outside of a theatre in London and approached Denis as he left the theatre. Denis saw my signature on the action figure. That’s as close as I’ve gotten to Denis. But now I’m producing a film with an English company. One of the producers is good friends with Denis. I may meet him yet.

I read that you also dubbed actor Colin Higgins in A New Hope. Are there other characters you voiced as well?

In the briefing room scene, I did the dialogue for the actor Colin Higgins. “That’s impossible, even for a computer”. George wanted Wedge to be in the briefing room. Denis wasn’t available so, George cast Colin and I voiced him. My voice was established as the voice of Wedge.

Can you share some of your memories regarding the time you worked on Star Wars?

At that time, back in 1977, it was titled Star Wars. There was no A New Hope. I only worked for a few hours one afternoon in a post production facility in Hollywood. Working side by side with George Lucas was a treat.

How did George Lucas direct you? And what impression did he make on you?

I met George at the post production facility in Hollywood. He was standing beside me as I voiced all of the dialogue that the actor Denis Lawson spoke as Red 2/Wedge. George gave me some direction on certain lines. “I’m hit!” “Fighters coming in point three!” “Look at the size of that thing!” Mark Hamill arrived as I was finishing up. He was going to redo some of his dialogue. He was reclined on a couch. Very relaxed, having a good time and waiting for his turn at the microphone. That was a very thrilling afternoon.

You grew up with special effects legend Dennis Muren. Can you tell something about that?

I had a lot of fun working with Dennis Muren on his early special effects experiments. My younger brother, Cary, worked on them too. There was one film where I was a giant and I crushed my tiny brother. I stomped on him wearing a tennis shoe. You actually can see this footage in the DVD set of Equinox. It was one of Dennis’ first films. In the extra footage on the DVD he talks about his early days and making films in his garage. You will see me crush my miniature brother. Also, there were some very cool flying saucer effects, exploding battleships, dams bursting and floods. The three of us collected 8 x 10 stills and posters and lobby cards from all of the horror and sci-fi films of the 50’s. Forest J. Ackerman came to my house to interview us and take some pictures for Famous Monsters Magazine. We set up a monster museum in my garage which was full of photos and special effects. I have a picture of that day. It is also in the extra footage on the Equinox film. Who knew that 16 years later Dennis and I would both be involved in Star Wars? Very cool. I still stay in touch with him. Those were some very cherished days back in 1961.

How come you weren’t cast for the Star Wars: Clone Wars animation series? There are many voice actors involved with this series and since you have worked for Lucasfilm before I would have guessed they would pick you again.

I’m not sure why. For the past 12 years I’ve been working as a talent and literary agent. I’ve switched over to the dark side. I’ve been out of the loop as an actor. I’d love to be involved again in some Star Wars project. Maybe someday. I am beginning to get involved in packaging films and some producing.

You have attended many conventions and met many fans. What do you regard as the strangest or weirdest thing that has ever happened to you at a convention?

There was an amazing impromptu lightsaber war that took place high up on a bridge at Celebration Europe 2007. Gotta love those fans.

How do you look back at your Star Wars work, and what would be your best memory regarding Star Wars?

The conventions. The world travel. Meeting terrific fans. Actors. Forging new memories. New friendships. The galaxy that was far, far away doesn’t seem that far away anymore. Its lives in all of us.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

I just completed packaging a film that will start shooting this August in Los Angeles called The Victim. It’s a psychological thriller starring Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc, Danielle Harris and Ryan Honey. I’m also producing a horror film titled The Vines that will be directed by David Armstrong. He was the cinematographer for all of the Saw films.

Is there anything you want to say to the readers? Here is your chance!

Dream!

Dee Bradley Baker | Clone Trooper | Star Wars | Clone Wars

2010-07-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

A master of many voices is what Dee Bradley Baker can be called. In his career this American voice actor has voiced many characters for dozens of popular shows including SpongeBob, Avatar: The Last Airbender and of course Clone Wars, where he voices characters like Captain Rex, Commander Cody, the Clone Troopers and Bossk. The following interview is mainly about this series, but also focuses on his fandom and a certain Jawa costume...

How did you get started in the voice acting business?

I taped improv sketches as a kid with a tape recorder with low batteries then would plug it in and play it back resulting in a sped up voice, almost chipmunk. I thought it was fun to modify my voice and perform. I did ventriloquism and all kinds of performing all my life- plays, stand up, musicals, singing telegrams, theme parks, children's theater, summer Shakespeare, operas, improv. Never studied it really, just performed A LOT. My first "big" voice over gig was voicing and moving the jaw of Olmec on Nickelodeon's Legends of the Hidden Temple game show. My first animated television series was Cow and Chicken as Dad. There I learned from the great Charlie Adler and Candi Milo, as well as other brilliant guest stars how to do it.

You have done voice work for Lucasfilm for many years. How did you get started at Lucasfilm?

I was called to audition for this "unnamed" project. Had to voice match the clones, they liked me, I booked it. I'd already worked with director Dave Filoni on Nickelodeon's Avatar television series -really proud of that show- and as well as with the incomparable voice director Andrea Romano, who was helping cast Clone Wars at the time. They knew and trusted my acting ability and I gave them what they needed, I guess. Couldn't believe it. I'd never done anything so "normal". Most of my roles were either cartoony or creature oriented up to that point. This was a whole new thing, plus, it was dear to me, as I really loved Star Wars as a kid. Gotta find that picture of me in the Jawa costume my folks made for me, October 1977...

For Clone Wars you have voiced many Star Wars characters, from Rodians to Clone Troopers. Do you get strict instructions of how a voice should be? And what kind of techniques do you use to come up with a voice?

I get specifics from Dave Filoni, plus the scripts are well written and show the way. It's specific, but I wouldn't call it "strict." Also, we get a drawing of the character to get a sense of the size, attitude, etc. Dave is supportive and trusts us, yet has a specific idea of the feel of what the character needs to be. From that, we are free to find it with imagination.

How does a typical work day for Clone Wars look like?

I show up at 2pm with most or all of cast in the recording studio. Dave talks us through the story. We usually receive the scripts to review the day before. We record it almost like Radio Theater, taking it scene by scene. Really fun. Good actors, fun people. A real blast. Done, hopefully, by 6pm or earlier.

Does the cast and crew of Clone Wars joke around and have fun sometimes?

Yes. We have a lot of fun. It keeps the energy up, which is really key when you are spending a few hours on a record, as a drop in energy can kill the needed focus and spark.

You are directed by Dave Filoni on Clone Wars. How does he direct you and how is he to work with?

Dave trusts actors and that makes it easy for us to find the story he needs us to tell. He will add specifics we may not realize, as he has it more specifically blocked out in his mind than even the script suggests. He always has a calm grin and has fun with us as we paint the story.

How do you look at working on Clone Wars? Do you like watching the series?

I think the series is utterly awesome. I could go on and on. I'm lucky to be on a lot of shows, but this is one of the few I make it a point to see, either with my kid or solo. I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to see how it is finally rendered. It gets better and better, so far beyond anything else on TV. I can think of in that realm. A quantum leap. Really an impressive show in how it is blocked out and imagined. The pace, the action, the comedy, and even the spirit to it, it's really an amazing package. I wish there were a new one every week all year long.

Can you tell something about Clone Wars: series 3? What can we expect from the new series?

I'm busting to tell so much. Some really incredible developments and new story lines, yet I've only heard the records, not seen the final product, which is even more impressive. I can't say much, but I can say that fans will be surprised at some familiar faces appearing from the features. There is also a multi episode arc of a particular episode that is near and dear to my heart from season one that I think fans of the clones will particularly love.

Who’s your favorite Star Wars character that you have voiced? And who is your favorite overall character that you have voiced? And why?

That's hard to choose, because we try to give each clone a sense of individuality and humanity. Ultimately, each is interesting to me. But, if I must: My favorite Clone Wars clones I've voiced are probably Rex, because he's so solid and dependable, and then Cut, because he's a dad, like me. Really loved his episode. I think it was also pretty awesome voicing Bossk. Since the Gorn (editors note: a cult creature from the original Star Trek TV series episode Arena), I liked lizard dudes. On other shows, I have so many characters I've done that I just love, but I gotta say I have a special place in my heart for Appa, from Nickelodeon's Avatar animated series. I particularly loved voicing all the creatures for that series. Dave Filoni directed the first season. Was kinda sad they had no interest in having me voice Momo and Appa for the feature on that one...

Were you a Star Wars fan before you got to work for Lucasfilm? Or did you become a fan afterwards? How and when was your first encounter with the Saga?

Well, I had read the novel and read all the reviews and features before seeing the original Episode IV back in 1977. This was a movie event like no other, kids now cannot imagine the unprecedented excitement of that first movie. It was in-sane. Logan's Run had just had it's release, cost more to make, and wasn't anywhere close in terms of special effects and generating excitement. When Episode IV was re-released summer of 1978, I spent that summer dressed in my Jawa costume at the local theater in Greeley, Colorado scaring people and watching Episode IV all summer long. Got paid in movie passes. Best job ever, well, next to this one. Ha!

What will the future bring you? Do you have new projects and on what Star Wars projects will you work in the future?

I'm working on a lot of shows and games all the time. I'm very lucky to help make these things I love. I've been working on a few Star Wars related games recently, new seasons of SpongeBob, Ben 10, American Dad, Phineas and Ferb, to name a few. Got Gears of War 3 coming up this next week, a freakishly great game in my book. Love video games. There are a couple other projects that I'm really excited about that I still can't talk about. Living the dream.

Frank Henson | Biker Scout | Star Wars

2010-06-30T10:39:00.001-07:00

How did you get started in the movie/stunt business?

I started as a Film Extra and then moved on to Stunt Work as I was an ex-Para (former army parachute regiment) and racing driver.

How did you get the job as stuntman for Return of the Jedi?

I worked on the very first Star Wars with Peter Diamond and then he asked me if I wanted to go to the USA for Return of the Jedi.

Were you aware of te fact that you were going to work on a movie that was going to be a blockbuster just like it’s predecessors?

I think we were all aware that like its predecessors it would be a great movie.

You played various parts in Return of the Jedi; a Biker scout and a Skiff guard being two of them. How did they assign the parts of the Skiff guards? You weren’t masked for instance, while your colleagues Paul Weston and Dickey Beer did have masks on.

I was established along with Harrison Ford without a mask and from then on in it was continuity.

In Return of the Jedi you were part of the crew that went to Buttercup Valley in Yuma, Arizona, for the Sarlacc Pit scenes. I’d like to ask if you can tell about your experiences there and the shooting of those scenes.

I also went to the Redwoods and San Francisco. The problem was that on the second day Glenn Randall, the US stunt arranger, had the skiff around 14 feet up. Everyone had to jump off and land on the foam underneath. I went first because of my experience of parachute jumps, followed by Colin Skeaping. I tore my ligaments and Colin got hurt too and we both went to hospital. Then another couple of Americans went after us and got hurt. Then I was featured later on, in the skiff and offered 10 days work. Paul Weston broke his leg and also a black American stunt guy had a wire that went through his hand and cut it.

Which stunts did you exactly do in Return of the Jedi besides the ones already mentioned?

I did a number of scenes as a Stormtrooper, fought with Mark Hamill on the Skiff, falling into the Sarlacc Pit and fighting with the Ewoks, and the speederbike scenes with Mark and Carrie Fisher.

I always get the feeling that the Star Wars stuntmen were a close group who didn’t had a lot of contact with the other cast members since you were mostly directed by the second unit director or the stunt coordinator. What is your view on this?

We had quiet close contact with Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, often going out to dinner and onto parties.

For Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom you doubled for Amrish Puri (who played Mola Ram) in the famous bridge scene. Can you share some memories regarding your work for Indiana Jones?

On the big scene we had three different bridges. On the main one, that was 135ft up, I was with Vic Armstrong who was doubling for Harrison Ford. When we got back to England, Spielberg never liked me and wanted to do a close up with Harrison... and Harrison actually requested to Spielberg to do the fight scene with me instead on a bridge with a much smaller drop. Also, we had a third bridge in Sri Lanka.

What is the most dangerous stunt you have ever done?

Being fired in a car 70 miles per hour through in a building and then carrying on being fired over a jetty into the sea. This knocked me unconscious and I woke up an hour and a half later in hospital with loss of memory and 64 stitches in my scalp.

What do you regard as the highlight of your career?

Working with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

William Shourt | Camera and Mechanical Design | Star Wars | ILM

2010-06-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

How did you get started in the movie business? And what triggered your interest in special effects?

I got started by doing electronics assembly for Doug Trumbull.

In the mid seventies you joined ILM. I’m interested how you joined them?

I worked with John Dykstra at Doug Trumbull and when Star Wars came up I had just finished working on Jaws and thought that it would be good to work near home for a while.

George Lucas, William Shourt and his brother, James Shourt
At ILM you got to work on Star Wars. Can you tell in your own words what you exactly had to do for Star Wars and which models you worked on?

I designed and built the motion control equipment and cameras along with several other people. Besides this I also designed and built the armatures and mechanicals for most of the large models and most of the model mounts.

The atmosphere at ILM those days is often described as relaxed, almost hippie-like. How would you describe those days?

Lucas called it the "country club atmosphere" and in some ways he was not far off the mark. We all got on very well.

George Lucas and William with the Millennium Falcon model
What did you see as the biggest differences between working on Star Wars at ILM and all the other movies you worked on before, like Silent Running?

It wasn’t that different, It was just a much larger scope of work and we had to design and build the motion control and camera equipment as well as the electronics before we could start shooting.

George Lucas had spent a lot of his budget on effects, but it took quite some time before ILM had produced an effect that was usable. I read that at one moment the pressure became really high. How did you experience this?

We thought that the way we were going about the process was the right way, but it did take a long time before we could really start pumping out scenes.

In the book The Making of Star Wars there is a photo of you working on a model of the Millennium Falcon, possibly the most popular starship ever. Can you share some memories regarding working on that model?

We had finished the original Falcon which ended up as..... slips my mind now, it was amazing but they didn’t like it so we had to rush to the new one which we called the pork burger. I never liked it as much as the first one.

What was your impression of Gary Kurtz, the producer and George Lucas, the director?

I thought that both Gary and George were really great. We re shot several scenes out in the desert with small crews the way you would on a low budget movie and they both dug in with the rest of the crew, probably not the same on the next Star Wars movies.

William (left) in the landspeeder model
After Star Wars you left ILM and joined Apogee, the new company of John Dykstra who also left ILM. Why did you leave ILM?

We decided we were not really the major studio type of people so we started our own company and had a really good run no regrets. I am sort of retired now. I am still involved with some model making, but I think that it is just about a lost cause.

Kevin Thompson | Chukha-Trok | Star Wars

2010-06-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

After the success of the first Star Wars trilogy two Ewok movies were released. In the first one, Ewok Adventure, one of the leading roles was played by Kevin Thompson. He had played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and now he was cast as the warrior Chukha-Trok. In the following interview Kevin talks about his career and Star Wars.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I was attending Pasadena City College Majoring in Cinematography and Drama. A feature film was starting production called Under The Rainbow and they were looking to employ 150 Little People in Los Angeles. So I joined the film doing stunts and that was my first real experience working on a film and learning firsthand about the movie business.

Your second movie was Blade Runner. What do you recall of being in that movie, playing the part of Bear?

I started as a Street Extra on Blade Runner working nights and in the rain in downtown Los Angeles. Sometimes the local street people would get in line for dinner and it was difficult for the production to tell the real local street people from the extras. They cast me right there on set as a stunt man where I was one of four people that attack Harrison Ford’s car. After the stunt and sharing some scotch liquor with Ridley Scott he cast me as a Toy Bear. That is where I received my first line: “Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Good evening J. F.” Blade Runner is near and dear to me because I got the true feeling of being an extra bumped up to an actor all in one film. I became Union and started building my resume as a stunt man.

After Blade Runner you were in Return of the Jedi and the Ewok Adventure movie. How did you get cast for these two movies?

In Return of the Jedi they were looking for Little People Actors who were agile. I went on a stunt audition in Hollywood with J.R. Randall the coordinator and he interviewed me. I was the only Little Person Actor with mime and gymnastic training from High School and Pasadena City College. I was one of five Little People cast as a stunt man throughout the entire film. Because of my work on Return of the Jedi, I was cast on Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: Battle For Endor. My character died on Ewok Adventure, but they kept me for the stunts on Battle For Endor.

What are your specific memories from the Return of the Jedi set during filming? Do you have any anecdotes?

It was very hot in the costume and we filmed near Eureka, California. This was my first time away from home on location. In the costume I couldn’t really see because the eyes in the costume would fog up from my body heat. Fur and foam does not breathe. Many times I would practice running the action where the explosions were going to take place with the Ewok mask off so that I could memorize my steps once the mask was on. Once the scene was fully rehearsed with the crew I would get into full costume. Unbeknownst to me...the set dressers would redress the set with gigantic 6 ft ferns. Once we were rolling those 6ft ferns would knock out the entire Ewok clan like the Three Stooges. Good thing for editing. Whenever an Ewok was swinging from a rope, that was me. I did all the swinging from the ropes.

In the Ewok Adventure you played the part of the Ewok warrior Chukha-Trok. What do you recall of the filming of your scenes for this movie? I'd love to hear as much as possible since there is so little known about the making of this movie.

Ewok Adventure was made for Amanda Lucas, George’s daughter. George and his wife were divorcing at this time. Amanda loved the Ewoks and George wanted to make a story about family with the Ewoks. Amanda was always on set with her dad. She was always scared of my character Chukha-Trok because he was the biggest and the toughest Ewok with the axe and breastplate. I was the warrior. Amanda cried when Chukha-Trok died. The Little People tried to keep it magical by not letting Amanda know that we were Ewoks, but she caught on towards the end because she was there so often and got to know us on set.

Did any strange, remarkable or funny things happen on the set? Can you share some memories?

Knowing that looping would come along later, some of the Ewok actors would try to come up with a Ewok language. It was quite entertaining. I would improv my own lines in English that came out so humorous it would have the crew and cast in stitches.

For Return of the Jedi and the Ewok Adventure you had to work with George Lucas. What impression did he make on you?

George Lucas was a very humble man. He ate with the crew and drove himself to set. He was very soft spoken and he looked out for his daughter when she was on set. He personally would take pictures of Amanda with the Ewoks with a little 126 Kodak Instamatic camera. I thought he would have a big 35mm camera top of the line for that time.

What would you regard as your best memory from the two Star Wars movies you were in. Is there a special moment you'll cherish forever?

Just the memory that I was in it. I was a big Star Wars fan before Return of the Jedi. It seems to become even a bigger deal as time goes on. I never really gave much thought to later years and the affect it would have on people and movie making. Another best memory are the residual checks. When the mail comes and there is a Return of the Jedi residual check I always thank Mr. Lucas. Not many actors in Jedi get residual checks, only the American stuntmen because the actors where on points and the English actors do not get residuals.

You have attended various fan conventions over the world. Do you like attending them and interact with the fans?

Interacting with the fans is one of my very favorite things to do. I can talk on and on about Return of the Jedi and the Ewok movies. I would like to attend more conventions. It’s fun to share stories with people who have the same passion.

You're still active in the movie business. Have you got any interesting new project(s) you're working on?

I am blessed to say active in the movie and television business. It has kept me busy for almost 30 years. I am able to release my wild and creative side by playing a variety of characters. I have met some really interesting people that have been my friends throughout my career. You can catch me on MTV with Warren the Ape, JackAss 3-D, I had three commercials last year airing, and I work behind the scenes with children on the new television show Parenthood for Universal and Dexter for Showtime.

David Church interview | Lieutenant Page | Star Wars

2010-06-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

How did you start in the movie business?

Just finished school and was working in a pub and every lunchtime a person who I later got to know as Jimmy Scott would turn up then he would go missing for a couple of months. It turned out that Jimmy was Richard Attenborough's Stand-In who introduced me to the Film Artistes Association.

Can you tell how you got cast as Lieutenant Page for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi?

Just lucky, right time, right place.

Can you tell something about the shooting of the Rebel briefing scene?

Very long and repetitive.

Did any strange, weird or funny things happen on the set?

Not that I remember.

Did you get to interact with the main cast (Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher) that was present in the briefing scene? How were they?

I did chat with Harrison Ford but more with Mark Hamill.

Originally your character didn’t have a name. Years later the name Lieutenant Page was introduced. This character appears in games, comics and a card game. How and when did you find out you got a Star Wars name?

At my first signing (collectormania) for Convention-Guests.com

What is the best memory you have regarding Star Wars?

Sitting out in the sun at Elstree in our costumes waiting to be called on set.

What are you currently doing? Are you still in the movie business?

I finished last year after standing in for Warren Clarke for about 13 years on a series called Dalziel and Pascoe.

Please finish the following sentence: “When I look back at my work on Star Wars, I…”

Remember the sun, the fun and the money!

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

Tommy Weldin interview | Gela Yeens | Star Wars

2010-06-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

How did you start in the movie business?

My wife's friend was actress Barbara Shelly. I had a nice Jaguar and was getting fed up with my line of work at the time so she suggested when she got hired for Quatermass and The Pitt that I become her chauffeur... she introduced me to the film crew and the director thought that I would make a good gangster.

Can you tell how you got cast as Gela Yeens and a stormtrooper for Star Wars: A New Hope?

We all stood in line and the director picked me out.

Can you tell something about the shooting of the Hangar Bay 94 scene, in which Jabba confronts Han Solo?

I nearly got killed.... I had done the scene about three times when just as I walked away from my spot when a steel bucket fell from high off the gantry... the director went mad!

Your scene as Gela Yeens was eventually cut from the movie. When did you find out about this?

I was always working and never really had time to go to the movies. So I never knew my scene had been cut.

Originally your character didn’t have a name. Years later the name Gela Yeens was introduced. Did you know this is an anagram of Angel Eyes, the character Lee van Cleef played in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and you got this name because you looked like van Cleef in the movie?

I didn't know that but I had played Wyatt Earp before in a commercial directed by Ridley Scott in the 1970's for Ranchero's Crisps/Potato Chips.

Besides Gela Yeens you also played a stormtrooper. Can you share some memories regarding the shooting of these scenes?

The sweating and pain of wearing the suits... we actually had to take a knife to them and cut them to stop getting hurt.

What expectations did you have of the movie when it was filmed?

None, never thought it would take off.

What is the best memory you have regarding Star Wars?

Being in the Bar.

What are you currently doing? Are you still in the movie business?

Yes, I am playing one of two village drunks in the new Jack Black movie Gulliver’s Travels.

Please finish the following sentence: “When I look back at my work on Star Wars, I…”

Remember the money!

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

Links

2010-05-29T05:05:00.001-07:00

THE site for booking Star Wars guests

This site binds the galaxy together....and promotes my interviews too!

My movie-partner-in-crime M. Damen's website. The best Battlestar Galactica site you'll find

Caroline Blakiston interview | Mon Mothma | Star Wars

2010-05-29T02:50:00.001-07:00

One of the leaders of the Rebellion in the original trilogy was Mon Mothma. Every Star Wars fan will remember her famous line “Many Bothans died to bring us this information” from Return of the Jedi.
The actress that portrayed her was Caroline Blakiston. In May 2006 I had the chance to interview her. Here is (after over 4 years) finally the interview for everyone to read.

Ms. Blakiston…

Call me Caroline.

Ok, I will. Thank you.
Can you tell how you got the part of Mon Mothma?

I went to meet George Lucas and Richard Marquand in London and they offered me the job.

It went that easy?

That easy.

Was Mon Mothma the only part you were offered? You weren’t considered to play another character?

Why would I play another character? I went to the interview just for that part. Well, as far as I understood.
I was in a television series working in Manchester. When they needed to make the costume that I am wearing as Mon Mothma, they came to Manchester to do a costume fitting in the hotel where I was staying. I was told to keep that a secret. I couldn’t tell anybody about the design. We even discussed my hairdo, but in the end my own short red hair was used. They thought it was just fine.

Caroline Blakiston and me
Your most memorable quote from the movie is “Many Bothans died to bring us this information”. When you said this, did you have any idea what you were saying?

No, I had no idea what a Bothan was. Then I discovered later of course. I didn’t understand the story, I didn’t know the story. I had just a page with my lines. Everything was secret and I had to sign for that. So I learned what I had to learn and I went to the studio and they told me my lines had changed. I had to learn new lines which was difficult as the language that was used is not the language we speak. After a day and a half there was the intimidating big scene with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and all the extras and the film crew. I worked in that studio many times because during the 60’s and 70’s many series like The Avengers were made there.

The Elstree Studios.

Yes, I was back on familiar territory.

You just mentioned Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Did you spoke with them between takes?

There was a bit where I was just sitting. Harrison came up to me and saw I was nervous.

You were nervous?

Wouldn’t you be?

Well, you’re an experienced actress.

Makes no difference.

Was it just because of Ford, a big name, being there?

No. It was because of the very difficult material. Difficult to remember, that was the main problem.

About the Bothans. You just said you found out later what they were. In the books and comics it was explained what and who they were. Also, Mon Mothma is still alive in these books. Do you keep up with this?

I’m sorry to say I don’t. The first time I went to a convention in the United States I discovered she’s a major character. She has a daughter, and quite some history. I had no idea. Also, I work quite a lot so it’s difficult to read all these books. I spend a lot of time on my work, my grandchildren and my garden; I grow vegetables. (laughs)

In Revenge of the Sith we see a younger version of Mon Mothma.

Yes, I didn’t see the movie I’m afraid.

How come?

I can’t answer that. I have a busy life I guess. I don’t go to every movie that’s released. Forgive me. (laughs)

Ah, I will forgive you!

I did see a photograph of the actress (Genevieve O’Reilly) and it seemed to me that she looked the same as I did back then. But I don’t know in which scenes she is.

Actually, a lot of her scenes were cut from the final movie.

Why?

Because they weren’t needed and the movie was too long I guess. Still, they are on the DVD.

What did you think of them?

I liked them!

I wrote to George Lucas to ask him if I could play Mon Mothma’s grandmother. I thought maybe she made an appearance.

You really did?

Yes, I really did that. I didn’t get an answer.

Besides Star Wars you played in Chekhov in Russian theatres, in the Russian language. Do you fluently speak the language?

(Says something in Russian)

I have no idea what that means.

(Laughs) Yes, I speak some Russian.

What is it about Russian that attracts you?

It’s a beautiful language and country. I have a feeling for it that I don’t understand. A passionate involvement. When I first arrived there in 1982 I was totally excited. It felt familiar, the country, the people, the way of life. It was as if I had a life there before. I’m serious. It was one of the most important things I have ever done.

You have also done a lot of television. Any favorites?

There is one called Brass. Have you seen that?

I’m afraid not. What year was that?

In the mid 80’s. It had a lot of comedy. Brilliantly written. A cult-comedy. I liked working for television as I could do that during the daytime. I had kids so I could see them after work.

The rebel briefing scene with Dermot Crowley (as General Madine)
This weekend you’re attending a convention and you will sign a lot of things. What is the weirdest item you’ve ever signed?

I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to sign something weird. Only a hat, T-Shirt, posters etcetera. But do you know, everybody here is so friendly! (looks in the camera) Thank you! I had a warm welcome and everything here is so friendly and good.

Are the fans in other countries different?

American fans are much bigger. (laughs). The thing about Star Wars is that they are stories about great myths of good and evil and as such it makes people think about it, whether they know that or not. That’s what being alive is all about. You always have choices to be good or bad. So, the movies are important.

You really like them then?

Yes. I think they are important as an influence for good.

Are you proud to have been in one?

Of course. Absolutely.

Ok, and what would you say is the highlight of your entire career?

Certainly the Russian period. Also My Fair Lady in London.

Can you describe your Star Wars experience in just one sentence?

It was hard while I was doing it, but I had many rewards from it afterwards such as meeting all the people I have met. I can think of no one except the pope who goes to so many countries to meet all those people from so many countries for a reason that doesn’t involve war or football. Peaceful.
How’s that? (laughs)

Terrific. That’s a wrap!

Ciao!

Phil Tippett interview | Stop Motion Animator | Star Wars

2010-05-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Phil Tippett can easily be called a legend when it comes to special effects. His career spans over three decades in which he has worked on some of the biggest movie productions ever: the original Star Wars trilogy, Dragonslayer, Robocop, Jurassic Park and Starship Troopers to name a few. This led to one Oscar and a Special Achievement Award. For the Star Wars movies he was responsible for creature design and created a new effects technique for the TaunTauns and AT-AT's called go-motion.
In the following interview that was done in late May 2010 he talks his Star Wars period.

You joined ILM in the late seventies and worked in the animation department. How did you manage to get this job?

I worked independently and was just hired toward the end of post production on Star Wars to help out on the cantina and chess sequences, got along with George and was rehired on the subsequent shows - also Dennis Muren worked there and was a big stop motion advocate.

In the first Star Wars you were responsible for the Dejarik Holoboard scene; the game played by Chewbacca. Can you tell something about how you created these scenes?

There wasn't much time or money - just something George thought would open the film up a bit. I used an old puppet that George saw in our Cantina shop - then Jon Berg and I sculpted the chess pieces in a couple evenings and shot it during the ILM wrap party.

You are also featured as an alien in the famous Cantina scene. What are your memories from the filming of these scenes?

We cycled through a number of characters that we had created in a shop we set up under Rick Bakers wing - a bunch of unemployed stop motion animators. We shot for two days in a little insert stage in Hollywood. George directed and Carroll Ballard was the DP. George had fun putting slime on the creatures.

After the huge success of Star Wars the expectations for the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, must have been big. Was this the case and can you tell something about your experiences when ILM was suddenly becoming THE effects company? How were the work circumstances for instance?

At the time, ILM was really the only VFX place other than Apogee - Dykstra's reformulation of the place. I was one of about 15 folks that moved from LA to the San Francisco area and we built the team out from there. It was a great time - it was what we had all been preparing for and now we got to do it! George was a great boss and gave us a lot of rope to hang ourselves with.

Phil Tippett and Jon Berg working on the Dejarik Holoboard game
Your best known effects for The Empire Strikes Back are the AT-AT’s and the TaunTaun using the stop motion technique, which later evolved in the legendary go motion technique that was invented by you. Can you tell something about this process and how you came up with this technique?

Folks had been trying to add blur to stop motion characters for years. Staravitch did; Jim Danforth experimented with it. It became clear early on that we should try attaching the puppets to the motion control equipment - we did - and it worked.

Regarding the AT-AT’s and the TaunTauns: when you did these effects what did you know about the story and the importance your effects would have in telling the story of The Empire Strikes Back?

We read the script and talked to the director and found out what it was we had to do - like normal for a movie.

The AT-AT's from The Empire Strikes Back
For Return of the Jedi you headed the famous creature shop. One of the creatures you did was the Rancor. Originally, the Rancor was designed to be a ‘man in a suit’ instead of a puppet and the man that would wear the suit was going to be you. Can you tell something about the ‘suit tests’ and why a puppet worked so much better than the suit?

The suit was just too ungainly for the design. I had always imagined the thing as a stop motion character but George wanted a man in a suit. At the end of the day we compromised with a hand puppet shot at high speed, 72 frames per second.

There is a Return of the Jedi documentary in which you talk about Jabba the Hutt and show the viewer some Jabba models. Can you tell something about your work regarding Jabba?

Joe Johnston, Nilo Rodis-Jamero, Ralph McQuarrie and I all contributed ideas and George picked mine.

Phil sets up a shot for the TaunTaun sequence
Both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi had George Lucas on the set and at ILM a lot. I heard many times that he overlooked nearly everything. How was your relationship with him and what kind of advices and guidelines did he give you?

He was on set and in ILM dailies every day. He was clear with what he wanted, much of it worked out in storyboards and animatics. George was very inclusive and gave us a great deal of freedom as long as he got what he wanted. It's the best relationship creatively because you always want to give more.

Why did you decide to leave ILM and set up your own studio in the mid-eighties?

There were no more projects that required the kind of work that I did anymore. I'd worked independently and kept up contacts and simply found other work.

Didn’t you find it risky to leave the biggest effects company of all time?

After three Star Wars pix it was time to move on. I would, however, go back from time to time and help out on other projects though.

In the early nineties CGI took over from the ‘old’ effects. You said just before Jurassic Park you had become extinct because of these new technologies. How did you still manage to stay a leading name in visual effects?

There was stuff I knew regarding the film making side of things that the computer guys were clueless about.

In the ‘old days’ there were a lot of techniques still to be ‘discovered’ or techniques that could be perfected. George Lucas and ILM were always way ahead of everyone in terms of effects. Nowadays, effects are almost always done by computers and it seems that nothing is impossible anymore and it seems audiences aren’t easily impressed anymore. What is your view on this?

It's mostly the industry selling spectacle. Things are pretty bloated these days. I generally avoid the big VFX blockbusters unless the pic looks good or there's something in particular that I should take a look at.

Also, what do you think about the fact the old craftsmanship (stop-motion and go-motion for instance) seems to have vanished and isn’t used anymore?

Folks are still doing stop motion - Henry Selick, Tim Burton and others - its being offered in college courses, I continue to make stop motion short films. So - it ain't dead yet.

How do you look back at working on the Star Wars movies and working at ILM?

It was a dream come true and I look back with great fondness.

Your career spans over 3 decades and includes almost every blockbuster from the last 30 years. What do you regard as your own personal highlight?

My favorites were the Star Wars pictures, Jurassic Park and Starship Troopers. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Paul Verhoeven are all wonderful directors to work for - the word inclusive keeps popping up - those guys encouraged one to do the work they were hired for and good at. It was before the studios became overly corporate and we didn't have the 'help' one finds these days.
We were able to work with one guy and one voice - that of a film maker not a business affairs guy.

Jack McKenzie interview | Cal Alder | Star Wars

2010-05-28T10:50:00.001-07:00

Although Rebel Deck Lieutenant Cal Alder sounded like an American in The Empire Strikes Back, he was played by a Scotsman: Jack McKenzie.
In case you've always wondered about the stories the man behind Lieutenant has to tell: look no further because you're in the right spot.
In late May 2010 we had the following interview. I hope you enjoy reading it.

How did you get started in the movie business?

After service in Her Majesty’s Royal Marines I joined the Lothians and Peebles Constabulary and it was whilst a serving officer that quite by accident I was introduced to the acting profession. I became Chief Constable Willie Merrilees’ driver and aide. The Chief was a keen patron of charities for the disabled and disadvantaged and he encouraged his officers to get involved. The police escorted the annual taxi drivers’ cavalcade to the seaside or country for their picnic for children from many children’s homes in and around Edinburgh and I found myself having to entertain the youngsters. I was approached by a BBC Producer, a friend of his Chief’s, and invited to make a demo tape for BBC Radio. Willie saw this as “great PR for the police, lad!” and I became a regular broadcaster in his off duty hours, and, living in the city of Edinburgh, this led to fringe theatre during the Edinburgh annual International Festival of Music and Drama, and then on to television and film.

How did you get cast for The Empire Strikes Back?

I had worked for Richard Attenborough on A Bridge Too Far in the Netherlands and the same film crew, with whom I had a very good relationship, was on The Empire Strikes Back, the sequel, as you know, to Star Wars. When working in The Netherlands, all of these American actors arrived from Pinewood Studios. They kept talking about Star Wars, and as several films were being made at the time all with WW2 subjects I just assumed it was yet another war film, never thinking it would turn out to be the iconic film that would hit the world. My agent contacted the casting director who had me interviewed at Elstree Studios and I was offered the role of Deck Lieutenant Rebel Forces.

What do you recall of the filming of your scenes?

Irvin Kershner came to me and asked if l could do an American accent. I said I could and he said, “Right Jack! Here’s your dialogue!”. “Sir, all the patrols are in. No sign of Skywalker or Solo”. Ho made me repeat it several times, softening the emphasis on the second sentence to a conspiratorial tone, in order that we conveyed to the audience that the Princess was being spared the agony of their disappearance. This was after several weeks of inactivity whilst production decided how the shoot was going to go. I had sat around quite a bit chatting with my American counterparts whom I had met in the Netherlands; John Ratzenberger, John Morton, Norman Chancer and Bob Sheedy. When he was satisfied I’d got it just right he said, “Right! Let’s shoot it!” Can you imagine? Suddenly I was thrust in front of the whole production team and crew, to deliver my “immortal” lines. Quite a daunting task I can tell you.

During the several takes required to get a shot I exited as directed from one take and thought I heard someone say “Cut” so I wandered back on the set whistling to myself. After all, they were going for many takes and this was just another. Wasn’t it? Nope, It sure wasn’t. They were continuing with John Ratzenberger’s and Carrie Fisher’s dialogue. Whoops! I looked around and there was Irvin Kershner behind the camera mouthing the words “What the f... is he doing”. My moment of extreme embarrassment. However I was forgiven with Kershner’s words, ”You’ll never work again” echoing in my ears. Happy to say he was kidding.

Did you get to meet ‘the big stars’ like Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, George Lucas and Carrie Fisher, and if so: what impression did they gave you?

Meeting the principal actors was, as always, a great pleasure. They were all gracious and despite their heavy schedule took time out to chat to us and make us feel at home and part of a most remarkable team. A very enjoyable experience and something which stays with you always as in fact do unpleasant experiences, and you learn a lot from both. But there were no unpleasant experiences in The Empire Strikes Back. It was a joy and immensely exciting.

Were you familiar with the Star Wars hype when you got cast? Had you seen the previous movie and were you a ‘fan’?

I knew nothing about Star Wars. I had never seen it and frankly, science fiction just isn’t my thing, although when you look at the scripts they could just easily be scenes from Shakespeare. Just change the period and the sets. It’s good versus evil and good prevails, with a huge bit of excitement in between. ‘A funtering good tale’ as they used to say in the old days. Strangely, though, I’d already been in Space 1999 and Blake’s 7, and my only other experiences of that genre were seeing the old 40’s/50’s black and white Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon films in my local Roxy cinema in Edinburgh when I was a child at Saturday morning movies. I actually met Buster in Hollywood in the 60’s whilst on a visit there. I also listened to Journey into Space on BBC Children’s Radio, and read Dan Dare in the Eagle comic.

In the mid nineties your character finally got a name: Cal Alder. How did you find out about this and what do you think of it?

I only found out about Cal Alder when I started receiving trading cards from fans wanting me to autograph them, and to this day I receive them from all over the world, including one from an Inuit in Northern Greenland and another request from a prisoner in The Orange County Los Angeles Prison Correctional Center. Then came invitations to conventions which, frankly, terrified me. I had no idea how to approach that kind of event. Eventually when I did, it was a huge pleasure to meet so many lovely people and travel around this country and to the States and be given such warm welcomes from adults and children alike.

You have done some conventions where you got to meet the fans and sign photos. What do you think of these events and what is the weirdest thing that happened to you on such an event?

I don’t know if it’s weird or not but one poster I had to sign whilst in Dallas was about 14 feet long by 8 feet wide. Also, we were invited by the organizer of the convention and his wife to join them afterwards for a get together at their Star Wars museum and manufacturing base where they turn out thousands of characters, space vehicles and creatures as well as costumes, masks and props which are sold all over the world. It all took place in a building about the size of your average B&Q. Typically American, and absolutely charming people.

What are you currently up to? Do you have new projects?

I was in an episode of Eastenders on June 3 and there are other projects coming up, possibly The Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama, and there is another film and TV project on the horizon.

This year The Empire Strikes Back celebrates it’s 30th birthday. Please finish the following sentence: “When I look back at my work on The Empire Strikes Back, I…”

thank my lucky Star (Wars) that I was privileged to be part of a film project that has become a global phenomenon which has brought so much pleasure and excitement to so many people of all ages and I have had the immense honor and equal pleasure of meeting many of them.

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

Howie Weed interview | Creature Maker | Wampa | Star Wars

2010-05-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

Howie Weed's career in movies began in the early 80's, working on Gremlins, a movie produced by Steven Spielberg. Years later he joined ILM, where he eventually became the chief creature maker for the Star Wars special editions. Every fan knows him as the Wampa ice creature; a creature created and performed.
In the following interview that was done in May 2010 Howie Weed (whose credits also include movies like David Cronenberg's The Fly, Joe Dante's Innerspace, Francis Ford Coppola's Captain EO and Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters II) talks about his entire career.

How did you get started in the movie business? I read that Steven Spielberg once brought you on board for one of your first movies: Gremlins?

My first professional gig was indeed on the first Gremlins movie back in 1983. I had been working on a low budget horror movie in San Francisco called Dracula's Disciple, and through the connections I made there mixing gallons of fake blood, I was hired at creature effects studio Chris Walas (CWI). When I joined Gremlins I was 19 and still in college, so I decided to take a semester off and see how things went. I came on the Gremlins project just as there was a big push to build the dozens of background puppets for the movie theater scene. I had a great time learning how to make proper molds and cast foam rubber Gremlin body parts. While Mr. Spielberg himself didn't actually hire me, it sure was a stroke of luck to be on that project, learn the trade, and then have the resulting film become such a landmark in the creature effects industry.

What got you interested into models and creatures in the first place?

As a kid I always built stuff at home in the garage. I remember seeing Goldfinger on TV and then building a prop jet pack out of cardboard and tape. Around the same time I was tinkering with my Super-8 movie camera, trying to recreate special effects from Space 1999 or Land of the Lost.
My major movie monster influences were from master animator Ray Harryhausen. Movies like Jason and the Argonauts and Mysterious Island really fascinated me. Those films had an elegance of design and creatures that could be shown full view, interacting with actors. Star Wars' influence actually came much later, but was significant.
Right around the time I starting working professionally other Sci-fi / horror landmark films came out; The Thing, Blade Runner, and American Werewolf in London. It was a great time to be making monsters in the film business. We were a young, fun and eager group of artists trying to raise the bar with each movie we worked on.

How did you join ILM?

I had just returned from working in Toronto on The Fly for CWI. The shop had some down time so I gathered my meager portfolio and cold-called the ILM Model Shop for an interview. As it turned out, the timing was perfect. They had just completed Howard the Duck and were about to mount a major organic effects film called Inner Space. I was interviewed by ILM model shop supervisors Charlie Baily and Jeff Mann for the job of building half scale puppets of Kevin McCarthy and Fiona Lewis. That interview went pretty well and I started the next week. Really, I couldn't believe my good timing.

Fuzzball, on which Howie Weed worked, sits on Michael Jackson's shoulder in Captain EO
In the mid eighties you worked on The Ewok Adventure and the legendary 3D movie Captain EO. I’d like to hear your stories regarding working on these two movies.

Working on the first Ewok Adventure was a fun experience. I was hired directly by Jon Berg and Phil Tippett. They had a small shop set up in Hercules, about an hour from ILM. Jon and Phil had taken on the project as independent contractors and needed a crew. So myself and co-monster maker buddy Jonathan Horton assisted in molding and casting creature parts. I was a huge fan of both Jon and Phil's stop motion work for the Star Wars films, so just helping out was a thrill. Both my bosses were great to work for and very generous with both sharing the craft of monster building and making it a fun experience.
My time working on Captain EO was spent at FX makeup master Rick Baker's shop in Los Angeles. I had just completed work on the horror/comedy movie House and was looking for the next job. I interviewed with Steve Johnson at BOSS Films and with Rick Baker at Boris. I was called in to work with Rick on a little film called Rat Boy, and then transitioned over to Captain EO. Mostly I worked on the little red fuzzball that was Michael Jackson's mascot. Working on the little hands and feet. The film just reopened at Disneyland, believe it or not.

For the Star Wars special editions you were the chief creature maker. I’d like to know which creatures you were responsible for and how your workdays looked back then.

When the special edition work for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back came along, the first creature to be approved was the Ketwol. That's the gray tusked creature with the small elephant's trunk. I received artwork from Skywalker Ranch and started sculpting the head and shoulders out of water based clay the same day. It was a very fast project, with the final rubber and foam puppet being complete in just over a week. At the time, I was pretty much on my own doing this project. The full force of the special editions hadn't started yet and the prequels were a year off or so from starting.
From the Ketwol creature I was also able to create another Cantina creature called Melas. Effects supervisor John Knoll noticed that the back of our Ketwol puppet's head looked like a completely different creature, so we turned it around, redressed it with new clothing, and shot it as a separate character. Two monsters for the price of one!

Ketwol and Melas
The legendary Rick Baker and Stuart Freeborn were in some way your predecessors as they created various creatures for the original trilogy. Has their work influenced you in any way?

Rick Baker's career had always been fascinating to me. Seeing his work was always inspiring. He has a great love for creatures, and a very naturalistic inspired design sense. His work is always derived from the aesthetics of real nature. That's what sets his work apart from the pack. There's a lot of discipline in his designs. An amazing sculptor, and a great guy too.
I would read about Mr. Freeborn's work in magazines when I was a kid trying to find out more about the making of Star Wars. The sheer breadth of work he had to materialize for Star Wars was amazing. I have a great deal of respect for him and his work. In fact, I was part of the Yoda refurbishment team that helped make castings from the original Yoda molds made at his shop for The Empire Strikes Back. It was really something pulling the first casting out of those molds. As soon as I got the foam rubber head out of the original plaster mold, it was like looking at Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, but in real life. This was "it". The real deal.

In these Special Editions George Lucas wanted to add a new scene with the Wampa. You got to wear the suit for that scene. How did you get the Wampa-part?

At the time, I was working in the ILM Creature shop. I had just finished the Ketwol shoot when Wampa project came up. Sculpting and foam construction that creature suit took about six weeks and kept myself and three other ILM artists busy full time. I was heading up the team, building proof of concept studies and attending production meetings. A few weeks into the project, Dennis Muren and I talked about casting an actor to be inside the suit. Having worked with Dennis as a creature performer on Ghostbusters II we decided that I could perform in the suit. This made the whole construction process much easier and expedited the whole construction process. Anytime we needed a suit fitting I was right there, ready to try monster parts on. Plus, I have to admit, I really wanted to perform the character.

Can you share some memories regarding the shooting of your Wampa scenes?

I recall when we were shooting the Wampa on our ILM sound stages, George asked if I could open the mouth wider. In the shot my arm had just been chopped off, so George really wanted to see an extreme scream. The mask's mouth was opening as wide as my jaw could manage, so just before we rolled the camera I moved my free hand up the neck of the Wampa suit and into the mask's mouth. On action I pulled down the jaw as wide as I could, which broke dozens of little elastic bands inside the mask. I could hear them popping as I tugged the mouth open. That got the result George was looking for and he called a wrap. The Wampa mask was broken for good, but we got the last shot.

Howie Weed reads Star Wars Insider magazine on the Wampa ice cave set
I bet you saw The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 when it was released. It must have felt surrealistic, to play a part in a movie you had known for years?

I did see The Empire Strikes Back when it first came out. In fact, I slept on the sidewalk all night to get a good place in line, and nearly didn't get into the first screening the next morning!
The whole experience of working on The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition was indeed a bit surreal. At one point we had the half scale Wampa head puppet that Phil Tippett built for the original movie in our shop, to help us match the proportions of our costume. Seeing that head, which pops up in front of the Tauntaun on Hoth, reduced us all to kids again. It's looking right into motion picture history.
That said, that feeling vanishes pretty quickly when it's time to "suit up" and perform on stage. Suddenly it's all about blocking for the camera and finding the right speed for the Wampa's movement (the camera was shooting at high speed to give scale to the moment). Just staying cool in the suit was a major concern. It must have reached well over 100 degrees at times.
So there was a lot to keep me from getting too lost in the bigger picture.

For Episode I and III you were in charge of digital model development and were a construction artist. Can you tell in your own words what you exactly had to do?

After The Empire Strike Back Special Edition, I did one more show in the ILM model shop; Men In Black. After that I made the transition to working on the computer for the CG department. That's were I have been for the past 15 years.
For Episode I I modeled a good number of creatures and vehicles, including the STAP, Ben Quadinaros’ Pod, and the Colos Sea Killer. It was a great show, not just because it was the Star Wars universe coming back with a new story, but also because there was SO much to build for us digital modelers It seemed to be a never ending list of monsters and space ships.
On Episode III I worked on building Anakin's robotic arm and vehicles that would attack the Wookiee planet. Also, I added some of the CGI architecture to Mustafar, the volcanic planet on the end. Again, a real satisfying show. So many planets, so little time!

You didn’t get to work on Episode II. Why was that?

Just when Episode II was about to begin, the chance to work on AI: Artificial Intelligence came around. I am a huge fan of the films of Stanley Kubrick, who was the original writer/director for that film, so I wanted to be part of that project. Taking that road allowed me to work on AI: Artificial Intelligence and then also Minority Report directed by Spielberg. Both projects were pushing the envelope of Science Fiction, plus interesting to me artistically. Of course I did have to quietly watch EP II happen without me. It's always hard to make those kind of choices.

I’m sure there have been fun or remarkable things while working on the Star Wars movies. Can you share some previously unknown stories?

While we were still in post production on The Phantom Menace, the Lucasfilm PR department gave an ILM tour to Ahmed Best and Ray Park. A group of digital artists were at our desks when suddenly in they walked. It was a real shock as we jumped up to shake their hands and then show them what we were building for the movie. Generally speaking we never ask for autographs from visiting actors, but we had all just been given teaser posters for the film, so we broke out the Sharpies and they were more than happy to sign for us. A real treat.

Over the last two decades CGI is taking over more and more. This could eventually lead to the point where ‘the old crafts’ of model making and creature making are over. What do you think about this? Do you think that’s a shame?

This is an interesting question. Every time I think we've reached a happy balance between CG and Practical VFX, someone innovates software or pushes the envelope in terms of CGI and we have a new game changer. In my view I don't think "hand crafted" effects will ever disappear, but I do think they will be marginalized further and further as computer effects evolve and become cheaper. That said, blowing up a car or making great creature makeup will no doubt be around as long as we are still making movies with cameras.

You are listed as a character performer for Ghostbusters II. Since that is one of my personal favorite movies I have to ask: which character did you perform and can you tell something about working on that movie?

Appearing as an actor in Ghostbusters II was a call in the eleventh hour of production. I was working in the ILM model shop, helping to make green slime that would cover a library building, when we suddenly needed an actor to stand-in for Dan Aykroyd. These were for VFX shots when his character is transformed into Vigo the Carpathian. Aykroyd was not available and the stand-in actor would be deep under makeup. I had actually been helping to design that character, so when the need came up, I volunteered right away. By that afternoon I was in the makeup chair being given a full life-cast.
The makeup took about seven hours to apply, covered my whole head and even my ears, so I couldn't hear very well. Monster dentures went over my teeth, with a concoction of purple Kool-Aid on my tongue. Then, glass contact lenses went into my eyes, covering even the whites of the eye. So I was pretty much deaf and blind by the time I was in full makeup. Someone had to hold my arm while I walked to help find the shooting stages. My legs had fallen asleep in the makeup chair, so that was pretty funny to watch.
When I got to the stage I was lead up to a platform covered in black plastic. I didn't understand why I was on plastic until I saw the slime gun that was pointed at my face. On action, a solid column of thick slime was shot into my face as I recited the lines for the character. Those lines also needed to be recited at double speed, by the way, since the camera was shooting at double speed to give the character some scale.
Pretty much a dream job for me. It was a really fun experience. In the final film my head explodes like the Death Star, so that was kind of the cherry on top.

What are your current and future projects? Maybe the Star Wars live action TV series?

Ah, if only I could say. I'm working fast and furious on a new project, but right now I'm not at liberty to say exactly what. It's that ILM security force field at work. Sorry!

No problem! I understand it completely.

Thanks for the questions. It's been my pleasure.

And thank you for the great stories! I enjoyed them.

Mike Savva interview | Naboo Cruiser Guard

2010-05-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

In May 2010, I had the following interview with British actor Mike Savva.
Mike worked on all three prequels and most fans know him as the Naboo Cruiser Guard. Besides Star Wars, he has also been featured in fan favorite movies and series like Batman Begins and Band of Brothers.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I had a desk job at a post production house and later had other desk jobs I didn’t really enjoy, which led to a move to the BBC in London as a production runner in 1997. That was ideal for me because my real interest in the business was the development side rather than acting. It was here that I heard of a new Star Wars Trilogy being planned and some of my colleagues were leaving the BBC to work on it. I also wanted to work on a Star Wars movie so I applied to be a runner at Leavesden Studios but there were no more vacancies at that time. I then applied to the agency that were casting for roles in the film as I had studied drama and acted in several plays at university.

You were featured in all three Star Wars prequels. How did you get cast for these movies?

After applying to the agency I was invited to a casting in London. There were a lot of people there and it took a while, I was just hoping I would be one of the chosen ones. A few days later I received a call asking if I could attend a costume fitting the next day at Leavesden Studios. Whilst there I was fitted as a footsoldier and a red costumed ground crew, as they were called then. I worked on Episode I: The Beginning over the summer of 1997 and a few more days in 1998 for the pickups.
I came to know several members of the production crew who I later worked with again on other movies and commercials over the next few years, where I had been trying my hand at acting in various supporting roles. When Episode II moved from Australia back to the UK, I was asked to return for a couple of days to play a Naboo Guard again but it was to be a more featured role as a personal guard to Senator Amidala. I was told Rick McCallum asked for those who worked on the previous Star Wars to be offered these roles so it was great to be invited back to see old friends.
For Episode III I was initially asked to be costume fitted as Jedi Knight Plo Koon for the UK shoot but while in the costume I was not as tall as the actor who played him in the Australia shoot. Instead I was asked to be a Clone Jedi where myself and others filmed some test footage in Jedi robes in front of bluescreen, our faces to be replaced with Temuera Morrison’s likeness by CGI. That was the first opportunity I had meeting with the Australian FX crew who were also doing the UK shoot this time, they were great but very secretive over the storyline! I was to return on another day to shoot the scenes proper but regrettably I later heard the whole storyline had been dropped, a pity as the Clone Jedi aspect appealed to me greatly! Hopefully a future release can see the footage completed but I did keep a look out during the other brief shots of Jedi to see if I could recognize myself but I couldn’t be sure!

Can you share some more memories regarding the filming of your scenes?

The best memory I have is on Episode I filming the hangar battle, which was over a few days and there was more death and destruction than what was seen on film. It was very exciting doing these scenes running through pyrotechnic explosions. There was also off camera crew firing explosive squibs at us from paintball type gas guns, they were firing between us and over our heads but the threat of being hit was there! The first appearance of Darth Maul behind the hangar doors was also memorable, it was a big shooting day and all departments were on set. We didn’t know which character he was and we speculated on whether he was the young Emperor as the dark hooded costume almost matched. During the first take when he first removed his hood and robe the whole crew stared at his striking facial tattoos in stunned silence, even those previously working had stopped to watch. That was a very cool moment!

The inevitable question: you were directed by the creator George Lucas. How is he to work with?

Very pleasant, on Episode II he suggested different ways he wanted me to address the Senator- in stiff military drill fashion where I would come to a halt then turn on a dime to walk off camera, then an alternate relaxed version without a weapon, in case he later felt a personal guard wouldn’t be armed when addressing a Senator. We only filmed that shot 2 or 3 times with the other actors and on each take he was happy to leave me play it as I thought an officer would do it. I had recently worked on Band Of Brothers so I had done US Army type drills prior. The relaxed version is the one you see in the movie which was the one I preferred.
For the next few shots coming down the ramp the Assistant Director would shout “Bang” over the megaphone to indicate the explosion, we were to jump off the ramp onto crash mats below. He forgot to say “Bang” on the last take and I believe it was George himself who said it in a very unthreatening way, which made the entire crew laugh, I don’t think that version was used!

There must have happened strange, funny or remarkable things when filming. Can you tell something about these moments?

I always remember arriving at Leavesden in the mornings during the early days when news was recently out that a new Star Wars movie was being filmed there. Fans had camped overnight trying to catch a glimpse of the filming and looking into cars as we arrived. It wasn’t possible to see any filming from outside the gates as Leavesden is huge and once inside there is a long drive past workshops and warehouses before you get to soundstages. The studio is surrounded by woods that they did film some scenes in and these are open to the public. It was funny seeing hikers and people walking their dogs wondering what this large group of people was doing there in crazy costumes!

You were young when the first Star Wars movie was released. I bet you had the toys as a kid? Or weren’t you a fan back then? If you were, what was it like to be on a Star Wars set?

I did collect the toys and wish I still had them now. I was a Star Wars fan and remember playing Star Wars games at school and watching the re-runs when they were aired over Christmas holidays. To be on a Star Wars set for a new trilogy was very exciting. The first expectation is to see familiar costumes and sets, something iconical Star Wars but there wasn’t too much that was familiar in Episode I. All my friends used to ask if I had seen Stormtroopers and X-Wings so I had to explain that it was a prequel and everything had been redesigned. There were familiar R2 units though so seeing those at the studio was very cool!

Over the years you have attended various conventions where you had the chance to meet the fans. What do you think of these events and how is it to meet all those fans who want you to sign photos, posters etcetera?

I enjoy attending shows and talking with Star Wars fans about the making of the movies. I don’t get time to do that many but I do try to attend as I am a Star Wars fan myself. I also help raise money for a charity (The MS Society Multiple Sclerosis) and appearing at shows is a great way for me to do that. I was very surprised to be invited by convention-guests.com to my first set of shows in Japan as I didn’t think what I did in Star Wars would be of much interest but I learned that the fans are interested in all aspects of the filmmaking process, not just the major cast and crew. One of the best times for me was being invited back to my old university to speak at a film studies Q&A panel and seeing some of my old lecturers still there only now telling me they were Star Wars fans! I have got to know some of the most hardened fans and its great to see the same faces at different shows, some of those guys are real characters and travel the world on their own adventures to be at as many as possible!

Regarding the future: what are your goals and dreams?
And what are you up to right now? Do you have new projects coming up?

Recently I have been working in program development for a number of production houses under the MTV/Viacom group of companies as well as the BBC and others. I enjoy the buzz and atmosphere from working behind the scenes on live shows and I always preferred this to acting. It was only really Star Wars I was interested in actually appearing in and along the way I was also lucky to play characters in Band Of Brothers, Alexander, Doctor Who, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and other great movies. Maybe if the right role comes along I may be tempted to audition again!

Please finish the following sentence: When I look back at my work on Star Wars, I…

am very proud to have been a part of it and I have many fond memories of my time on the trilogy and I did not die in that explosion!

If there is anything you want to say to the readers heres your chance!

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support. In many cases I have found that its not always the guests that make a great event, it’s the fans. I look forward to seeing you all at the next show!

Quentin Pierre interview | Bespin Guard | Royal Guard | Star Wars

2010-05-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

The name Quentin Pierre may not directly ring a bell to most people, but chances are good you've seen a movie starring him. For over 20 years he's been the assistant of Hollywood star Morgan Freeman. In The Empire Strikes Back he doubled Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and played the part of Bespin guard Sergeant Edian, while in Return of the Jedi he was one of the red Royal guards. Besides this he did many other parts of which he talks about in the following interview that was done in May 2010.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I started as a stage actor and model to get my Equity card.

If I’m correct you were Billy Dee Williams double and you played the roles of a Bespin guard in The Empire Strikes Back and a Royal guard in Return of the Jedi. Are there more parts you played?

I actually worked on all of the Star Wars movies. On the first one the stunt arranger Peter Diamond had me working with him all the time, Tommy Weldin and I did quite a lot of work on that one.
Also on more than one occasion I was Boba Fett when Jeremy Bulloch was not there. On The Empire Strikes Back I was in Finse, Norway with the stunt team as a Stormtrooper, and came back and was an acting stand-in for Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and I doubled him as well. As you know I was Sergeant Edian, a Bespin guard and I was also an Royal guard. They loved me on all three of them,

Can you share some of your memories regarding the filming of your scenes in both Star Wars movies you played in?

Lots of hanging around and the suits were sweaty and smelly. We used plenty of talcum powder.

Quentin Pierre as a Royal Guard
Did any remarkable, unique, strange or funny things happen on the set?

Plenty of people kept bumping into each other as they could not see out of the visors.

You were directed by Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand. What were the biggest differences between these two men regarding the way they directed?

Irvin Kershner was a fidget and was always changing the shots. Richard Marquand, being much younger, listened to his first Assistant Director David Tomblin, who was a genius.

You have been Morgan Freeman’s double for almost 20 years if I’m correct. How did you manage to get this job?

I'm Mr. Freeman's executive personal assistant. It’s a job I have had for the last 21 years. I met him on the movie Glory when I was doubling Denzel Washington.

What is your exact task being Mr. Freeman’s double?

I doubled him on Prince of Thieves as I could ride a horse and there was more that one unit shooting at the same time.

What do you regard as your personal highlight in your career?

Meeting and working with James Cagney, and being offered jobs by Marlon Brando and Tom Selleck.

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

Alan Harris interview | Bossk | Star Wars

2010-05-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular bountyhunters in the Star Wars universe is Bossk, the Trandoshan who hates Wookiees (especially Chewbacca). In The Empire Strikes Back he was played by Alan Harris, who did various other things for Star Wars. Besides playing a Bespin Guard (Sergeant Merril) and a stormtrooper, his body was used for the mold of which the carbonite block that encased Han Solo was made. In the following interview that was done in May 2010 he talks about the above and more.

How did you get started in the movie business?
I was a male model and it took 6 to 9 months to get paid, so I found out about doing extra work and did that instead.

How did you get cast for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi?

I knew Steve Lanning and Roy Button from Space 1999; a series I was on with Quentin Pierre (who starred on all three Star Wars movies). One of the Directors was David Tomblin and they got me as they knew me.

Alan Harris in Space: 1999
Your best known part is that of Bossk, the bounty hunter. Can you tell something about the filming of these scenes? And how did you get this role assigned?

I was a stand in for Anthony Daniels already as well as a Bespin Guard. When Anthony Daniels had some days off they just got me to do other things when he wasn’t around. We were about 12 ft in the air on the set. Irvin Kershner originally wanted the camera to come off the main cast down below and come up to us. The camera came up and caught my claws so I had to curl them for future shots. My only visibility was through the nostrils, so being high up on a platform was a bit scary.

There have been a lot of stories and comics featuring Bossk and his background. Do you keep up with these stories?

No. I have the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy that I read once and I bought a comic once.

How do you feel about the fact that your part as Bossk has given you Star Wars immortality?

I’m very surprised as I only started signing 10 years ago. Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) got in contact with Chris Parsons (4-LOM), and then Jeremy thought it was me in the Bossk costume. Then Chris got my number through the Union to start signings.

Bossk, the Trandoshan bountyhunter
Did any remarkable, unique, strange or funny things happen on the set?

With the industry being a serious business you have to get on with everybody and get on with the job so no time or budget for messing about.

Can you tell something about how Irvin Kershner directed you in The Empire Strikes Back?

When he directed me as a Stormtrooper I came out of sliding doors with a machine gun, turn to my right and fire my gun. He didn’t want me to crouch for cover. He knew I was a fearful stormtrooper and should stand up and be fearless.

You were the body double for Han Solo in carbonite. How did this came to be?

Irvin Kershner had the idea. We were in the props room where they put a shroud over me and two drinking straws through my nose so I could breath. They later cut my face out and put Harrison Ford’s in. Irvin Kershner and I looked at the finished product on the set and Harrison came over. He said he was thinking of turning one of these into a coffee table. I don’t know if he ever did.

You were also the double for Anthony Daniels (as C-3PO); did the two of you work together a lot? If so, how was your relationship?
I wasn’t ever the double for Anthony, I’m too tall. I was his stand-in for lighting purposes with an old gold mask of his and a piece of elastic to keep it in place and eventually a gold jacket too. We got on fine along with John Birkenshaw and Brian, a props guy nicknamed Toby, who was also on Space 1999 who both attended to Anthony.

Quentin Pierre and Alan Harris as Sergeant Edian and Sergeant Merril
Almost 19 years later you were the double for Terence Stamp in Episode I: The Phantom Menace. How did you land this job, so many years later?

It’s just that I looked a bit like him and originally I was his stand in. His usual stand in had a bit of a health problem and suggested me for just two days. Then around a week later they asked me to double for him in a shot with young Anakin and the Queen. Ten days later they used me as a double and point my finger at something. A girl dancer on one side and some guy with a tube coming out of him on the other.

What are you up to right now? And do you have new projects coming up?

Not at all. I’m almost 72 years old. I effectively retired seven years ago and I can’t get up early in the morning for filming work.

Special thanks to convention-guests.com and Dean Mitchell (www.deanmitchell.net) for making this interview possible

Dean Mitchell interview | Cellheim Anujo | Star Wars

2010-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Dean Mitchell had a childhood ambition to become an actor...and made that dream become reality. Before he got the part of Cellheim Anujo in 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
After that, he starred in popular TV series Doctor Who and Band of Brothers.
In May 2010 he did the following interview for this website.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I had a next door neighbor who at the time was a sound engineer for Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen. I used to help him out and saw his C.V/resume one day, which included his previous work for such bands as Thin Lizzy, Genesis and The Bee Gees and also some film work. It was him who got me hooked up with his agent.

You were featured in Revenge of the Sith. How did you get cast for these movies?

Possibly the right place at the right time? I was at Shepperton Studios meeting a friend Christian Simpson who was down to stand-in for Hayden Christensen when Rick McCallum and a couple of other guys went past us. We thought that was odd as we were expecting the shoots to be at Elstree Studios. After walking around we got invited into the props room and had all the principal actors lightsabers in our hands after the locked flight case was opened. It had all the actors’ names on each saber with a little yellow post-it note. Eventually I bumped into Sue Wood the Assistant Director who knew me from previous work and I asked if there was a possibility. Later that day I got a call from my agent but I don’t know if it was bumping into Sue or just fate.

In Revenge of the Sith you played Cellheim Anujo. Can you share some memories regarding the filming of this movie?

Strongest memory has to be after we did the first take George Lucas was talking to his First Assistant Director about the set-up, he then left and George came over to me. He told me what we were going to do for the next set up and that the shot would be starting on me! That's quite a feeling when you’ve grown up playing with the little action figures then you’ve got the Director of this telling you they’re going to start the shot on you! Unfortunately they didn’t use that take for the final cut, but I guess it’ll be at the Ranch in storage so fingers crossed for a Directors Cut!

The inevitable question: you were directed by the creator George Lucas. How is he to work with?

Very friendly, relaxed and easy going. You can get a lot of directors who don’t always address you directly and sometimes just pass instructions down through their Assistants but Mr. Lucas was very hands on apparently he even signed an Attack of the Clones DVD for someone during the filming.

Dean Mitchell at the Skywalker Ranch
There must have happened strange, funny or remarkable things when filming. Can you tell something about these moments?

Nothing particularly funny or strange I can think of during my takes I’m afraid but with so many people made up as Aliens we were getting really hot. It wasn't just the studio lighting, but the rubber prosthetics and full-on masks. They couldn't easily be removed and people were getting fed water through a straw. However, I was quiet fortunate in that in between takes my costume head was large and easily removed.. although made of cloth it's comparable to removing a large, loose astronauts helmets. Although the sheer weight of the fabrics of my costume alone still kept me pretty hot.

You were young when the first Star Wars movie was released. I bet you had the toys as a kid?

I did collect the figures and the space ships. My Dad was notoriously careful with money. I always wanted the Millennium Falcon (instead he bought me Slave I.) Then I wanted the AT-AT (instead I got the Scout Walker.)

Over the years you have attended various conventions where you had the chance to meet the fans. What do you think of these events and how is it to meet all those fans who want you to sign photos, posters etcetera?

I love attending conventions. I’ve been to some of the most fascinating places in the world and met some of the nicest people. There’s even a guy working on a Cellheim Anujo costume!

Regarding the future: what are your goals and dreams?
And what are you up to right now? Do you have new projects coming up?

I’m a bit in limbo right now I have my Visa to work in the U.S and just got my Screen Actors Guild eligibility but with some ties in the UK I’m not sure what’s happening at the moment. I haven’t worked on a Horror yet and it looks like there’s something on the horizon later this year. Keep your eye on www.DeanMitchell.net.
Being a Star Trek fan too I’d gladly be a Red Shirt in the next movie!

Please finish the following sentence: When I look back at my work on Star Wars...

I can’t frankly believe I got to be a part of something I wanted to be in as a child.

Special thanks to convention-guests.com for making this interview possible

Laurie Goode interview | Saurin | Stormtrooper | Star Wars

2010-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

A musician that got three parts in the biggest movie saga ever. This is what happened to English musician/actor Laurence ‘Laurie’ Goode. In the following interview (that was done in May 2010) he talks in detail about his early career (that features Phil Collins) and his work on Star Wars: A New Hope (in which he played a Stormtrooper, Saurin and an X-Wing pilot). I hope you enjoy his memoires as much as I did.

How did you get started in the movie business?

I guess the interest in Star Wars has been around for sometime, but I didn’t realize it existed until one day, out of the blue, Convention Guests contacted me with an offer of appearing at an event in Cheshunt. Since then I have attended various conventions in the UK as well as Germany and the Netherlands, and the two questions I'm frequently asked are: "How did you start out in the movie business?" and "How did you get to work on Star Wars?"
Well, I really didn't have any aspirations to become an actor; I was more interested in playing music. I had mastered the guitar in my early teens, and set my sights on plucking the strings on stage, eventually forming a band with some guys who had attended Barbara Speake stage school; famous pupils include Sharon Osbourne and Free lead guitarist Paul Kossoff.
At one point I did some recording with an unknown drummer called Phil Collins, and we all know what happened to him! In those days there were bands everywhere, and you had to have a great deal of drive and someone with a knowledgeable head to guide you; something we never really acquired, but nevertheless, it was an experience I’m glad I didn’t miss.
So, enter Viktor Ritelis. Vik used to visit a sketch artist at the Fulham house where I then lived. He went on to direct TV films such as The Sweeny, Blake’s 7, and Secret Army. On the second occasion of meeting the guy, he offered me an extra role on a production he was involved in: Adam Adamant, at the BBC. Whilst doing the job, I discovered that most of the other background artists were working through an agency called Jeff Shane, which I promptly joined. I then became an Equity member and enrolled on the books of further agents.
If a film offer clashed with any kind of music I was involved in, I could always give that priority and turn the film work down. So it all fitted in quite nicely, but unfortunately members of the band eventually went their separate ways. One, Vernon Austin, re-emerged some years later playing lead guitar in The Leyton Buzzards; a punk band that appeared on Top of the Pops a few times.
Anyhow, as all that came to an end, I began landing some feature roles in commercials, which were well paid, but I still had the desire, and time, to be involved with music, so I set up a mobile disco with a wonderfully spirited girl called Chrissy McGowan, who was in her mid twenties. We used to run a competition for the best male dancer; the prize being a snog from Chrissy and, of course, the best looking guy always won! Although we had regular clients, the lugging of all the equipment about became an arduous task. Enthusiasm began to fade, and after eighteen months or so, we called it a day. Sadly, Chrissy died of TB a couple of years later.
So, that’s how it all started for me. I tried to get into music, but ended up on the film set!

You played three parts in Star Wars: A New Hope:. Saurin, a Stormtrooper and an X-Wing pilot. How did you get cast for this movie and these parts?

As for appearing in Star Wars: A New Hope, I didn’t know I would be working on the production until the day before. I was a replacement stormtrooper for the late Peter Dukes, who had cried off sick, and as we had the same measurements, the agency sent me along. I didn’t know what I would be wearing until I went along to the dressing room, and searched for a costume that had Peter’s label on it. As I pulled this plastic armor-like outfit off the clothes rack, I thought: “Gawd, what’s this?”
According to my diary, I began filming in April 1976. I remember the weather was extremely hot. We were experiencing the type of heat we would normally expect in mid July. Anyhow, there were about twenty five of us stormtroopers hanging around the studio, sweltering under the white plastic, awaiting direction. There were also some rebel guards, I can’t remember how many, but fewer than the guys in white!
There didn’t appear to be any sense of urgency in the studio, and by mid morning only a few of us had taken part in two or three scenes.
I can't recall exactly why, it might have been that we were making too much noise probable cause or that the first assistant thought the studio heat was too much for us. Anyhow, we were ushered outside, where we made ourselves comfortable on an area of grass adjacent to the set; removed the upper parts of our costumes, and began to soak up the sun. Each time a new scene required bodies, one of the assistants would venture out to our sunbathing spot, and ask for the presence of those that were needed.
It was, perhaps, the morning of the second or third day, when one of the assistants came to our sun field and instructed me, with some others, to go onto the set. I hadn’t been feeling too well, and as I stood up to don the upper part of my stormtroopers outfit, my stomach began to rumble. Oh no, I thought, diarrhea! One effort to release the flatulence and I'd be well in trouble! I made my way to the set, where I informed likeable assistant, Gerry Gavigan, of my predicament. Carry on, he told me, and as I exited the studio for the loo. I had to scurry, as large steps might have caused a disaster. I eventually made it to the loo, and breathed a deep sigh of relief, but I wasn’t yet free of danger. I jumped about in the cubicle as panic set in, trying to remember how to get the damn costume off! I could feel time was running short, but suddenly, I found the answer, prized it off, sat on the pan, and closed my eyes, with runs of sweat trickling down my face.
Anyhow, no sooner had I ventured back to the set, when I had to revisit the loo again. This was repeated two or three more times, so I eventually managed to get some medicine, and by the time we all had had lunch, my condition began to clear up.
Having returned to our sun-filled resting spot, I was called back to the set, placed in shot, and directed to march down one of the space ships passageways, to the left of others, towards the camera. As I was still feeling somewhat queasy, my concentration wasn’t at it’s best, and as I emerged from the tunnel, my helmet hit a section of the gantry. We all then, as directed, came to a halt. I waited for someone to shout cut, but no one did, so I assumed I was out of frame.
Now the question is was I the stormtrooper whom banged his head in shot? Well, I’ve been telling this story for years, but over recent times, I’ve been informed by various Star Wars enthusiasts that some others have claimed the incident happened to them in exactly the same way. It feels like my own story of events has boomeranged back to me.
Still, I’m not going say it was definitely me, and I can’t see how others can undeniably claim it was them. The helmets were difficult to see out of, and people were bumping around all over the place. It would have been indisputable had George Lucas, or his assistant, giving the guilty party a rollicking, as the person would have then been identified. So, whoever was the stormtrooper who bumped his helmet, and didn’t have an angry finger wagged at him, God only knows. One thing you can try, is to go onto YouTube, and if you think the ungainly stormtrooper is about to crap his pants, it’ll give you a clue as to where you can pin the donkeys tail!
Anyhow, I carried on filming up until the Thursday before Easter. As we wrapped, one of the assistants invited us all to go to a certain stage where, he informed us, there would be an Easter present for everyone. Well, I was in my mid twenties, up for a laugh, so sure, I went along!
As we entered the stage, we found ourselves staring at, perhaps, four tables similar to those use by decorators for pasting full of Easter eggs and cans of booze. It was all much of a surprise, because the whisper was that the film didn’t have much of a budget. Anyhow, I believe some music began pounding out, and the night went off well. A good beginning to the Easter break, I thought.

There is a story on the internet regarding your part as Saurin. The article claims that Saurin was not played by you and you weren’t in the Cantina scene. All the other sources that it was you in that scene, so I believe that. Still, can you comment on this?

Not so long ago, I received an email from one of the collectors, which stated there is a site that claims I didn’t play the role of Saurin in the Cantina sequence. The email contained the information from the site, which went on about someone who knew someone who worked for someone in the wardrobe department, well; something similar to that, and apparently my name doesn’t appear on any list of characters for the Cantina scenes. Now, I would assume these people are die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts, but it appears they know very little about the way filming works.
So, let’s go back to my first weeks filming. At one point Gerry Gavigan asked me what my measurements were. Having told him, he sent my along to the wardrobe department, as another replacement, for one of the girls who was to play the other Saurin. Again, for some reason, she was also unable to make the shot.
Anyhow, I managed to squeeze the helmet on, and also the upper part of the costume, but the bottom half was difficult, so the wardrobe people did a made-up, there-and-then, job on me. There is one photo in circulation, which was taken in the Cantina, where I can be seen holding my arm aloft. If you study at the bottom part of the costume, you can see it is bulky and ill-fitting around the waste, with large boots; not the finished article the designer would have been proud of!
Now, I reiterate, I had replaced Peter Dukes as stormtrooper, and now this girl, whose name I can’t remember, as Saurin. So do these people really believe that the wardrobe department are going to backtrack over every wardrobe list that has been drawn up, and cross off Peter Dukes, and this other girl’s name, and insert mine? Can we expect George Lucas to issue orders that, Laurie Goode's name must be inserted on every wardrobe list in the UK and also any list that might exist in the USA! Get real people! Maybe these guys should set up a forum for Miss Marple!
Still, I relax in comfort knowing that they have their information on me wrong, so I suspect, they must have made mistakes on others. I'd be glad to hear of any other stories of mistakes they have made.

Can you share some memories regarding the filming of the Cantina scene? It is one of the most memorable movie scenes ever!

The filming in the Cantina was extremely uncomfortable. I thought the stormtroopers headgear was bad enough, but Saurins head was unbelievably stifling; barely able to breath, and what I breathed out, would remain in the helmet, to be inhaled again!
On my first days filming of the Cantina scenes, I remember sitting with Pam Rose, Leesub Sirln, wondering if I should introduce myself to the other Saurin, Barbara Frankland, but we were eventually placed together, and we spoke about the difficulties we had in breathing through the helmets. I explained that if you put a hand into the mouth, it would be better ventilation, which she did, and there are photos of her doing exactly that.

You were directed by George Lucas. What impression did he make?

I’m often asked about George Lucas, especially what it was like to work with him. We must remember George was in his early thirties, and at the time, still on the climb, so he was very patient about the filming, and let it take its course without any fuss. There was point when I felt a bit sorry for him. One morning, after a shot in the Cantina, an assistant made an announcement about a photo shoot. He said there would be a crew and cast photo session at lunch time, before the resumption of filming, and anyone who wanted to attend could do so. I assumed all the main actors and top crew members would be there, and thought it would be silly for me to bother, but on my way back from lunch, I spotted a group of about sixteen people having some shots taken. There was George standing in the middle of twelve or so background monsters, with three or four crew members, so I thought I’d be joining in. As I paced towards the group, with the photographers snapping away, I remember George looking around, as though he was searching for more high profile actors and crew members to join in, and finding their absence somewhat embarrassing. No sooner had I joined the group, when the photographer announced he ran out of film. I think I might have sneaked in on two shots, but I’ve never seen the contact sheets, so I guess Ill never know. Has anyone got them?

The third role you played was a Rebel Pilot in the briefing scene. What do you recall from that scene?

That’s that, I thought, job done! I didn’t really think I’d take part in the film again, but three weeks later I was called back. This time in my own name, Laurence Goode, and then I was back again in June, and for a further couple of days in July I think. At one point throughout that period I played an X-wing pilot. I remember thinking: Oh no, not that dreaded stormtroopers costume again, and was relieved to be giving an X-wing pilot’s outfit to wear.

You can play the guitar, wrote for The Beat Magazine and you were very interested in a career in music.
Suppose you could compose a song for the Cantina scene. What kind a song would that be?

It’s strange really, people now know about my past connection with music, and every time I attend a convention there’s usually someone who asks me a question about the subject. One I remember was: If you were to write a song about Star Wars, what kind of song would it be? Well, I’ve had this melodic marching song in my head for years, and it hit me one day, maybe I could write a stormtroopers Christmas song! The only trouble is copyright. Would our dear George allow it to happen? Maybe he would if it was a charity number. I’m sure we could get enough stormtroopers for the video. So, you see, I could end up in music after all!

Many thanks for the interview! I highly enjoyed your stories!