Star_Wars_Insider_Special_Edition_–_2022_Souvenir_Edition_downmagaz

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY DANIELS

01

eorge Lucas side totally on my own, and he 01 Daniels as Han Solo very cleverly gave C-3PO
could have done the vocal side C-3PO, with a different dynamic. As an actor
G had initially totally without me, but as we Mark Hamill you’re given what to say, and told
envisaged C-3PO know he changed his mind. and George where to stand. Many of the choices
as a more salt- Lucas, on set are made elsewhere, in the writing
When you first played C-3PO, in Tunisia for room or in the directors’ mind,
of-the-Earth A New Hope. which, in the case of Empire, was
Irvin Kershner. The difference,
character, with possibly, was that it was all a bit
more self-conscious, whereas
all the patter of a used automobile how long did it take you to 02 C-3PO’s rusty when we were making A New
find the core of the character? look in Attack Hope, which wasn’t even known
dealer. Instead, Anthony Daniels The fact that I had already of the Clones. as Episode 4 then, it was the one
inhabited C-3PO by proxy for and only. On Empire, I was very
on-set delivery imbued the droid six months while we were still 03 Daniels self-conscious that I was making a
making the costume, before we returned to fool of myself on set, as a character
with a sense of British uptightness even saw a film camera, I guess the role to that might be thought of as being a
something of him went inside. voice C-3PO bit wonky. But nobody was saying,
that stuck, as the actor explained Being C-3PO became instinctual. in episodes “Well that’s a bit rubbish, can you
of The try something else.” You have to
when he sat down with Star Wars Clone Wars throw yourself into it, because if you
(2008-2013). do it half-heartedly the audience
Insider to talk about his new absolutely won’t believe you.

memoir, I Am C-3PO. Is that the only way to perform
a character like C-3PO, to go big
Star Wars Insider: It was Some actors, some really good 04 Anthony and project to the back row?
originally planned that C-3PO actors, gently talk about the Daniels (left) It’s an interesting question. To talk
would be re-dubbed with another art of acting. Some really bad during the about somebody else’s performance,
voice. Were you surprised when actors really talk about the art of recording of Ahmed Best has a huge brain and
your full performance found its acting. I don’t, because I actually the Star a huge wit. In Jar Jar Binks he
way into the film? don’t really understand it, and I Wars radio
Anthony Daniels: It never look at people on screen and on adaptaion,
occurred to me that it wouldn’t. I stage and wonder “How do you with Bernard
was doing the job, I was in front of do that, because it’s brilliant?” Behrens
the camera, I was talking. I assumed And I can’t do it. (Obi-Wan
it was a given. I’d been on television, Kenobi),
where you stand there in the light Did you approach the role any Perry King
and you speak, they record your face differently for Star Wars: The (Han Solo),
and your voice, and you watch it and Mark
on TV. Why would it be different? Hamill (Luke
George left me to do the physical Skywalker).

Empire Strikes Back (1980)?

It was different words, and different

situations. Being partnered with

54 / STAR WARS INSIDER

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY DANIELS

02 “George left me
was given a character to play and

was directed how to play it, and to do the physical
as a performer he threw himself

absolutely into it, as a professional. side totally on my
The character may have split

opinions, but if you meet people own, and he could
who were ten years old at the time

of The Phantom Menace (1999), have done the
their favorite character is Jar Jar. vocal side totally

Both of the characters we’re

talking about are masked and semi without me, but
human. Both speak in our language,

they’re both bipedal, they have two as we know he
legs, two arms. They have human

elements but are heavily disguised. changed his mind.”
You have got to be careful when

you’re inside all that, because if

you’re too subtle nothing is going to

get through the latex or the metal. breathe, that was one of the horrible

If you’re too over the top, people things. There’s an almost immediate

go “Whoa, that’s too much.” Some panic reaction, and certainly that

people found Jar Jar too much, some CO2 reflex—you need to breathe,
people find C-3PO too much. But and if you have something pushing

when I meet people in their middle onto your diaphragm so you can’t

age, they remember the great joy physically move it, that is scary. It’s

the characters gave them as young happened to me two or three times.

03 people. These things stay with them.

How did you get past that?

Some locations must have been Shouting, “Get me out, get me

difficult to work in. What was out!” And having people who care

the toughest? enough to be understanding and

Anywhere that didn’t have a flat, right there with you.

smooth floor. Anywhere with steps,

that was dark, that had a low ceiling So, did you have a spotter

(laughs). And because there’s a watching out for you?

human reaction to not being able Oh, it was beyond spotters. There

to breath or sensing that you cannot was always one, and often two

people, who were my dressers from

the prop department, because the

04 suit was so technical. Absolutely

looking out just for me.

Over the course of the book,

you’ll see I gradually went through

a series of people over the years,

because they could only take so

much. And indeed, because I’ve

been doing this for so long, some

people have retired. I was hoping

Brian Lofthouse would come back

for the sequels, but by then he’d

retired too.

Presumably you were the least
comfortable in the costume
during the first film?
There were issues on the last film
too, but nobody had ever made a
costume like C-3PO before A New
Hope. Even the robot character

STAR WARS INSIDER / 55

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY DANIELS

THE MAN 05 C-3PO
(Anthony
WITH THE Daniels)
returned for
GOLDEN The Force
Awakens.
JACKET
06 Carrie Fisher
Anthony Daniels (Leia) and
has been a part Anthony
of Star Wars Daniels
Celebration since during
the very first filming of
event in Denver, The Empire
Colorado in 1999. Strikes Back.

SWI: You always wear a 07 Connix
golden jacket when you (Billie Lourd)
host a Celebration stage. and C-3PO
Is there a reason for that? surrender in
AD: The gold jacket came The Last Jedi
out of the first Celebration, (2017)
where I decided to make
sure people understood 06
that I had a sense of humor,
particularly against myself.
Not even self-deprecating.
Take me seriously, but don’t
take me too seriously.

SWI: How much to you
enjoy the pageantry of
Star Wars Celebration?
AD: I enjoy it hugely. When
we did the original, we
had nothing. We had some
temporary stages, some
lights, and me and two other
people with microphones.
Now it’s a tour de force of
electronics, earpieces, lots
of microphones, monitors
onstage. I’d written the
whole program; it was all
written on the palm of my
hand. Now it has become a
phenomenon. What I love is
people making friends there,
swapping stories, sharing
their passions. I particularly
enjoy people who dress
up in costume, especially if
they’ve made it. Celebration
is a great thing.

SWI: You seem to have a
lot of fun, especially when
you’re bantering with
Warwick Davis onstage.
AD: Warwick is better at
it than me, because I’m
three times older than him,
and my brain doesn’t work
quite as fast. His ability with
repartee is phenomenal.
Sometimes I can’t answer
because he just makes me
laugh, and I’m left standing
there like a fool. I always
make him dress up as an
Ewok, and I always promise
I’ll never do it again. It’s one
of the joys of Celebration,
and long may that continue.

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY DANIELS

from Metropolis (1927) didn’t either with the face on the back of

compare. And, even in spite of my head, so I was looking this way

everybody’s hard work, it just didn’t and his face was looking the other

work. I think one of the reasons the way, or with my hand up through

costume was slightly problematic his chest. I was literally puppeteering.

is because our human bodies have We did it in so many ways. Balancing

layers of skin and fat that you can on one leg, in costume, holding a

push slightly aside, but metal is very prop leg, and speaking and acting,

unforgiving, and it stays where it “I’m standing here in pieces and

is. It wasn’t the greatest experience. you’re having delusions of grandeur.”

It all made sense in the end, and of I was stood there with one leg in

course the audience don’t need to my hand and this leg up behind

know about the issues of wearing a me, because you can really cheat

difficult costume. They just see the with the single eye of the camera,

finished result. provided you’ve aligned things, so

you couldn’t see my leg behind me.

Long after the mania of the It’s much easier now, with so much

original trilogy, you were greenscreen everywhere.

approached to return for the I talk about the magic of stage

prequels. What was your first illusionists in the book, and that

thought when they there are effects in

asked you back? “Being partnered The Empire Strikes
Well, C-3PO had Back where we
never really left with Han Solo created so much

me. Although I’d just by wearing
done all sorts of
very cleverly the costume in

other jobs and gigs, gave C-3PO a different way.
I had often been And I could

involved with other a different speak normally,
spin-off activities, and breathe!

05 like exhibitions dynamic.” With the many
and writing for Star

Wars Insider, but pinch points and

I was very surprised when I met unforgiving edges of the costume,

with George Lucas, who explained how did that effect the physical

C-3PO’s origins, his nascence, and element of your performance?

how he’d forgotten everything. There’s no room for normal

They had somebody else gestures. We’re very manual, as

operating the C-3PO puppet for humans. It’s part of our sense of

The Phantom Menace, so I was just expression, although other nations

doing the voice, but that changed in and countries do it differently. I

the second episode where I wore— knew that if I moved in a certain

and, to my horror, destroyed!—the way then the costume would pinch

puppet. It was interesting to do, to me, but I would still do it because

carry and perform him in a way occasionally you had to. And the

that wasn’t physically wearing the hands! Only in this very last movie

suit. But then George changed the do I quite deliberately pick things

storyline, and the puppet never up that are small, because I’ve

appeared in the movie. C-3PO was never been able to do that before.

just a rusty version instead. I learned to use what I had. In the

In Empire, when C-3PO was book, I talk about one of my favorite

physically blasted apart, I wore the moments in all of the movies—my

07 costume in all sorts of strange ways, confrontation with Han Solo

STAR WARS INSIDER / 57

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY DANIELS

08 08 C-3PO takes a
last look at his
friends in
The Rise of
Skywalker
(2019).

09 In the finale of
the Skywalker
saga, C-3PO
(Anthony
Daniels) once
again finds
himself in
the middle
of the action.

09 When you’re interacting with Many people had a hand in the

with the Ewoks—when Han got too other actors, do you sometimes creation of C-3PO, but is the
impertinent, and you can see the
fury on C-3PO’s face, but of course find that the costume is a barrier? essence of the character you?
his face doesn’t change.
You know exactly what C-3PO What I envy on the set is being The essence of C-3PO is C-3PO,
is thinking at that precise
moment. It’s all there. able to improvise. You use slightly I’m afraid. I’ve written this book,
I know, it’s mad! Liz Moore, the
sculptor who created C-3PO, gave different energy in the performance all these pages. Maybe I wrote it as
him this face that has the ability to
be a very beautiful blank canvas. than in rehearsal, but I need much for myself as for anyone else,
Without getting too technical about
it, depending on its relative position to know where things are. The because what genuinely surprised
to the shoulder, to the body, or
whatever, and the angle, the speed geography of the me was realizing
of movement, you’ve got so many
options to play with. “Liz Moore, thesets is a nightmare, that I’ve written
about a journey.
so I’m triangulating

on anything that sculptor who I never thought it
hopefully doesn’t was going to be a

move. Various shots created C-3PO, journey, certainly
were very difficult gave him this not a hero’s journey.
because of effects face that has It never occurred to
and floor textures me that in 45 years
and so on. Finding I’d have gone from

the ability to bemarks is difficult, A to Z. It was only
when I began to
and I don’t always

get it right. I was a very beautiful read the pieces that
rehearsing one I saw this transition,

day with the gang, blank canvas.” this progress, up
Oscar Isaac, Daisy hills and down.

Ridley, and John It’s odd, there was

Boyega, and they’re saying, “Maybe a lot of preparation in creating

we should do this?” and suddenly C-3PO, in every sense of the word,

I’m leaping in with this major piece by the whole team and by me, but

of pantomime, because I rehearse somehow he sort of happened. You

exactly as I am in performance. I can almost explain it, but maybe

hope the book gives you a general some things are better left as a

idea of the joy and the pain of it. piece of magic.

58 / STAR WARS INSIDER



SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

Collectibles, merchandise, and all kinds of licensed products have been a part of
Star Wars since the very beginning, and are naturally must-buys for hardcore fans
and collectors alike. But often these supplements to the main feature films offer more
than simply tie-in entertainment. Insider examines how novels, games, and comics
expanded Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith beyond the confines of its onscreen story.

WO R D S : JAY S TO B I E

n an age where While this approach is now the story behind it. And anyone
commonplace—and since the who wanted to learn about the
I every cinematic 2014 reset of Star Wars’ fictional film’s aftermath need only turn
universe creates history, has been a core element to Luceno’s follow-up novel, Dark
a tight web of of Lucasfilm’s storytelling—the Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.
narrative links company pioneered the use
between movies of a well-focused, multimedia The connections presented
and their spin-offs, modern genre push when Star Wars: Revenge in these off-screen offerings
fans have become accustomed of the Sith was released on May alluded to Revenge of the Sith in
to seeing the latest blockbusters 19, 2005. Prior to that date, various ways, from referencing
arrive with an abundance of expectant fans could already play unseen characters to describing
tie-in material, in the form of Star Wars: Republic Commando the events that immediately
video games, novels, comics, to get a sneak peek of General preceded the movie’s opening
and more. These supplementary Grievous and the build-up to the crawl. While these stories have
sources often divulge new details Battle of Kashyyyk. Once the film since been superseded by new
and subplots that relate to the hit theaters, fans who wondered tales from Marvel, Del Rey, and
feature’s central story, offering about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s cryptic others, examining the plots of the
fans an ever more immersive line concerning “that business most prominent licensed product
experience in which to explore on Cato Neimoidia” had the from 2005 offers a fascinating
characters, events, and even chance to read James Luceno’s window on efforts at the time to
entire worlds beyond the Labyrinth of Evil and discover create a cohesive narrative across
confines of the movie itself. different media.

60 / STAR WARS INSIDER

SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

grievous prequel

STAR WARS:
GENERAL GRIEVOUS

RELEASE DATE: AUTHOR: Chuck Dixon
March to August 2005 PENCILS: Rick Leonardi
INKS: Mark Pennington
PUBLISHER:
Dark Horse Comics

S et a year prior to the events of Revenge
of the Sith, the four-issue General
Grievous comic superbly emphasizes
the Separatist leader’s status as a murderous
war criminal, who poses an imminent threat
to the Jedi. Combined with Count Dooku’s
training, Grievous’ metallic physique and
fiendish demeanor generate a ruthless Jedi
killing machine, leading three Jedi to become
so concerned that they leave the Order to track
the General down and assassinate him.

In the meantime, Grievous continues to
ravage the Republic by slaughtering a Mon
Calamari starship’s crew, ordering another
Jedi’s execution, capturing several Padawans,
and leading a genocidal invasion that wipes
out the majority of Ugnaughts living on their
home planet. The General devises an even more
diabolical fate for the Padawans: he envisions
replacing much of their anatomy with droid
exoskeletons designed to harness their Force
talents for evil. When the Padawans escape their
cell, Grievous quickly grows tired of the chase
and prepares to put the younglings to death. The
rogue Jedi catch up with Grievous in the nick
of time and prioritize saving the Padawans over
eliminating their target. Two of the three Jedi
even give their lives fighting Grievous to buy
enough time for the children to retreat off-world.

The comic clearly establishes General Grievous
as the imposing villain that we encounter in
Revenge of the Sith, and paints him as a ruthless
beast in an effective effort to showcase why the
galaxy fears Grievous so much.

Combined with Count Dooku’s
training, Grievous’ metallic
physique and fiendish demeanor
generate a ruthless Jedi
killing machine.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 61

SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

call in the clones the Wookiee chieftain who later works with
Chewbacca to facilitate Master Yoda’s escape after
STAR WARS: Order 66. Delta Squad successfully rescue Tarfful
REPUBLIC COMMANDO from his reptilian captors and, possessing the vital
intelligence they’ve uncovered, Tarfful leaves the
RELEASE DATE: PUBLISHER: planet in order to deliver the data to Coruscant.
February 28, 2005 LucasArts Grievous escapes to his ship, the Invisible Hand,
linking the game directly to the opening space
I n this first-person video game, players battle of Episode III.
take on the role of RC-01/138, a clone
commanding the elite unit Delta Squad. The Separatist presence on Kashyyyk in
Nicknamed ‘Boss,’ you lead a team of three Republic Commando is what prompts Master
troopers into warzones strewn across the Ki-Adi-Mundi’s question to the Jedi Council
Star Wars galaxy. in Revenge of the Sith: “What about the droid
attack on the Wookiees?” In response, Yoda
The game’s storyline follows Boss from the announces he will oversee the Republic’s response
conflict’s opening salvo at the Battle of Geonosis, to this invasion, and Tarfful can clearly be seen
as seen in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002), waiting when the Jedi Master arrives at the troop
with the player guiding Delta Squad in missions staging area to prepare for departure. Back on
that span the duration of the war. Levels include Kashyyyk, Boss and Delta Squad operate against
investigating the seemingly derelict Acclamator- the Separatists in Tarfful’s home city of Kachirho,
class assault ship Prosecutor to a recognizable contributing covering fire for the Republic’s
engagement on the planet Kashyyyk. reinforcements.

Delta Squad’s The game concludes on a cliffhanger, with
excursion to the Delta Squad ordered to exfiltrate aboard a
Wookiee homeworld gunship and await further instructions. At that
includes numerous point, Yoda has arrived on the scene, ready
links to Revenge of to head up the Clone Army’s war strategy.
the Sith. Boss and his Republic Commando’s final moments tease the
comrades arrive on upcoming Battle of Kashyyyk that would feature
Kashyyyk prior to the in Revenge of the Sith, setting the stage for the
Battle of Coruscant, Separatists’ offensive against the clone troopers
where they uncover and Wookiees who are establishing defensive
General Grievous positions on Kachirho’s beaches.
and the Separatists
collaborating with Republic Commando’s final moments
Trandoshan slavers
on a plan to enslave tease the upcoming Battle of
the local population.
The Trandoshans have Kashyyyk that would feature
imprisoned Tarfful,
in Revenge of the Sith.

62 / STAR WARS INSIDER

SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

the must-read prequel to thrive in his hallucinatory disposition and
defeated his mechanical foes. Skywalker brings
LABYRINTH OF EVIL Kenobi the missing rebreather, although the
notion of whether or not he saved his master
RELEASE DATE: January 25, 2005 AUTHOR: clearly becomes a matter of jovial ribbing
PUBLISHER: Del Rey James Luceno between the two friends.

W hile Star Wars: Republic Commando the novel Elsewhere, Count Dooku privately muses to
deals with matters from a previously explains himself about Grievous’ descent from fully organic
unknown clone trooper’s perspective, that Dooku being to technological hybrid. The novel explains
Labyrinth of Evil follows the pre-Revenge of and Sidious that Dooku and Sidious masterminded a shuttle
the Sith actions undertaken by major players masterminded accident that left Grievous’ body broken, forcing
Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, General a shuttle the General to agree to cybernetic augmentation.
Grievous, Count Dooku, Yoda, Mace Windu, accident that During the surgical process in Geonosis’
and Darth Sidious. left Grievous’ depths, the two Sith ordered the Geonosians to
body broken. manipulate the General’s mind to make him
The novel contains a plethora of tethers to cruel and believe he has always been so ruthless.
the final episode in the prequel trilogy, yet takes The alterations drive the General to genocide,
time to create some interesting adventures of its exhibited by his order to massacre 27 Jedi and
own. Commander Cody, who would later fight more than 10,000 fleeing civilians during a failed
alongside and eventually betray Obi-Wan on Separatist invasion above Belderone.
Utapau, appears during Skywalker and Kenobi’s
attempt to capture Nute Gunray on Cato Then, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine delivers
Neimoidia. We learn that Asajj Ventress gave an address to the Senate about advancing into the
Skywalker the scar on his face, and are introduced Outer Rim, which lines up precisely with Kenobi’s
to the Jedi initiative to give the clones names briefing in the movie regarding the sieges in that
and treat them with compassion; each gripping region. Palpatine highlights Mygeeto, Saleucami,
chapter abounds with provocative disclosures. and Felucia as key targets, and these three planets
each make an appearance during Order 66’s
Another oft-quoted slice of Revenge of the notorious Jedi execution sequence.
Sith dialogue—when Kenobi denies requiring
Skywalker’s help during “that business on The novel also references Skywalker and
Cato Neimoidia”—receives its own intriguing Kenobi’s lengthy service tenure in the Outer
explanation here, too. Skywalker did protect Rim, where they have undertaken a secretive
Kenobi from a battle droid, but the statement mission to hunt down Darth Sidious. The duo’s
most likely refers to a dire situation when the deployment fits well with Skywalker and Padmé
two Jedi found themselves separated. After losing Amidala’s emotional reunion after the Battle of
his rebreather, Kenobi faces down battle droids Coruscant, as captured in the movie.
numbering in the dozens while in a semi-drugged
state. Skywalker rushes to save his master, only Labyrinth of Evil’s final chapters chronicle
to discover that Kenobi has somehow managed the Separatists’ surprise attack on Coruscant
and Grievous’ capture of Palpatine. The novel
completes its tale with Skywalker and Kenobi
readying themselves to jump to the Republic’s
capital and reinforce the fleet. Although never
originally intended to be combined as a set, The
Dark Lord Trilogy later packaged Labyrinth of Evil
alongside the movie’s novelization and Dark Lord:
The Rise of Darth Vader.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 63

SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

the book of the film

REVENGE OF THE SITH – MOVIE NOVELIZATION

RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2005 PUBLISHER: Del Rey AUTHOR: Matthew Stover

T he novelization of Revenge of In Skywalker’s mind, he needs to
the Sith primarily relays the be a master so that he has a chance
film’s consequential scenes, to dig through the Archives, learn

but also opens a window into the as much as possible about Plagueis,

thoughts and motivations that and save Padmé.

influenced notable actions. Just as Labyrinth of Evil

Anakin Skywalker’s visions expounds on its source material,

pertaining to Padmé’s death during this novelization offers additional

childbirth, his desire to protect insight into familiar scenes. For

her, and his anger over not being instance, while the war rages,

granted the rank of Jedi Master, Palpatine disturbs his critics by

are all well-documented onscreen, installing Republic governors

but the novelization lends further accompanied by clone units to

insight into the young man’s many planets. Allegedly sent to help

frustration relating to his status local officials, these forces surely act

on the Council. He Just as Labyrinth as a foothold for the the game of the film
knows the Jedi Temple Imperial government
REVENGE
contains holocrons of Evil expounds on once the Empire OF THE SITH –
filled with knowledge replaces the Republic. THE VIDEO GAME
from generations of
its source material, Equally, on his way RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2005

Jedi, but protocol this novelization to altering the message PUBLISHER: LucasArts
states that only Jedi offers additional being broadcast by the
Masters retain access Jedi Temple’s beacon, U nleashed on the public
prior to the film’s official
to those resources. insight into the book also reveals premiere, the Revenge Of
Anakin initially plans familiar scenes. Kenobi’s humorous The Sith video game sees players
to research other Jedi ruse to dispatch the battle through levels as either
Anakin Skywalker or Obi-Wan
who have experienced troopers guarding the Kenobi. The release stuck to
the movie’s plot and revolves
prophecies and whether the building. He poses as a hunchback around consequential moments,
so supplementary themes do not
foreseen events could be prevented, intent on surrendering a Jedi infant truly materialize in this format.

but his focus shifts when Palpatine to the troops... a baby who turns However, the game spearheaded
an appealing new approach to
tells him about Darth Plagueis’ out to be a fully grown, lightsaber- marketing a movie, previewing
exclusive locales prior to their
ability to save people from death. wielding Yoda. official arrival in cinemas,
including the Invisible Hand,
Skywalker’s choice to serve the Utapau, and Mustafar. It also
contained more than 10 minutes
Emperor and be renamed Darth of actual scenes from the yet-to-be-
released theatrical version. Such an
Vader is not the only evolving extensive use of previously unseen
footage is rarely seen outside of
relationship to be conferred here. approved trailers and inexorably
binds the game to its counterpart
While Yoda explains to Obi-Wan on the big screen.

about communing with Qui-Gon

Jinn in the film, the novel actually

portrays one such interaction.

Following his failure to best the

Emperor in combat, Yoda converses

with Jinn’s disembodied voice and

becomes aware of the potential

to live on through the Force after

death. In a parallel to young

Skywalker’s submission to the

darkness, the older Yoda pledges to

open himself to new teachings and

become Jinn’s apprentice. Ironically,

the Jedi uncover the means to avoid

death, a talent that Sidious and

Vader so desperately sought.

64 / STAR WARS INSIDER

SITH UNSEEN: A RETROSPECTIVE

ending the vader trilogy out at once. In this regard, the Another thread that extends
novel presents a logical reason from Revenge of the Sith pertains
DARK LORD: why Yoda, Kenobi, and other Jedi to the surprise reemergence of
THE RISE OF DARTH VADER stragglers select solitude instead of Qui-Gon Jinn and Luke Skywalker’s
coordinating an effort to reform concealment on Tatooine. Obi-
RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2005 AUTHOR: and initiate a counterattack against Wan Kenobi begins to panic
PUBLISHER: Del Rey James Luceno the Emperor. when he learns that Anakin lived,
understandably concerned that
T he final entry in The Dark Lord Trilogy, The novel offers Darth Vader’s placing the baby with the Lars
The Rise of Darth Vader landed in stores reflections on his reimagined family on his former friend’s
several months after crowds first saw physical form in the weeks after his homeworld puts Luke in danger.
Revenge of the Sith in theaters, and James defeat on Mustafar. Vader internally The novel reveals that Jinn reaches
Luceno’s novel catalogues the war’s closing expresses anger toward Palpatine out to his former Padawan and
chapter, the Republic’s transition into the and the medical droids who built assures him that Vader’s fear
Galactic Empire, and Darth Vader’s early his suit, as the ill-fitting armor of reliving painful memories
exploits as a Sith Lord. hinders his movements, hampers prevents him from stepping foot
his fighting technique, and causes on Tatooine. Author James Luceno
Vader undertakes a mission to punish clone him to feel imprisoned in its connects Yoda’s encouragement for
troopers who hesitated to carry out Order 66 on confines. The Sith Lord’s dexterity Obi-Wan to commune with Qui-
Murkhana, thus leading several Jedi to be spared gradually improves as he draws Gon with an explanation as to why
the fate suffered by their peers. The Jedi struggle upon the dark side to engage and Kenobi believes Luke will remain
to deal with the confusion, presenting an eye- slaughter several of the Jedi trying safe on Tatooine.
witness account from combatants far removed to consolidate their forces.
from the Jedi Council’s inner circle during the
war’s abrupt end. The group react to factors
outlined in the movie, including the Jedi Temple
beacon’s initial recall message, Kenobi’s alternate
order to hide, and a general puzzlement regarding
what occurred between the Jedi and Palpatine.

Ultimately, only two Jedi escape the clutches
of their pursuers and flee Murkhana. The elder
one believes their cause to be lost and holds a
desire to move on with his life, while his younger
companion wishes to search for other survivors.
The less experienced Jedi actually succeeds,
assembling a rag-tag group who hope to stoke
the Jedi Order’s flame once more. Their endeavor
results in failure, as congregating together just
makes it easier for Darth Sidious to trace their
movements and come close to wiping them all

The novel offers
Darth Vader’s
reflections on
his reimagined
physical form in
the weeks after
his defeat on
Mustafar.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 65



AHSOKA
LIVES!

Ashley Eckstein talks exclusively to Insider about returning to the
ZWTM WN )P[WSI <IVW QV \PM [M^MV\P IVL ÅVIT [MI[WV WN Star Wars:
The Clone Wars (2008-14, 2020) and Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker (2019). Plus, she reveals the quote that has become
her personal motto.

WO R D S : A M Y RATC L I F F E

“In my life, when
people need you,
you help them. No

matter what.”

Ahsoka Tano

INTERVIEW: ASHLEY ECKSTEIN

tar Wars: The “When The Clone Wars was
canceled, it was so sad. We
S Clone Wars’ final didn’t get the proper goodbye.”
season brought
back Ahsoka

Tano—an Ahsoka

we haven’t seen

before. Although it’s been seven

years since we watched her walk So it wasn’t something you get the proper goodbye. We didn’t
expected to hear in a text message? get that final recording session
away from the Jedi Order in the I forget exactly how the text chain or that happy wrap party. So, I
unfolded, but Dee was like, “No, took The Clone Wars, locked it in
show’s season five finale, only no, for real. This is happening.” Of a place in my heart, and I threw
course, I was excited because if Dee away the key. I was so hurt and
a short time had passed in the is telling me that it’s for real, then didn’t want to allow anyone to
I want to believe him because he is hurt us again. When I found out
galaxy far, far away, and the like a brother to me. that it was happening, I was in
absolute disbelief. Obviously Dave
character is still coping with that I heard from my agent next, Filoni was crucial to it, but one
and I still didn’t believe it. I said, person that is the unsung hero,
huge upheaval in her life. Insider “Wait a minute, I haven’t heard it that is not getting the credit that
from Dave. This can’t be real.” So, she deserves, is Carrie Beck (vice
spoke with the actress about I called Dave and he said, “Hey, president of animation and live-
what’s going on?” I said, “Do you action development at Lucasfilm
Ahsoka’s long-awaited return. have something to tell me?” Dave Ltd). I’m forever grateful to the
felt really bad. He said that wasn’t fans for not giving up, I’m forever
Star Wars Insider: Fans were so how he wanted me to find out, grateful to Carrie Beck for believing
surprised to hear about the return but that it was true, and I was so that it could come back, I’m forever
of The Clone Wars. How did you excited. I didn’t fully believe it grateful to Dave Filoni for getting
react when you heard the news? until I heard it from Dave Filoni. the gang back together, and I’m
Ashley Eckstein: I first heard about forever grateful to Disney+ for
it from Dee Bradley Baker. I was How emotional was it to know giving it a home.
at Disney World riding rides with that you’d be coming back?
my husband, and I got this text When The Clone Wars was You mentioned the fans never
message. I knew that Dee was wine canceled, it was so sad. We didn’t giving up. They threw their all
tasting with the Star Wars Rebels into the “Save The Clone Wars”
(2014-2018) cast and that Dave 01 campaign for years, and now it’s
Filoni was there, so when he sent #CloneWarsSaved. Did it warm
me the text message and he said, your heart to see that support
“Clone Wars, 12 episodes coming over the years?
back,” I didn’t believe it. I was like, Yes. Though I’m usually a very,
“That is top secret news.” very positive person, I was not so
positive about The Clone Wars. I
never thought it would ever come
back. It’s kind of ironic that the
last fortune cookie caption for the
last episode in which Ahsoka had
appeared was, “Never give up hope,
no matter how dark things seem.”
The fans never gave up hope. They
always had hope that The Clone
Wars would be saved, and here we
are. They took that very last fortune
cookie to heart.

What conversations did you have
with Dave Filoni about Ahsoka’s
return to the screen?
They always happened in the
studio right before we would record

68 / STAR WARS INSIDER

02 A VOICE IN
THE DARK
an episode. Before we started, 01 Ashley “Every single
Dave [Filoni] would come in Eckstein time we Ashley Eckstein on her
and he would give us a 20 to strikes an walked into the experience of reprising
30-minute breakdown of each Ahsoka Tano studio, it was the role of Ahsoka Tano
episode. That’s how I learned pose at one step closer in Star Wars: The Rise
Star Wars. I’ve been a lifelong Galaxy’s to the end.” of Skywalker:
Edge.
so much silliness. But also, so many “I found out I was doing it
Star Wars fan, I grew up loving 02 Ahsoka emotions. The episode records got a couple days before I went
Star Wars, but I didn’t know Tano was very deep at times. They got very into the studio,” explains
it like I do now. Dave would the breakout sad, very emotional. When we Eckstein about her charac-
always tie the breakdowns to character were recording The Clone Wars ter’s surprise vocal appear-
other parts of the saga. I learned of Star before, we knew that we had so ance in the movie. “I walked
so much. Wars: The many episodes ahead of us. There into the theater at Bad Ro-
Clone Wars. was never that thought of, “This bot, and there was Matthew
is the last one.” We never had the Wood [supervising sound
Those moments were like lost countdown, but with these last 12, editor] and J.J. Abrams, the
we did have that countdown. director. J.J. shook my hand
episodes. He would tell us what our and introduced himself,
Every single time we walked into and immediately thanked
character was going through, what the studio, it was one step closer to me for being in the movie. I
the end. There was a bit of sadness couldn’t believe it.”
emotional space we were in, what every single time. Dave really
had to keep us in check because Ahsoka’s ethereal voice
head space we should be in, what we brought an essence of sadness is one of many Jedi lending
and deepness to these episodes support to Rey in her darkest
our agenda for that episode was hour, so how did Eckstein
approach her character’s
for our characters. What were they dialogue given it’s impossi-
ble to determine which time
trying to say? What were they trying period Ahsoka was speaking
from?
to achieve? What were they going
“J.J. asked a similar ques-
through? It was truly a deep dive tion after I’d recorded the
lines. He said, ‘Being a voice
into each episode. actor, obviously you’re not
on set, you’re not physically
The cast records together, so how acting a scene out, so what
productive was that first session do you visualize when you
when you were all reunited? read your lines?’ I can’t say
We’re all professionals, but there that it’s necessarily some-
was so much joy. So much laughter, thing I visualize, it’s actually
so many jokes, so much acting up, a feeling that I have. I know
when my voice is in the
right spot. I can feel it. My
own voice, as in just Ashley
Eckstein, sometimes it’s
too high pitched. I get too
excited, I go too high, so I
have to tone it down a bit.
There’s a feeling I get when
I know that I’m in the right
vocal range for Ahsoka, and
I also feel it when I know
that I’m not.”

03 04 “I care about
Ahsoka as
that our characters wouldn’t have quite difficult for me to get my vocal though she
had. It was definitely a mixture of performance to where Ahsoka was is a part of
heightened emotions. Heightened in Star Wars Rebels, but I eventually me. I never
happiness, joy, sadness; and in got into that sweet spot where I want anything
between somewhere the episodes could just fall into her voice. This bad to happen
got done. time I had to forget everything I’d to her.”
learned for Star Wars Rebels and go
You had to take Ahsoka back to back to The Clone Wars place. between Season Five Ahsoka, and
a place before she was the wise Star Wars Rebels Ahsoka.
mentor we saw in Star Wars Eventually where we settled was
Rebels. Was it difficult to somewhere in between. Star Wars Until Star Wars Rebels, we didn’t
redisover her younger voice? Rebels Ahsoka was what was fresh in know if Ahsoka survived Order
That’s something we talked about everyone’s minds. Ahsoka, after she 66, and then it was all about
a lot. I did go back to the end of walked away from the Jedi Order, was whether she’d survive against
Season Five, because these episodes in a much more serious place. She Darth Vader and the Inquisitors.
do pick up right where we left off, was in a dark and sad place. When Was it a relief to record this time
and I tried to get my voice back we’re in a sad place, oftentimes our knowing she had a future?
to where Ahsoka was then. It was voice does become lower and deeper. It was definitely a relief. I care
So, I made my voice somewhere in about Ahsoka as though she is a
part of me. I never want anything
05 bad to happen to her. I will always
care so deeply, on a human level,
about what happens with this
character. So it was nice to know
that Ahsoka survives. I have
these new pins coming out that

70 / STAR WARS INSIDER

INTERVIEW: ASHLEY ECKSTEIN

06 07

illustrator Karen Hallion has done children’s hospitals all over the 03 Eckstein stories about friendship and about
the art for. I picked a word for each nation. Ahsoka is teaching us wrote the helping each other.
character, and for Ahsoka, it was that lesson, to help people no Little Golden
very important to me that her word matter what. I got goosebumps Book, I Am For Ahsoka, they are so powerful.
was “survivor” because while we all over when I recorded that a Padawan. She really comes into her own in
always say “Ahsoka lives,” actually line. I knew it was important, these episodes. If you think that
Ahsoka survives. No matter what, but at the time I had no idea 04 Ashley what we’ve seen from Ahsoka up to
against all odds, Ahsoka survives. how important it was going Eckstein’s now is that she always wants to do
It’s nice to know that she made it to become. high fashion what’s right, boy do you see that in
through The Clone Wars. take on these episodes. Literally, when she
What would you say ties Sith style. doesn’t have to, when everyone is
Ahsoka has an incredible line in the final season to its telling her not to, Ahsoka doesn’t
her return that feels very symbolic predecessors, especially in 05 Ahsoka Tano compromise who she is. It’s just
of her character: “In my life, when terms of your character? (Eckstein) so powerful.
people need you, you help them. It picks up on the theme that made her
No matter what.” Does that quote ran through The Clone Wars: screen debut I changed the hashtag—well,
resonate with you? Never give up hope, no matter in 2008’s The not exactly changed because
There’s a whole story behind this how dark things seem. When it Clone Wars I still use #AhsokaLives all the
line, and it blows my mind how feels like hope is gone, there’s movie. time, but I added to the hashtag,
this came full circle. We’re not always hope. All these episodes #AhsokaLivesInAllOfUs. Especially
allowed to keep our scripts; when include beautiful examples 06 Tano after these episodes, there’s so
we leave the recording studio, we of friendship; whether it’s returned in much we can take away from her.
have to leave them with Lucasfilm, between Ahsoka, Trace, and Star Wars She’s passed on all these lessons
but when I read that line as I was Rafa, or between Ahsoka and Rebels. now, after so many years. I think
recording the episode, something Captain Rex. They’re beautiful it’s our job to continue her legacy.
came over me. I said, “This line. 07 Ahsoka It’s up to all of us. Ahsoka truly
This line is going to be my personal battles lives in all of us.
motto for the new season and for her former
2020.” I broke a rule, and I took a master.
screenshot of the line. That’s all I
have. It’s just a screenshot of the
line only—I cut out the rest of the
page because I didn’t want to be
responsible for having a page from
the script. When I read that line I
said, “That’s it. That is going to be
my personal motto.”

I wanted to do good with it
and help people no matter what.
I started working on a new Jedi
training program for children that
focuses on mindfulness, and I’ve
been working with Disney and
Lucasfilm to bring this program to

STAR WARS INSIDER / 71

The

Star Wars

Archive

Lights! Camera! Action!
Rare images from the
Star Wars photo archives.

72 / STAR WARS INSIDER

Crew members in the
Industrial Light & Magic
model shop wear protective
gear as they work on the
miniature of Darth Vader’s
Super Star Destroyer, the
Executor, for StarWars:

The Empire Strikes
Back (1980).

STAR WARS INSIDER / 73



Ten
From

IX

What valuable life lessons
KIV _M TMIZV NZWU \PM ÅVIT
movie in the Skywalker
saga? Star Wars Insider
explores ten moments from
Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker that might help
us navigate our own lives.

WO R D S : JAY S TO B I E

tar Wars: The

S Rise of Skywalker
(2019) masterfully
tackled the very

challenging task

of conveying a

powerful story that tied the sequel

trilogy together and wrapped up all

the threads hanging from the entire

Skywalker saga. As with every Star

Wars film, the epic struggle between

good and evil on a galactic scale

was juxtaposed against the personal

trials and triumphs of individuals

who participated in the conflict.

Despite the fleets of starships

and massive superweapons that

came to loggerheads above the

planet Exegol, the war’s outcome

hinged on the actions taken by a

relatively small group of people.

These heroic deeds often resulted

from important revelations that

changed the courses of our favorite

characters’ lives. With that in

mind, let’s dive in and examine

ten lessons that we loved and

learned from that final chapter.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 75

TEN FROM IX

10 common errors that most of us have aggression stemmed from a serious
made. Trapped beneath the sands of wound it had suffered. Braving the
Don’t Judge Pasaana, Rey and her compatriots
a Jedi Text feared they would suffer serpent’s ire, Rey called upon the
by its Cover the same fate as Ochi Force to heal the laceration.
of Bestoon, and never The appreciative vexis
We are all flawed in our escape the subterranean moved away without
own unique ways, but making maze. To make matters a fight, revealing a
assumptions and casting judgments worse, the group much-needed exit
on others based on superficial stumbled upon a vexis, from the tunnel
observations, uninformed rumors, a massive serpent with system. By searching
and harmful gossip stand as menacing teeth that for understanding and
appeared ready to strike at showing compassion,
our valiant protagonists. Rey managed to save her
friends, bring comfort to
Fortunately, Rey looked an injured reptile, and avoid
beyond the creature’s fearsome
exterior and sensed that its a confrontation. If only we could
all be so wise!

09 08 potential for emotional depth
from the trauma he’d survived
Reach Out Never while under the ownership of the
Underestimate dastardly Ochi of Bestoon. D-O’s
Unless you’re a Jedi, it’s virtually a Droid hesitance to accept affection from
impossible to know what thoughts, Rey suggested he’d been mistreated
concerns, and fears are running C-3PO, R2-D2, BB-8, K-2SO, and while in Ochi’s service.
through someone else’s mind L3-37 rank as the most prominent
at any given time. Vocalizing examples of droids whose exploits Nevertheless, Rey’s kindness did
our emotions can be a troubling have influenced the course of not go unnoticed, as D-O gradually
experience in and of itself, even events on a galactic scale. From came to see that the Resistance bore
when we require a comforting R2 and Luke to L3 and Lando, we no similarities to his murderous
word from a friend. Following have also witnessed the way these former owner. The courageous droid
the Emperor’s defeat, Jannah droids formed close relationships began to trust once again, even
recognized that Lando Calrissian sat with their organic counterparts. offering up important information
alone at the Resistance celebration Debuting in The Rise of Skywalker, on Exegol’s location during a
and took it upon herself to initiate D-O exhibited a previously unseen briefing on Ajan Kloss. D-O’s
a conversation. This simple act bravery imparted a fresh perspective
made Lando feel welcome, and the on the way droids process emotion
resulting connection prompted and delivered a glimmer of hope for
the elder hero to reach out in his audience members who happened
own way, by offering to aid Jannah to be working to overcome their
search for her home. A bond that own traumas.
benefited both individuals was
formed, and all it took was opening
a friendly dialogue.

76 / STAR WARS INSIDER

TEN FROM IX

07 06

Turn Practice With Friends,
Into Progress You Are
Never Alone
When Poe Dameron returned
from the Sinta Glacier Colony with As Rey prepared for a solo trip to Rey’s views on loyalty mirrored
information vital to the Resistance’s Pasaana in the hope of discovering Finn’s, and she did not hesitate to
survival, flames ravaged the clues about a Sith wayfinder, Finn launch a perilous rescue mission
Millennium Falcon and tempers assured her that she would be once she realized that Chewbacca
flared between the pilot and Rey. making the journey, “Alone with was alive and imprisoned aboard
Poe expressed frustration that Rey, a friends.” This clever statement said the Star Destroyer Steadfast. Poe
mechanical genius who was strong so much about Finn, as he clearly and Finn voiced the same values
in the Force, insisted on completing never even considered allowing his when they released Chewie, much
her training at the rebel base on friend to embark on the dangerous to the Wookiee’s surprise. Even
Ajan Kloss rather than making assignment without support. Poe as Palpatine gloated that Rey
a difference on the battlefield. Dameron, Chewbacca, C-3PO, faced him alone on Exegol, Rey’s
Considering Rey’s heroic history and BB-8 obviously agreed that, Resistance allies fought valiantly
at Starkiller Base and on Snoke’s while Rey was perfectly capable of in the sky above, a redeemed
flagship Supremacy, the young handling herself, the most arduous Ben Solo was on the way to lend
Jedi knew she could positively missions run smoother when one a hand, and generations of Jedi
impact the fight, she simply has allies at their side. awaited Rey’s call.
hoped that learning under Leia’s
tutelage would make her even
more valuable to the Resistance.

Of course, the news about
Emperor Palpatine’s resurrection
changed everything, and Rey
resolved to put her practice into
action. The decision changed
the course of the war, as Rey’s
leadership sent the Falcon and its
occupants on a fateful journey
that led to Palpatine’s downfall.
To be clear, Rey demonstrated
both wisdom and responsibility
in her quest to finish her training,
but operating in the real world is
sometimes the only way to master
our capabilities and uncover our
true potential.

The most arduous missions run
smoother when one has allies at
their side.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 77

05 TEN FROM IX

Assert Your Feelings 04

Contrary to the Jedi Council’s views at the time We Are What We
of the Republic’s fall, letting others know how Grow Beyond
we feel is a key aspect of our development. To be
fair to the Jedi, our own society often looks down During a brief stand-off on the planet Kijimi, Zorii Bliss
on people who are open about their emotions. disclosed a startling secret about Poe Dameron’s past to Rey
The Rise of Skywalker strikes back against this and Finn. As it turns out, the respected Resistance leader and
concept on multiple occasions. Before leaving ace pilot had been a spice runner in his younger days. The
for Pasaana, C-3PO admitted to R2-D2 that the occupation clearly carried an unwelcome stigma, as Poe’s
astromech was his best friend. Additionally, the friends initially reacted with shock and disbelief. Considering
protocol droid spoke a heartfelt goodbye to his the brutality exhibited on Kessel in Solo: A Star Wars Story
comrades as he prepared for Babu Frik to wipe his (2018), it is understandable why the galaxy might be distrustful
memory. Even Chewbacca, the mighty warrior of any occupation related to the spice trade.
who had lived through numerous conflicts, broke
down in public due to his unending grief over However, Poe astutely pointed out that he was not the
Leia’s passing. only one with an eyebrow-raising background. Finn rebelled
against his training as a First Order stormtrooper, while Rey
In perhaps the most potent emotional display, avoided living out the rest of her days as a Jakku scavenger.
Leia used all the strength she had left to call out Unbeknownst to them at the time, Rey would also eventually
to her son to guide him back to the light. The go against her heritage as a Palpatine to defeat the Emperor.
general fearlessly opened her heart, experiencing The lesson inherent in these revelations is two-fold: a
no shame in the love she had for him. On questionable history does not automatically make someone
the precipice of change, Ben’s grief-stricken an evil person, and we all possess the capability to improve
conversation with an illusory Han Solo functioned ourselves and grow beyond our mistakes.
as a catalyst that propelled him to denounce
the darkness within him. Taken together, these A questionable history does
examples confirm that there is no weakness or not always make someone
folly in sharing one’s sentimental side. an evil person.

78 / STAR WARS INSIDER

03 Poe Dameron surely felt an eerie
parallel between that horrific scene
There Are and his previous experience at the
More of Us rebel outpost on Crait. With the
galaxy’s future at stake, the Final
In dire times, the abundance of Order appeared to be unstoppable.
evil in our world can feel as if it
outweighs the good by a significant But as Poe’s despair reached its
margin. The Resistance surely lowest point, Lando Calrissian and
felt this way during the Battle of Chewbacca arrived with an armada
Crait, when every call they sent of reinforcements drawn from
out to request assistance in their countless worlds. The tide of the
struggle against the First Order battle against the planet-killing Star
went unanswered. As his squadron Destroyers was turned, while the
gradually succumbed to the Sith regular citizens crewing each vessel
fleet’s weapons above Exegol, proved that they outnumbered the
Emperor’s nefarious forces. Evil may
inspire a level of fear that renders
the righteous hesitant to act, but
decent individuals will eventually
stand up for their beliefs once they
realize they are not alone.

02

No One’s Ever able to call upon the spirits of on in his son’s mind and assisted
Really Gone generations of fallen Jedi to help Ben in his desire to toss away the
her in that moment. During her darkness inside him. On a similar
Losing loved ones is perhaps the visit to Tatooine, Rey quite literally note, the cathartic scene revealed
most difficult aspect of our mortal saw Leia and Luke’s Force spirits the fact that Ben Solo himself still
existence, and this also holds true smiling upon her choices. resided within Kylo Ren. Neither
for those living in the galaxy far, Supreme Leader Snoke nor Emperor
far away. Already an orphan, Rey Ben Solo’s redemption provided Palpatine could erase the good that
endured even more heartbreak two more examples of this concept, had previously taken root in the
when Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, as Kylo Ren continued to grapple son of Solo’s heart, allowing the
and Leia Organa each passed away with having murdered his own seed of light to blossom within
in the sequel trilogy. Despite these father. Han may not have been a Ben once again.
trials, Rey carried the lessons she Force-user, but his memory lived
received from her adoptive family
forward in her struggle against
the Emperor. Remembering their
words provided Rey with strength
during the dramatic confrontation
on Exegol, and Rey even proved

STAR WARS INSIDER / 79

01

We Choose end. In a defining moment, Rey
Our Own further rebuked her connection to
Paths Palpatine and chose to inherit the
Skywalker name.
With all of the discussion
surrounding Chosen Ones and The same can be said of the
destinies that has occurred in Star actions taken by Finn and Jannah,
Wars lore, one might imagine that who had their childhoods ripped
Leia and Luke would be hesitant away when the First Order
about knowingly training a abducted them from their families
person from Emperor Palpatine’s and indoctrinated them to serve
bloodline. Fortunately, the pair as rank-and-file stormtroopers.
understood that Rey’s family When the moment came for them
history did not predetermine to do the First Order’s murderous
her future. Leia’s support never bidding, both Finn and Jannah
wavered, though Luke expressed elected to denounce the oppressive
concerns over his own abilities as regime and rebel against its status
a Jedi Master in the wake of his quo. The duo went on to play
failure with Ben Solo. leading roles in the Resistance’s
fight against the Sith. Without
As a result, Rey had the unique the contributions from free-willed
opportunity to study under both individuals such as Rey, Finn, and
Skywalker twins, who helped Jannah, the Resistance could never
prepare her for the final clash have overcome the First Order or
with her grandfather. Even after the Sith.
learning about her heritage, Rey
opted to follow the light side,
stand against Palpatine’s evil, and
bring the Emperor’s reign to an

80 / STAR WARS INSIDER



MATTE PAINTINGS

82 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS

Painting the Galaxy

From Tatooine to Scarif, matte paintings have played a crucial
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techniques have evolved over the course of the saga.

WORDS: JON D. WITMER

STAR WARS INSIDER / 83

MATTE PAINTINGS

he Death Star’s scenery in order to create the 01 (Opening models and assisting with the
illusion of a larger setting—had page) The Dykstraflex camera that filmed
T chasms. Bespin’s been developed and refined. The digital matte those models on ILM’s stage.
Cloud City. processes by which visual effects painting for
The Ewoks’ artists bring matte paintings to Padmé’s “The work would go through
cinematic life would continue funeral in the facility like a pig through a
village in the to be finessed over the course of Revenge of python,” Huston recalls. “It would
the original trilogy and beyond, the Sith. be crazy-busy in the model shop
trees of Endor. taking the paintings into the until the models were finished
digital realm. 02 Paul Huston and could be photographed on
The Gungans’ home beneath the works on one the stage, and then the stage
New Hope, Old Process his models would be really busy. I followed
waters of Naboo. The starship for The the pig just to keep working!”
Paul Huston has been behind Phantom
graveyard of Jakku. The rain- the scenes for every live-action Menace. On the original Star
Star Wars movie, from the 1977 Wars, “there wasn’t a matte
soaked crags of Eadu. What could original to Rogue One: A Star Wars 03 Huston department per se,” Huston
Story. He joined ILM in 1975, photographs explains. “[Concept artist] Ralph
unite such disparate vistas? fresh out of architecture school at the landscape McQuarrie did some paintings,
the University of Colorado, where models for Harrison Ellenshaw did some,
From the beginning of the he also studied media and art. The Phantom and [visual effects art director] Joe
Menace. Johnston did a couple. Because
Star Wars saga through to its most Based on his illustration of my eclectic interests, I helped
portfolio, he was hired as a visual- 04 Huston at photograph some of those.”
recent big-screen installments, effects storyboard artist at ILM. work on
Before long, he was also building the TIE Harrison Ellenshaw was
matte paintings have helped fighter the head of Disney’s matte
models for
realize far-flung settings that the original
trilogy.
dazzle the eyes and fuel the

imagination. By the time George

Lucas formed Industrial Light

& Magic (ILM) to create the

visual effects for the original Star

Wars, multiple variations of the

technique—which combines a

live-action element with painted

02 03

04 department when he received
84 / STAR WARS INSIDER special dispensation to work on
Star Wars’ matte paintings for two
months. By the time he joined
the production in early 1977,
McQuarrie had already been
working on matte paintings of the
film’s planets as seen from space.

The matte painters’ myriad
responsibilities included
matching the perspective of the
live-action element, mimicking
the characteristics of whatever
lens had been used for the live-
action plate, and compressing or
embellishing the sense of depth
as required. For instance, with
the high-angle view of the curved

MATTE PAINTINGS

wall and chasm adjacent to the some 70 composites in total— ORIGINAL TRILOGY MATTE ARTISTS
elevators that Luke, Han, and that required the formation of
Chewie take to the Death Star’s a dedicated matte department Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
detention level, McQuarrie had within ILM. Ellenshaw returned Matte Artist P.S. [Harrison] Ellenshaw
to work out the right view for the to head the department, and was Planet and Satellite Artist Ralph McQuarrie
painting. This was combined with again joined by McQuarrie, who
the live-action photography using painted roughly half of the film’s Star Wars: Episode V The Empire
the “bi-pack method.” mattes. The department also Strikes Back
added painter Michael Pangrazio, Matte Painting Supervisor Harrison Ellenshaw
In the bi-pack process, photographer Neil Krepela, and Matte Artists: Ralph McQuarrie, Michael Pangrazio
two strips of film were made photography assistant Craig Matte Photography Neil Krepela
to run through the camera Barron to its team. Additional Matte Photography Michael Lawler
simultaneously. The previously Matte Photography Assistants Craig Barron,
exposed and processed film with “There’s an area of overlap Robert Elswit
the live-action plate was placed in between the matte department Matte Photography Consultant Stanley Sayer, BSC
front of an unexposed negative. and the model department that
When the two strips of film ran I tended to gravitate towards,” Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
through the camera, which was reflects Huston, who again worked Matte Painting Supervisor Michael Pangrazio
aimed at the matte painting, the as a model maker and an assistant Matte Painting Artists Chris Evans, Frank Ordaz
live-action footage and the matte on the stage camera for Empire. Matte Photography Neil Krepela, Craig Barron
painting would be combined onto Matte Photography Consultant Stanley Sayer, BSC
the raw negative. The benefit “Don Dow was the cameraman
of this method was that the I was assisting, and he would turn PREQUEL TRILOGY MATTE ARTISTS
matte element on the resulting the matte painting work that
composite was first-generation, came to him over to me. I had an Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
understanding of 2D, so it was Digital Matte Artists Ronn Brown, Brian Flora,
Caroleen Green, Jonathan Harb, Paul Huston, Bill
“For other scenes live-action elements Mather, Rick Rische, Mark Sullivan, Yusei Uesugi,
were combined with matte paintings Wei Zheng
through front or rear projection...” Additional Matte Paintings Bill George

rather than being a secondhand pretty easy for me to do matte Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
duplicate, which would have camera tricks, like moving multi- Digital Matte Sequence Supervisors Yusei
increased contrast and grain. plane shots in the Cloud City Uesugi, Paul Huston, Jonathan Harb
sequence. I also helped Craig and Digital Matte Artists Jett Green, Kent Matheson,
For other scenes, live-action Mike with building miniatures Mathieu Raynault, Masahiko Tani, Susumu
elements were combined with they could use for reference. Yukuhiro, Toshiyuki Maeda, Brett Northcutt, Mark
matte paintings through front I could get them something that Sullivan, Simon Wicker, Wei Zheng
or rear projection, and in would work pretty quickly, and
some instances, matte shots I think they appreciated that.” Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
required an optical printer to Digital Matte Supervisor Jonathan Harb
be completed. For the Massassi The Empire matte department Lead Digital Matte Artists Yanick Dusseault, Brett
Temple exterior—seen after the frequently employed front Northcutt
Millennium Falcon lands on projection, in which a matte Digital Matte Artists Richard Bluff, Vanessa Cheung,
Yavin 4—the live-action plate was painting was made on glass, with Jeremy Cook, Max Dennison, Bryant Griffin, Christian
shot at Cardington Studios in a blank space where the live- Haley, Giles Hancock, Benjamin Huber, Paul Huston,
England, the foreground foliage action element would be added. Toshiyuki Maeda, Steve Matson, Yvonne Muinde,
was photographed separately Reflective Scotchlite material was Martin Murphy, Joshua Ong, Kevin Page, Benoit
in front of bluescreen, and the placed behind this blank area to Pelchat, David Shirk, Chris Stoski, Masahiko Tani,
matte painting was created by create a mirror. The live-action Johan Thorngren, Yusei Uesugi, Simon Wicker, Barry
Ellenshaw at ILM. The elements plate would then be projected Williams, Susumu Yukuhiro, Wei Zheng
were then assembled in the through a beam splitter—a half-
optical department. silvered mirror at a 45-degree latter, the live-action plate
angle that would reflect the was projected onto a piece
Through A Glass, Brightly projected image toward the of rear-screen material from
Scotchlite area of the painting. behind the glass painting.
While making The Empire Strikes And once again, certain shots
Back, the art team made more During the process the crew were completed in the optical
extensive use of matte paintings also made use of bi-packing as department, which is also
than they did in A New Hope— well as rear-projection. For the where most of the complex
shots were finalized.

In deciding which technique
to use, Ellenshaw and his team
would weigh the needs of the
particular shot against the
strengths and weaknesses of
each method. While bi-packing

STAR WARS INSIDER / 85

MATTE PAINTINGS
05

could produce better-quality 05 The picnic explains. “It had standard 35mm hold-out matte, to create a plate
results, projecting the live-action scene from and VistaVision movements, and featuring just the required area for
plate gave the team more control, Attack of the a whole set of lenses, including an live action, surrounded by black.
as they could adjust the plate’s Clones anamorphic [widescreen effect] They then rear-projected the plate
size using the projector. When incorporates a lens so we could photograph the for exposure with the hold-out
choosing between front and digital matte matte paintings for compositing matte, and then composited that
rear projection, the former was painting. with anamorphic elements.” pass with the Masonite painting,
usually preferable because the Huston: “I in which the area where the live-
highly reflective Scotchlite screen shot the The Auto Matte featured action element would play had in
provided a brighter source, which waterfalls as two “carriages” on which matte turn been painted black.
in turn enabled faster exposures. separate paintings could be mounted,
And as the postproduction elements at with each carriage capable of For the shot of C-3PO and
schedule ticked away, every locations in movement in three dimensions. R2-D2 in the foreground walking
second counted. California and Developed over a period of toward Jabba the Hutt’s palace in
comped them two years, the system had first the background, Pangrazio and his
Auto Matte And More together with been put through its paces on team turned to one of the earliest
photos of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra- matte painting techniques: the
For Return of the Jedi, Pangrazio the set.” Terrestrial (1982), and it proved “original negative,” also known as
took the reins of the matte indispensible in realizing Jedi’s the “latent image” or “held take”
painting department, overseeing 06 (Right page) numerous moving-camera matte- method. In this process,
the creation of approximately 45 Huston at painting shots. a glass sheet is positioned in
illustrations, for which he was work on the front of the camera on set (in this
joined by matte painter Chris miniature While smaller mattes were case, on location in California’s
Evans. “Craig Barron was the elements he typically painted on two-and- Death Valley) as the live-action
camera supervisor, and he prepped built for the a-half-feet by six-feet panes of element is shot. The glass is
me to take over a lot of things,” picnic scene. glass, the larger mattes that were left clear except for a small area
Huston reflects. “By that time, required to accommodate camera painted black, where the matte
I was pretty well embedded with moves were realized on pieces of painting will eventually go. Both
the group, even though I wasn’t in Masonite hardboard measuring the camera and the glass are
that department. I had kind of a either four feet by six feet, or four tented off to avoid unwanted
dual existence: I also had things I feet by eight feet. Rather than cut light from hitting the glass pane.
needed to do for [ILM supervising through the quarter-inch-thick After filming the live action, the
modelmaker] Lorne Peterson to Masonite in order to project the unprocessed negative is sent to
keep the model shop happy.” live-action plate, the painters the matte department, and the
created a “hold out” matte on detailed painting is exposed on
This time around, the matte glass, which was entirely black the same piece of film.
department was working with the except for the blank area where
new Auto Matte system: “a track- the live-action plate would By placing both exposures
mounted camera that was custom- appear. They then rear-projected on the same negative, thereby
built there at ILM,” as Huston the live-action footage with the eliminating any duping, this

86 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS

06

process can yield the best results.
However, as Huston points out:
“It’s risky, because if something
happens to the original negative,
you’re out of luck. Supervisors
didn’t like to have undeveloped
film sitting for months in the
closet in the matte department.”

Despite these risks, the original
negative method found further
use after Return of the Jedi in the
two made-for-television Ewok
movies, Caravan of Courage
(1984), also known as The Ewok
Adventure, and The Battle
for Endor (1985). “The Ewok
movies were less under the gun,”
recalls Huston, who was a matte
photographer on the films, and

STAR WARS INSIDER / 87

MATTE PAINTINGS

even painted a matte, working 07
under the guidance of supervisors
Chris Evans and Craig Barron. “As Photoshop’s tools got miniatures and model making. “I

“There was a little bit more more sophisticated, it got easier would go buy a toy car or a toy
room for experimentation. And
Chris and Craig really liked to keep and easier to use,” he continues. truck, or I could quickly build
their hands on the whole process,
so they loved the original negative “When we first started using it, something in foam core and paint
method. They loved being able to
shoot the plate, do the painting, there were no layers. You could it,” he explains. He would then
do the exposure of the painting,
and then deliver a final shot.” cut and paste, and there was take photos of the miniatures that

Digital Inroads this crawly ant line around the he could scan and work with in

Huston would go on to hone his selection you made. If you clicked the computer. “Or you’d head
skills as a matte painter on features
such as The Goonies (1985), and on it, it would just immediately to the bookstore to see if you
Ghostbusters II (1989), and by
the early 1990s he was very well composite. You’d end up doing could get a book that had a good
established in ILM’s matte painting
department. He recalls that, as the things over and over again until photograph that you could scan
decade progressed, “Photoshop
came along, and I immediately you got it at just the right angle. and then manipulate digitally.”
‘glommed’ onto it.”
Yusei would use photo reference Taking what they’d learned
The first digital matte work he
undertook with Photoshop was and do small acrylic paintings. on Young Indy, Huston and
for commercials, but it wasn’t
long before he was applying the Then he would photograph Uesugi then applied their digital
technique on narrative work—
specifically The Young Indiana his painting and take that into matte techniques to the Star Wars
Jones Chronicles (1992-93).
“Bruce Walters was the head of
the matte department, and he set
[matte painter] Yusei Uesugi and
myself up in a small back room
in D Building [at ILM’s San Rafael
facility] to see what we could do
with some Young Indy shots.

Photoshop at the end to avoid the Special Editions (1997). Uesugi

cut-and-paste level entirely. I was built the Mos Eisley spaceport
08 more comfortable just hammering as a 3D computer-generated

everything in Photoshop.” (CG) environment, enabling

Complementing the tools camera movement with realistic

in Photoshop, Huston, Uesugi parallax as Luke’s landspeeder

and their colleagues also began makes its way through the streets

working with After Effects for 2D before stopping at the Imperial

animated elements, as well as checkpoint. Huston, meanwhile,

the 3D programs Electric Image composed digital mattes of Mos

and Form-Z. Huston notes: “We Eisley, basing his work off photos

jumped into 3D right away of miniatures he constructed from

because there are so many things foam core, paint cans, plastic

that you used to have to do balls, and other materials. He

manually as a matte artist that 3D also worked with miniatures for a

just does—like perspective grids, new establishing shot of Obi-Wan

which are tedious but need a high Kenobi’s desert home, with Luke’s

degree of accuracy. A lot of things landspeeder parked outside.

became much easier.” Working with visual effects

Huston also continued to supervisor John Knoll, Huston

draw on his prior experience with also built a six-foot-wide model

88 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS

of the spaceport’s docking bay
94, which he photographed
outside at the right time of day
to match the light in the film.
He then embellished the photo
as a digital matte painting that
was projected over rough 3D CG
geometry, allowing the painting to
convincingly match the camera’s
pan and tilt as the Millennium
Falcon lifts off from Tatooine.

Into The Modern Era

For the podrace in The Phantom

Menace (1999), Huston and Knoll

took the technique of projecting

a digital matte onto 3D geometry CANYON OF THE CRESCENT MOON
to new heights. “That was a big
moment,” Huston says, explaining “Camerawork was 50 percent of the matte painting, and all the matte painters were interested
that the environments are in using any trick they could to make things more realistic photographically. Mark Sullivan was
“basically photographs that are one of the best ever at combining paintings and camera techniques. He had a bag of tricks you
projected on geometry. Luckily, wouldn’t believe.
you’re going at 600 miles an hour,
so there’s a lot of motion blur!” “He really liked using miniatures, so I worked with him a lot. For Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade, there was a shot looking through a pair of binoculars at the Canyon of the Crescent
Using the sequence’s animated Moon. Mark did the matte painting on Masonite, and it looked really good, but he didn’t think it
storyboards—animatics—as his looked realistic. So he had me cut the bottom off of the painting, just below the horizon, and then
guide, Huston built miniature we built about a 20-foot-by-2-foot miniature of the canyon out of plywood and foam.
arches and other details out of
foam and plaster, painted them, “We set the cut-off matte painting about 8 feet in front of the camera, with the horizon
and then carefully photographed positioned so that it came to the horizon of the miniature, which was about 25 feet away from the
camera—so the horizon was closer than the foreground! We put a piece of glass in front of the
painting with a little bit of Vaseline along the blend line between the miniature and the painting,
and we filmed the whole thing in-camera. It was crazy, but it worked really well—and it was fun.
It utilized the strengths of both paintings and miniatures.” — Paul Huston

the models outside, capturing

an array of angles and lighting

directions. He also photographed

dirt to create a texture map for the 07 Another tricks became blurred, and this you can go off in a direction that
ground, and manipulated other angle of the trend has continued through leads to disaster.”
photos for use throughout the miniature The Force Awakens (2015) and
sequence’s backgrounds. used in the Rogue One (2016). “In reaction Asked whether he still works
picnic scene to the wide array of challenges with miniatures, Huston says,
Huston continued to work with in Attack of under the group’s purview, “It’s more difficult than it used
photographs and miniatures in his the Clones to be. We don’t really have the
(opposite).

digital matte paintings for Attack 08 Huston was the digital matte department space, tools, or materials at ILM
of the Clones (2002). For Anakin among the has since been renamed the anymore. But if I can go to a store
and Padmé’s picnic on Naboo, the many ILM and ‘generalists department,’ because and buy something, or if I can
background cliffs were fashioned Lucasfilm we do so many different things” find a location, I would rather
from painted aluminum. He then alums who Huston notes. photograph something. I still
composited this photographed had worked enjoy working that way.”
element with digital video he’d on A New While Photoshop remains
shot of real waterfalls. Hope, and an important tool for 2D work, Despite all the changes over the
who recently earlier 3D software has given way years, Huston muses that modern
As the prequel trilogy drew to celebrated 40 to visual effects software including digital matte painting feels much
a close with Revenge of the Sith years of the Nuke. “In 2D, Photoshop’s tools the same. “The processes you go
(2005), the line between digital film that are really the easiest to use and the through—the things you analyze
started it all
(opposite).

matte techniques and other CG most direct,” Huston says. “But the and look at—are similar. The rules

way that Nuke displays colors is of composition are the same.

really predictable and precise.” You’re in the same ballpark.

“...Huston and Knoll took And for anything that ends “The thing for me has been
the technique of projecting up on-screen—especially a digital that, for a long time, the paintings
matte painting that needs to were locked off [stationary],” he

a digital matte onto 3D match other effects as well as concludes. The ability we have
geometry to new heights.” live-action photography—Huston now to move the camera through
stresses, “If the color isn’t right, a painting? That’s huge.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 89

INTERVIEW: LESLIE DILLEY

THE MAN WHO BUILT R2-D2!

LESLIE DILLEY

Turning concept sketches and designs into solid objects and real environments for a
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WO R D S : PAT JA N K I E W I CZ

90 / STAR WARS INSIDER

INTERVIEW: LESLIE DILLEY

wo-time Academy Award-

T winning production designer
and art director Leslie Dilley
has overseen a great deal of

onscreen destruction during

his career. He’s created

earthquakes in Southern California for

Superman The Movie (1978), caused traffic

chaos in Piccadilly Circus for An American

Werewolf in London (1981), facilitated an

alien invasion in Invaders From Mars (1986),

and helped destroy civilization as we know it

in Deep Impact (1998). But it was his creative

input as art director and set decorator on

the original Star Wars film that has become

instantly recognizable to generations of

movie fans. In fact, the prolific art director’s

contribution to the iconic movie was officially

recognized in 1978, when he was awarded the

Best Art Decoration-Set Decoration Oscar for

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).

Now a resident of the U.S.A., Dilley—who

was born in the Rhondda Valley of South

Wales, U.K. in 1941—spent his formative years

learning his craft in and around London. An

early apprenticeship led to him joining the art

department of the prestigious Associated British

Picture Corporation (which would later become

EMI), where he worked as a freelance junior

draughtsman during the 1960s at the legendary

Elstree Studios. Little did the aspiring production

designer know that, just over a decade later,

he would be working at the studios again, on a

project that would make cinematic history.

“Star Wars came my way in 1975, when I was

serving as assistant art director under [production

designer] John Barry on Lucky Lady (1975), a big

Burt Reynolds movie for 20th Century Fox that

we were making in Mexico,” explains Dilly. “The

writers on that movie were Willard Huyck and

Gloria Katz, who were good friends with George

Lucas, and they recommended he use John Barry

for Star Wars. That’s how it happened—John took

the job, and I became the art director on the film.

“My work entailed being responsible for

everything visual, everything you saw on the

screen, apart from the actors,” Dilley says. 

As such, the art director had a direct hand in

creating the worn and lived-in look that has

become familiar to fans of the Star Wars galaxy,

and defines it to this day.

In The Beginning

Although A New Hope would break new ground
in the movie-making arena, both in terms of box-
office success and its influence on the sci-fi and
fantasy genres, in the early days of production it
was a case of all hands on deck for the handful
of personnel initially drafted onto the crew,

STAR WARS INSIDER / 91

INTERVIEW: LESLIE DILLEY

01

02

and Dilley soon found himself heavily involved
in the development of the picture. “The only
production people working on the movie at the
beginning were John Barry, myself, and a guy
named Roger Christian, who went on to become
a film director himself,” Dilley says of the film’s
humble beginnings. “There was nobody else—
just George Lucas, [producer] Gary Kurtz, and the
three of us, and we delivered it all from scratch!”

Lucas and his band of filmmakers settled on
North West London as their base of operations
from which to bring their epic vision to the big
screen, and it saw Dilley return to the stomping
ground of his youth. “We were trying to get
[the project] off the ground in a place called
Lee International Film Studios on Kensal Road,
London,” he recalls. “That’s where we developed
R2-D2, C-3PO, and Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder.
We were also joined by Norman Reynolds, who
was doing C-3PO. Norman and I were co- art
directors on Star Wars.”

Reminiscing on how Luke’s iconic vehicle
came together, Dilley recollects that, “The

“Artoo was developed
straight from the
drawing board.”

92 / STAR WARS INSIDER

INTERVIEW: LESLIE DILLEY

03 Droid Detail

“I said, ‘You’ve got this job on Perhaps Dilley’s biggest challenge was
Star Wars, Kenny, and you’ve got realizing the plucky little astromech droid
who would go on to become one of the best-
to do it!’ To which he replied, ‘But loved characters in the entire saga. “I ended
we’re on Opportunity Knocks !’” up building R2-D2, which was essentially
based on Ralph McQuarrie’s illustrations.
landspeeder was a joint effort between all of 01 Leslie Dilley (left) Artoo was developed straight from the
us. We made this full-size mock-up of it, which with production drawing board,” says Dilley. “We started
George said was much too big. So we cut it down designer John out with a cardboard drum, added cardboard
by a third, and that’s the lovely little thing you Barry (right). arms, and then tried to walk it. It took months
see in the movie.” to make the whole thing, and we actually
02 Dilley’s team working came up with different versions of him.”
But Luke’s memorable hot rod wasn’t the on the remote control
only iconic mode of Star Wars transport that R2-D2 prop. Eventually, Dilley and the team came to
Dilley had a hand in creating. “I drafted the the conclusion that the little droid would
plans for the Jawa sandcrawler that you see 03 Actor Kenny Baker work most efficiently if he was being operated
on Tatooine, and went out to Tunisia with a enjoying lunch in his by someone inside the prop. Of the different
construction crew to put it up,” he reveals. “We R2-D2 costume. versions created during the design and building
put it together in this dried-up salt lake there. process, Dilley explains that, “One Artoo-Detoo
The sandcrawler was a really huge set: 120 feet was built so that a small man could stand
long, 20 feet wide, and 40 feet high.” inside, and another so that he could waddle,
but we could never get one where he could
simply walk around in it, because there was
never enough room for leg movement! The legs
of the person we needed to pilot it would have
to be very short.”

Dilley realized he needed to find an
appropriately sized actor to play the droid. 
“To find our Artoo-Detoo, we searched
everywhere in England for little people,”
he says. “We brought in some actors who we
thought would work, but many of them just
weren’t strong enough.” To operate the prop
manually would require an actor with a lot
of stamina, as Dilley elaborates. “They had to
get inside this thing and walk in it enough to
make it waddle around.”

After much searching, the team finally
discovered their perfect R2-D2 in the form of
British actor, Kenny Baker. “We eventually
found Kenny, who really did a great job. Kenny
had a performing partner named Jack Purvis,
who was also in the movie—at that time they
were working as a musical double act, playing
the xylophone and drums.” 

For a worrying time, however, it looked as
though the production team were in danger of
losing their dream droid. “Kenny and Jack were
on a show called Opportunity Knocks, which
was a popular TV talent show in the U.K. at
the time,” remembers Dilley. “They were going
through the rounds of the competition, and
were really close to getting somewhere in it,
and I sensed Kenny was wavering on Star Wars. 

“I said, ‘You’ve got this job on Star Wars,
Kenny, and you’ve got to do it!’ To which he
replied, ‘But we’re on Opportunity Knocks!’ It
took a lot of persuading, but I finally got him
to do this Artoo-Detoo thing.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 93

INTERVIEW: LESLIE DILLEY

Dagobah Days 04 “The whole crew
wanted to shoot me!”
As technology progressed and advances enabled 05
the R2-D2 props to be remotely controlled more his art director. The shoot wasn’t without its
reliably, by the time Star Wars: The Empire Strikes 04 Building Luke’s challenges—but this time, it was nothing to do
Back (1980) rolled around Dilley found himself landspeeder at Lee with budgets or uncooperative droids. “I was
working with Baker less and less often. But, as he International Film going to Norway to start preparing the sets for
explains, the actor was still a pivotal part of the Studios in London. the Hoth sequences, but when they came to take
team, and essential in imbuing the droid with me to the airport, I was so ill, I couldn’t go,” says
individuality. “Kenny wasn’t in every single shot— 05 The lansdpeeder Dilley. “I was really sick with a bad throat, and I
like he pretty much was on the first film—but he takes shape. was choking and could hardly breathe. When I
was very important to the character.  finally got well, Norman said, ‘I can’t send you
06 The art department: out there to Norway, Les. If anything happened
“For example, he did all of the stuff on the (L-R) Roger Christian, to you, I would be in real trouble!’ So I stayed
bog planet of Dagobah, where Yoda was teaching Leslie Dilley, John back and helped Norman out.”
Luke Skywalker the power of the Force. In one Barry, Bill Welch,
scene, Artoo was standing on the side of the and Norman Reynolds. Having worked with many stellar directors
swamp, and we wanted him to be reacting to 06 including James Cameron and Steven Spielberg,
what was going on in a big way. We wanted Dilley— who still works as a production designer
personality in that reaction shot from this and art director in the industry at age 78—has
droid—this machine—and the way to do that fond memories of his involvement with the Star
was to put Kenny Baker inside, bringing his Wars saga, and of its creator. “I worked with
personal movements into it. Kenny was great George Lucas closely on the shooting of that
for stuff like that.” movie,” he says in conclusion, “and I found
him to be a terrific, friendly guy with a great
Speaking of Dagobah, if there’s one place in eye for filming.”
the galaxy to which Dilley would happily never
return, it’s Yoda’s swamp planet home.

“I remember that place well, because it
played host to one of my most embarrassing
moments ever in the motion-picture business,”
he confesses with a sheepish grin. “I was putting
Artoo’s head on Kenny Baker, and polishing it
up. I finished what I was doing and said, ‘You’re
okay, Kenny!’, took one step backwards—and fell
up to my waist into the slimy water! It was all set
and ready for filming, beautiful, and so the whole
crew wanted to shoot me! I have to admit, it was
pretty embarrassing.”

Dilley’s time on The Empire Strikes Back
was a bittersweet experience to some extent,
as the film’s original production designer (and
Dilley’s mentor) John Barry tragically passed
away during filming. Norman Reynolds took
over as production designer, and Dilley became

94 / STAR WARS INSIDER



96 / STAR WARS INSIDER

For E.K. Johnston, relating the adventures
of Padmé Amidala in two smash hit novels
has been a dream come true. Star Wars
Insider asks how the author combined
galactic and teenage drama through
the lens of a galaxy far, far away....

WORDS: JAMES FLOYD

hat do we really every facet of the character while
adding greater depth to those who
W know of Padmé surrounded and supported her.
Amidala? She While Queen’s Shadow revolved
became the around events between Star Wars:
The Phantom Menace (1999)
Queen of Naboo and Attack of the Clones (2002),
Queen’s Peril went back in time to
at 14 years old. reveal an earlier chapter in Padmé’s
life as she stepped into the role
She grew to become a capable of queen. We also learned more
about the girls who became her
and dedicated Republic senator, bodyguards, spies, confidants, and
wardrobe attendants—the queen’s
standing up for its values against brave handmaidens.

those wanting to see it torn apart Star Wars Insider spoke to
Johnston, who also wrote the New
during the Clone Wars. Before York Times bestseller Star Wars:
Ahsoka, shortly before the new
becoming Anakin Skywalker’s novel was published to find out
how Queen’s Peril adds new layers
wife and mother to Luke and to Padmé’s complex life story.

Leia, Padmé was an inspiration

to an entire galaxy—and to

countless fans on planet Earth.

But did we ever really know her?

Over the course of two

novels—2019’s Star Wars: Queen’s

Shadow and the 2020 follow-up

Star Wars: Queen’s Peril—author

E.K. Johnston sought to explore

STAR WARS INSIDER / 97

THE PERILS OF PADME

“The story picks up the morning 01
of Padmé’s election, and she hasn’t
even met the girls who will become “Every now
her handmaidens yet,” the author and then,
explains. “The ‘team’ is in a very, someone’s
very early form. Captain Panaka inner teen
has a vague plan of what he wants girl came
to do to ensure the new queen’s out, that’s
safety, but even he has no idea for sure.”
what’s going to happen once the
girls take matters into their own
hands. There are definitely some
egos in play, as the handmaidens
are all pretty self-assured to start
off with. It was super fun for me
to write each of them as they try
to figure each other out,” adds
Johnston with a smile.

In The Phantom Menace, Sabé
was the trusted handmaiden who
took on the guise of the queen

THE QUEEN’S to protect Padmé when the Trade
HANDS Federation mounted their invasion
of Naboo, but in Queen’s Peril Sabé
Writing about Pad- is a character less willing to take
mé, both in Queen’s center stage. “Sabé was so used to
Peril and earlier in playing second fiddle that she’d
Queen’s Shadow, stopped seeking the spotlight,” says
were dream projects Johnston, who laid in backstory for
for Johnston. “It’s each of the handmaidens to further
no secret that I re- define them as individuals. “Rabé’s
ally, really like these general plan was to scam her way
characters,” she through school and then see what
shares. Even before happened afterward. Eirtaé had
she wrote Ahsoka, being misunderstood down to a
she had Amidala on fine art, while Yané was perfectly
her mind. “When happy to never be noticed. Saché
I put together my had given up on waiting for
shot-in-the-dark someone to notice her altogether.
proposal for a Star When the chance to work for the
Wars Project, it was planetary government came along,
a trilogy called The they all jumped at the opportunity
Queen’s Hands. That before having quite thought
was in December of through the landing.”
2014, so obviously
a few of the plot At various points in the
points have moved narrative, Johnston took the
around, but I was opportunity to show how
happy to get most Panaka recruited each of the
of the highlights into teens, showing up wherever they
Queen’s Peril, plus happened to be to tell them they
a few extras that I had useful and unique skills,
came up with for before offering each of them a
Queen’s Shadow.” job that he couldn’t tell them
anything about until they agreed
02 to take it! Despite their varied
motivations, they all answered the
call. “Honestly, it never occurred

98 / STAR WARS INSIDER

03

to them that they couldn’t,” Johnston. “Fortunately, teen girls 01 Padmé
Johnstone confides. “Every one basically live on that line, 24/7.” abandoned her
of the girls is exceptional, at least disguise to win
a little bit unconventional, and While wrestling with personality the trust of the
looking for a challenge. They were clashes, Johnston’s characters also Gungans in The
used to pushing themselves, and had to work against a political Phantom
this opportunity was irresistible to backdrop, which was a mix she Menace (1999).
them, even if they were reluctant enjoyed playing with. “They’re all
to admit it to themselves.” professionals, so the fun part was 02 The simple
keeping the political stuff low key handmaidens
More than Decoys while the personal stuff was all way attire rendered
too much. For better and for worse, them all-but
While Captain Panaka was the one Padmé was the perfect model for invisible beside
who brought the team together, it that. She’s great at doing her job, but the majesty of
was up to Padmé to decide how to as soon as her personal life comes the queen.
utilize the newly formed unit, and
what she had in mind was quite 03 The decoy
different from what her security “Queen” with
chief had envisioned. More than Padmé (Natalie
simply decoys and bodyguards, the Portman) in
group of young women became disguise.
a Swiss Army knife of talents and
skills in service to the queen. But 04 The young
like any team, their personalities queen’s loyal
had to be balanced. “When it handmaidens
came to getting the girls to work were her
together, I had to walk a fine line constant
between not making everything companions.
too full of drama but not making
their relationships too easy,” says 04

“Every one of the girls is exceptional, into play? Well, we’ve all seen those
at least a little bit unconventional, movies,” Johnston laughs.
and looking for a challenge.”
The handmaidens weren’t the
only ones whose differences had a
bearing on the story, as Johnston
explains. “Padmé was much, much
more flexible than Panaka. She was
willing to fiddle with the group
dynamics and see who shakes out
where. Panaka would be infinitely
more comfortable if everyone could
just be nice and predictable all the
time. Their biggest challenge was
each other, and their compromise
was, eventually, that Padmé would
tell him when she was going to try
something off-book. By the time
the Trade Federation showed up,
Padmé trusted the girls with her
life, and Panaka trusted them with
her life, too.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 99

QUEEN’S PERIL The Trade Federation invasion 05
leads to the queen’s adventures
DISNEY LUCASFILM PRESS, 2020 on Tatooine and Coruscant, as talented girls getting thrown into
told in The Phantom Menace, but some awkward social situations
When fourteen-year-old Padmé Naberrie wins Queen’s Peril allowed Johnston the where they have to balance their
the election for Queen of Naboo, she takes the opportunity to reveal what was responsibilities, their interpersonal
name Amidala and leaves her family to rule from happening on Naboo while she was relationships, and hormones. It was
the Royal Palace in the capital of Theed. At a gone, only hinted at in the movie. just too good an idea to pass up.”
time of brewing uncertainty for Naboo and the In fact, the author was itching
Galactic Republic, she and her security advisor, to write an off-screen scene with Setting the new story prior to
Captain Panaka, devise a plan for the queen’s Governor Sio Bibble that would the events of The Phantom Menace
safety: the recruitment of multiple handmaidens. add additional meaning to a key meant that Johnston would have
These handmaidens will be her aides, confidants, sequence in the film. to take the characters she’d fleshed
protectors, and even decoys. Each young woman out in Queen’s Shadow and dial
is selected by Panaka for her particular talents, “That was so much fun,” their clocks back several years. How
but it is up to Padmé to unite them as a group. Johnston enthuses. “The Battle hard was it to dig into the past for
Different though they may be, the handmaidens of Naboo is probably one of my each of her handmaidens? Johnston
learn to work together in service of the one goal favorite parts of Star Wars ever, and describes the process as, “A little
they all share: to protect the queen at all costs. getting to write about and round intimidating! I knew where they
But when their peaceful world is invaded by the out the occupation was a real gift. were all going to end up, once they
ambitious Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and I love it when the good guys stand had decided what they were going
her brave handmaidens will face their greatest up to evil, and I got to do so much
test—of themselves and of each other. of that in this book. As you can
imagine, I spent quite a bit of time
QUEEN’S SHADOW re-watching The Phantom Menace
to get details right. I live for those
DISNEY LUCASFILM PRESS, 2019 kinds of shenanigans. Ask me about
the handmaidens’ deployment
When Padmé Amidala steps down from her during the battle sometime, I dare
position as Queen of Naboo, she is ready to you!” she laughs.
set aside her title and return to life out of the
spotlight. But to her surprise, the new queen The Origin Story
asks Padmé to continue serving their people,
this time in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure When it came to hitting on the
about the new role but cannot turn down the right concept for her new Padmé
request, especially since, thanks to her dearest adventure, Johnston struck gold
friend—and decoy—Sabé, she can be in two with what seems like an unlikely
places at once. So while Padmé plunges into source of inspiration, coming up
politics, Sabé sets off on a mission dear to with the idea while on a panel at
Padmé’s heart. Star Wars Celebration Chicago in
2019. “I said I really wanted to
On the glistening capital planet Coruscant, send them to a Backstreet Boys
Padmé’s new Senate colleagues regard her concert,” laughs the author. “That
with curiosity—and with suspicion for her role might sound like a weird reason to
in ousting the previous chancellor. Posing write a Star Wars book, but there
as a merchant on Tatooine, Sabé has fewer was something about these smart,
resources than she thought and fewer options
than she needs. Together with Padmé’s loyal 06
handmaidens, Padmé and Sabé must navigate
treacherous politics, adapt to constantly
changing landscapes, and forge a new
identity beyond the queen’s shadow.