Ishi Tib
New Recruit
Hey guys,
with the upcoming release of Episode II and so many new actors showing in these last two films, we are sort of leaving in the past the faces of those that with their effort in the classic trilogy of Star Wars films made it possible for us to enjoy the social and cultural impact it became
If you are like myself and like to keep track of the actors who 25 years ago gave the world a story which was destined to be told generation after generation, I'm certain you might find the following list of interest to you.
Here are some of their names and what their lives became after being part of The Force.
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)
Partly because of a disfiguring car crash in 1976, Hamill could never seriously pursue an active film career. Yet, it is ironic that in his though he faced the problem of being typecast as a upright hero like Luke Skywalker in live-action roles, Mark Hamill found that his successful career as an animation voice actor has typecast him as a player of flamboyant villains like the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series" and also in Scooby Doo videos. His son, Nathan Hamill, played a Gungan in "Episode I: The Phantom Menace."
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa)
She married musician Paul Simon after 'Return of the Jedi' in '83, and divorced him soon after. Since then she has done quite a few roles in comedies such as "When Harry Met Sally", "Drop Dead Fred" and the soap opera spoof 'Soapdish'. More recently she had a cameo in the first 'Austin Powers' and was in the spoof-sequel 'Scream 3'.
Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
Of all those who appeared in the original Star Wars, he probably has had the most illustrious career since. From playing Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in two films to the beloved Indiana Jones in another three, he was the first man to have $100 million+ blockbusters in four seperate decades!
Long way to go from Bob Falfa, the role he played in American Graffiti. We will see him again around 2005 doing Indiana Jones.
Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin)
Cushing had a LONG career pre-Star Wars, but a short one after it. He did very little work after his role as the creator of the Death Star, and passed away in August of 1994.
Alec Guiness (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
If Ford had the most illustrious career post-Star Wars, Guiness had enjoyed it before the saga began. After Star Wars and before his death in August of 1999, he had not done much work of note, except The Passage to India and Little Dorrit.
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
The man behind the mask of that lovable Wookiee is a regular on the Star Wars convention circuit- and always a favorite there. He had briefly started a few businesses with the money from his films, but scrapped the plan in favor of the tour circuit.
Dave Prowse (Darth Vader- behind mask)
In my opinion, other than the role of Darth Vader, the most awesome role this man ever did was to play Hotblack Desiato's bodyguard in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy mini-series. Yes, it was British. Yes, maybe it was a bit cheesy. But it was Douglas Adams at his best.
Phil Brown (Uncle Owen Lars)
Believe it or not, this man was exiled to England by the House Un-American Activities Committee in '52. He came back to the US in '92 and has been there since. Iwas able to meet him last year at the Megacon convention here in Orlando, Florida. He is now paralized.
Shelagh Fraser (Aunt Beru Lars)
Our beloved Aunt Beru was killed by imperial stormtroopers on Tatooine. Shelagh Fraser passed away September of 1999.
Dennis Lawson (Wedge Antilles)
Trivia Question: Did Obi-Wan and Wedge Antilles ever meet? Answer: Wedge is Kenobi's uncle! That's right, Dennis Lawson, who played the only man to survive two successful attacks on the Death Star, is Ewan McGregor's uncle. Last i heard about him he was teaming up with Ewan for a film which was heading for production.
William Hootkins (Jek Porkins)
I had to include Porkins. I just had to! This man has been in a lot of small roles since Star Wars in films such as Batman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, A River Runs Through it, The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Never Ending Story III. I also met him last year at the Megacon convention. He is indeed a gentleman and a very friendly guy.
Richard Le Parmentier (Admiral Motti)
Small roles in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Superman II; besides which he has recently entered the tour/convention circuit.
Another great actor which I also met. He is always ready for a "choking" pose for the camera.
James Earl Jones (Darth Vader- voice)
This man has leant his voice to everything. If there have been people in the past who's faces launched a thousand products; this man's voice has. From Mufasa in Disney's Lion King ("Simba, I am your father!") to CNN ("This is CNN"). From Fantasia 2000 to Verizon's ad campaign. Will we be able to hear his voice again for Episode II? He will definitely be lending hos voice for the third prequel installment.
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian)
Did you know that this man was an accomplished artist before his acting career began? In fact, his work would sell for thousands. A lot of thousands! I remember him as Harvey Dent in Batman. More recently he was in the comedy 'The Ladies Man'.
Frank Oz (Yoda- voice & puppetry)
This man has always been the perpetual voice of the muppets; Grover, Bert, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Fozzie, Animal, Sam Eagle are all him. He has also directed quite a few comedies since Star Wars like "Bowfinger", "What About Bob?", "In & Out", "The Indian in the Cupboard" as well as the recently released on video and dvd "The Score" starring Robert de Niro and Edward Norton .
I'm not to sure if Frank will have any puppetering part for EP 2 and Yoda; seems this time our Jedi master is being completely turned into a computer generated imagine(CGI) but hopefully Frank's voice will be part of the second chapter of the prequel.
Well, this is as much as I can tell you for now about whatever happened to some of these great movie history makers.
If you know about the whereabouts of more of the cast and crew..Let us all know!
with the upcoming release of Episode II and so many new actors showing in these last two films, we are sort of leaving in the past the faces of those that with their effort in the classic trilogy of Star Wars films made it possible for us to enjoy the social and cultural impact it became
If you are like myself and like to keep track of the actors who 25 years ago gave the world a story which was destined to be told generation after generation, I'm certain you might find the following list of interest to you.
Here are some of their names and what their lives became after being part of The Force.
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)
Partly because of a disfiguring car crash in 1976, Hamill could never seriously pursue an active film career. Yet, it is ironic that in his though he faced the problem of being typecast as a upright hero like Luke Skywalker in live-action roles, Mark Hamill found that his successful career as an animation voice actor has typecast him as a player of flamboyant villains like the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series" and also in Scooby Doo videos. His son, Nathan Hamill, played a Gungan in "Episode I: The Phantom Menace."
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa)
She married musician Paul Simon after 'Return of the Jedi' in '83, and divorced him soon after. Since then she has done quite a few roles in comedies such as "When Harry Met Sally", "Drop Dead Fred" and the soap opera spoof 'Soapdish'. More recently she had a cameo in the first 'Austin Powers' and was in the spoof-sequel 'Scream 3'.
Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
Of all those who appeared in the original Star Wars, he probably has had the most illustrious career since. From playing Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in two films to the beloved Indiana Jones in another three, he was the first man to have $100 million+ blockbusters in four seperate decades!
Long way to go from Bob Falfa, the role he played in American Graffiti. We will see him again around 2005 doing Indiana Jones.
Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin)
Cushing had a LONG career pre-Star Wars, but a short one after it. He did very little work after his role as the creator of the Death Star, and passed away in August of 1994.
Alec Guiness (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
If Ford had the most illustrious career post-Star Wars, Guiness had enjoyed it before the saga began. After Star Wars and before his death in August of 1999, he had not done much work of note, except The Passage to India and Little Dorrit.
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
The man behind the mask of that lovable Wookiee is a regular on the Star Wars convention circuit- and always a favorite there. He had briefly started a few businesses with the money from his films, but scrapped the plan in favor of the tour circuit.
Dave Prowse (Darth Vader- behind mask)
In my opinion, other than the role of Darth Vader, the most awesome role this man ever did was to play Hotblack Desiato's bodyguard in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy mini-series. Yes, it was British. Yes, maybe it was a bit cheesy. But it was Douglas Adams at his best.
Phil Brown (Uncle Owen Lars)
Believe it or not, this man was exiled to England by the House Un-American Activities Committee in '52. He came back to the US in '92 and has been there since. Iwas able to meet him last year at the Megacon convention here in Orlando, Florida. He is now paralized.
Shelagh Fraser (Aunt Beru Lars)
Our beloved Aunt Beru was killed by imperial stormtroopers on Tatooine. Shelagh Fraser passed away September of 1999.
Dennis Lawson (Wedge Antilles)
Trivia Question: Did Obi-Wan and Wedge Antilles ever meet? Answer: Wedge is Kenobi's uncle! That's right, Dennis Lawson, who played the only man to survive two successful attacks on the Death Star, is Ewan McGregor's uncle. Last i heard about him he was teaming up with Ewan for a film which was heading for production.
William Hootkins (Jek Porkins)
I had to include Porkins. I just had to! This man has been in a lot of small roles since Star Wars in films such as Batman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, A River Runs Through it, The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Never Ending Story III. I also met him last year at the Megacon convention. He is indeed a gentleman and a very friendly guy.
Richard Le Parmentier (Admiral Motti)
Small roles in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Superman II; besides which he has recently entered the tour/convention circuit.
Another great actor which I also met. He is always ready for a "choking" pose for the camera.
James Earl Jones (Darth Vader- voice)
This man has leant his voice to everything. If there have been people in the past who's faces launched a thousand products; this man's voice has. From Mufasa in Disney's Lion King ("Simba, I am your father!") to CNN ("This is CNN"). From Fantasia 2000 to Verizon's ad campaign. Will we be able to hear his voice again for Episode II? He will definitely be lending hos voice for the third prequel installment.
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian)
Did you know that this man was an accomplished artist before his acting career began? In fact, his work would sell for thousands. A lot of thousands! I remember him as Harvey Dent in Batman. More recently he was in the comedy 'The Ladies Man'.
Frank Oz (Yoda- voice & puppetry)
This man has always been the perpetual voice of the muppets; Grover, Bert, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Fozzie, Animal, Sam Eagle are all him. He has also directed quite a few comedies since Star Wars like "Bowfinger", "What About Bob?", "In & Out", "The Indian in the Cupboard" as well as the recently released on video and dvd "The Score" starring Robert de Niro and Edward Norton .
I'm not to sure if Frank will have any puppetering part for EP 2 and Yoda; seems this time our Jedi master is being completely turned into a computer generated imagine(CGI) but hopefully Frank's voice will be part of the second chapter of the prequel.
Well, this is as much as I can tell you for now about whatever happened to some of these great movie history makers.
If you know about the whereabouts of more of the cast and crew..Let us all know!
:dance:
