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A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR MARCH ‘21

WELCOME... TITAN EDITORIAL
Editor / Christopher Cooper
To paraphrase that crazy old hermit, Ben Kenobi: “Bantha Managing Editor / Martin Eden
Tracks is a title I’ve not heard for a long time. A long time.” Assistant Editor / Phoebe Hedges
Like many Star Wars Insider readers of a similar vintage, Senior Designer / Andrew Leung
I was once a card-carrying member of The Official Star
Wars Fanclub, in those long-ago days when Bantha Tracks LUCASFILM
was its quarterly newsletter. Whenever a new edition Senior Editor / Brett Rector
arrived through the mail, I’d thrill at the exciting Star Art Director / Troy Alders
Wars news contained within, and I still have every copy Creative Director / Michael Siglain
I ever received—stored in a lovingly crafted shoebox Asset Management / Erik Sanchez,
archive decorated with stickers and a hand-drawn version Bryce Pinkos, Nicole LaCoursiere,
of the newsletter logo. Banthas are pretty hard to draw in Sarah Williams,Shahana Alam
felt-tip pen, right? Story Group / Pablo Hidalgo,
Leland Chee, Matt Martin
I would never have imagined that years later I’d be
the editor of its spiritual successor, especially on the CONTRIBUTORS
occasion of Insider’s 200th edition, at a time when Star Kristin Baver, Dan Brooks,Anthony Daniels,
Wars is bigger than ever. To be a part of this decades-long
publishing legacy is more than an honor, and my hope Michael Kogge, Mark Newbold,
is that each new issue thrills you all as much as Bantha Amy Richau, Charles Soule,
Tracks did me back in the day. Jay Stobie, and Dan Wallace.

So, join us as we celebrate 200 issues of Star Wars SPECIAL THANKS TO
Insider with 200 reasons why we love Star Wars, and Lucy Goldsmith, Erich Schoeneweiss
speak to former editors about the passion that goes into at Random House, Holly McIntosh, Joseph
every issue. There’s a special one-off Wonder Column Taraborrelli,Andrea Towers and Jim Nausedas
from goldenrod himself, Anthony Daniels; Ian McDiarmid at Marvel Comics, Lizzy Draeger,Tracy
talks exclusively about slipping back into the Emperor’s Cannobbio and Chris Argyropoulos
robes for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019); and at Lucasfilm. Chris Troise and Eugene
there’s an all-new installment of The High Republic fiction
by Charles Soule. Impressive. Most impressive. Paraszczuk at Disney.

May the Force be with you. TITAN MAGAZINES
Production Controller / Caterina Falqui
Christopher Cooper Senior Production Controller / Jackie Flook

Editor Art Director / Oz Browne
Sales & Circulation Manager / Steve Tothill
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS... Marketing & Advertisement Assistant / Lauren Noding
Sales & Marketing Coordinator / George Wickenden
Jay Stobie Amy Richau Kristin Baver Mark Newbold Michael Kogge Charles Soule
@StobiesGalaxy @amyrichau @KristinBaver @Prefect_timing @michaelkogge @CharlesSoule Publicist / Imogen Harris
Head Of Rights / Jenny Boyce
Starship fanatic Amy is a regular Kristin was a A writer for U.K. Michael is the Charles is one of Acquisitions Editor / Duncan Baizley
and blogger Jay contributor to card-carrying sci-fi magazine author of the junior the architects of Publishing Director / Ricky Claydon
writes articles for StarWars.com, Star Wars fan Starburst and Star novelization of Star Wars: The Publishing Director / John Dziewiatkowski
StarWars.com and and is the author before she had Trek magazine, Star Wars: The High Republic, and Operations Director / Leigh Baulch
is searching for a of Star Wars: I reason to own a journalist Mark is a Force Awakens, has written many Publishers / Vivian Cheung & Nick Landau
way to reside full Love You, I know: wallet. Now she’s proud Honorary and the Star Wars Star Wars comic
time in the Star Lessons in Love an associate editor Friend of the 501st Rebels chapter books for Marvel DISTRIBUTION
Wars galaxy. and Friendship. at StarWars.com. and Rebel Legion. book series. Comics. US Newsstand / Total Publisher Services, Inc.

John Dziewiatkowski 630-851-7683
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STAR WARS INSIDER FEB/MAR 2021
(USPS 003-027) (ISSN 1041-5122)

Star Wars Insider is published eight times per year
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STAR WARS INSIDER: 200TH ISSUE

Wonder ColumnAnthony Daniels’ 200th(ish)

The C-3PO actor’s legendary Wonder Column makes a special

one-off return, in this celebration of Star Wars Insider’s 200th issue.

he big question has changed, careers started, romances And the big “more” is you… my
always been, “Is it hot bloomed (Mendelssohn often knocked reader here… the fan… the person
in the costume?” off the piano stool by John Williams’ in the room where it happened. The
I had a simple answer (and stunning “Main Theme”; the “Imperial fans that demanded a second film and
after a long day, a rather curt March,” a riskier choice, portending a third and… well, anyway… But for
one), “Usually.” stormy times and attorneys’ fees ahead), you it happened on a screen in the
But in recent years because of an idea? room. You weren’t there on the day
I am often faced with when it actually happened. In the
a somewhat more difficult inquiry. I A bigger question. Who is the desert. In the oil bath. In a plywood
don’t really know how to answer it. Maker? Well, swamp my inbox with box pretending to be the cockpit of the
I think it’s actually a question of irrational and feeble insults from the beloved Millennium Falcon. I was there.
perspective. anonymity of your keyboard, but it That was my job. My experience. My
The many millions of Star Wars involvement. Close up and personal.
fans around our planet have watched, “It was the idea
observed, enjoyed each episode of the that started it all; And then it became big. And bigger.
saga on variously sized screens, from an idea that turned And huge. Star Wars became a colossal
a certain point of view. Though the into a word on a phenomenon. It was no moon. It was
series’ main impact has been through page, that turned bigger than our planet. But my nose
the movies, it’s been filled-out with had been up close, all the way. If you
documentaries, novels, and jottings; into a film on put your face near the ground you have
most notoriously, The Wonder Column a screen.” no concept how huge and wonderful
(are you old enough to remember?), our planet is. And that’s me. You were
that I was proud to write for Star Wars might just be the big “G” himself able to appreciate the saga from a
Insider magazine so many years ago. (that’s… erm, George Lucas… if you are distance. Objectively. From a different
I never realized that it might be a still having difficulty following my train perspective. I don’t have that luxury
rehearsal for a later, larger effort on my of thought). It was he who first thought (there have been compensations).
part—uncertain the future was… is. about it all. There’s a certain book
So, thanks to William Caxton (stay which starts, “In the beginning was the So you might help me answer
with me here), George Lucas’ original Word.” In his case it was the idea that the question…
notion has re-iterated itself in all forms started it all; an idea that turned into a
of communication—okay, not six word on a page, that turned into a film What’s it like to have been in all
million, but a worthy start. The printed on a screen and… and… and… (You the Star Wars movies?
word has been a strong contributor to still there?) ... and yes, turned, for your
everyone’s enjoyment—the move from further delight, into a stuffed Ewok—in Because… I don’t know.
vellum and parchment to binary code my case, a golden Beanie Baby—to hug I don’t have the words
and Kindle easing the process on the in the privacy of your home. But it Help me. You are my only hope.
way. Progress. But always there, the turned into so much more. AD
story is. A spark to the imagination and
an inspiration. How many lives have P.S.
Thank the Maker.
P.P.S.
And you.

Why not follow Anthony on Instagram @anthonydanielsofficial and Twitter @ADaniels3PO
and of course, read I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story from DK Books

4 / STAR WARS INSIDER



CONTENTS
ISSUE 200 / MARCH 2021

200th Issue!

Celebrating 33 years of the official

Star Wars Magazine

6 / STAR WARS INSIDER

NEWSSTAND COMIC STORE SUBSCRIBER
EDITION EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE

Subscribe
to Star Wars

Insider

Page 76

Art by Peach Momoko

04 36 64

Anthony Daniels Our Star Wars Stories 1ZI 3MMTMZ 1V\MZ^QM_

The C-3PO actor’s special How the inspiring documentary series The model shop veteran on his 20-year
200th issue Wonder Column! celebrates the world of Star Wars fans. career at Industrial Light & Magic.

08 42 70

4I]VKPXIL 8ZQVKM[[M[ WN )TLMZIIV +PIZTM[ ;W]TM 1V\MZ^QM_

Insider’s roundup of the latest movie, Insider talks exclusively to six actors The Star Wars journey of the High
merch, and publishing news. who have voiced Princess Leia Organa. Republic author and comic-book scribe.

22 48 78

200 Reasons =VTQUQ\ML XW_MZ ) +MZ\IQV 8WQV\ WN >QM_

Why we love the Star Wars saga, Marking our 200th issue, former Insider Star Wars expert Michael Kogge
as told by cast, crew, and celebrity fans. MLQ\WZ[ ZMÆMK\ WV \PM UIOIbQVM¼[ PQ[\WZa answers Insider readers’ galactic queries.

30 56 90

1IV 5K,QIZUQL 1V\MZ^QM_ The Clone Wars Season 7 -`KT][Q^M .QK\QWV

The actor behind Palpatine’s plotting Our guide to the twelve epic episodes Part Two of Charles Soule’s
on playing the most evil bad guy ever! that concluded the groundbreaking series. Star Wars: The High Republic short story.

INCOMING TRANSMISSIONS

55 80 86 96
The Star Wars )ZKPQ^M
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Behind-the-scenes images that tell
Win a trio of The Mandalorian Black Star Wars fan art and creativity, the story of the making of a saga. Lock S-foils in attack position and
;MZQM[ IK\QWV ÅO]ZM[ NZWU 0I[JZW plus crafting inspiration in TK-101. \M[\ aW]Z [\IZÅOP\MZ SVW_TMLOM

STAR WARS INSIDER / 7

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N E WS / B O O KS / C O M I C S / TOYS / GA M E S / FA S H I O N

David Prowse MBE

Star Wars Insider editor Christopher Cooper remembers the Darth Vader actor

W hen I was around ten-years The Star Wars fans in the main safely—he was one of the most trusted
old, Darth Vader visited my hall that day recognized him as Dave figures in the U.K. It was a role that
London primary school. He Prowse, the man who had recently Prowse was proud to have played,
terrified us all as the Dark Lord of the describing it as “the best job I ever
was dressed in a white and Sith in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). had.” The character’s huge appeal
As Vader, Prowse was the most feared and simple message undoubtedly
green jumpsuit with broad epaulets being in the cosmos, but as The Green saved many young lives.
Cross Code Man—a superhero who,
and a giant green cross on his chest. in a series of public information films, A giant of a man, Prowse was
taught kids how to cross the road born in Bristol, England. He made
During that morning’s assembly he a name for himself as a bodybuilder,

spoke to us (in an unfamiliar accent)

about road safety, using the alias The

Green Cross Code Man.

8 / STAR WARS INSIDER

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Images courtesy of Lucasfilm

and represented his country as a (1971), and Mary Shelley’s infamous Despite what he may have thought,
weightlifter at the Commonwealth Monster in Hammer Films’ The Horror it isn’t just the bad guys we remember.
Games during the 1960s. Taking of Frankenstein (1970) and its sequel, It’s the good guys too.
advantage of his physique, Prowse Frankenstein and the Monster from R.I.P. Dave Prowse.
carved out a career as an actor, playing Hell (1974).
assorted heavies and henchmen on As this issue of Star Wars Insider
British TV before landing the role of Offered a choice of roles in Star went to press, we learned of the
the Green Cross Code Man. Prowse’s Wars by George Lucas, the 6-foot passing of Boba Fett actor Jeremy
other notable parts included Julian in 7-inch-tall Prowse famously chose to Bulloch. We extend our deepest
Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange play Vader over Chewbacca because, sympathies to his family.
“you always remember the bad guys.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 9

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Star Wars:
Andor filming

underway!

Star Wars Steps Up a Gear!

Disney and Lucasfilm map out the near future of the Star Wars galaxy

M ake a note in your calendars. to be written by Filoni himself. playing Darth Vader in the series to
the next Star Wars feature Meanwhile, Rangers of the New be directed by Deborah Chow. Lando
film will arrive in theaters Republic will intersect with future Calrissian will also return in his own
Mandalorian adventures and culminate event series, Lando, currently in
in December 2023! in a climactic story event. development by Justin Simien.

Rogue Squadron, to be directed by The already announced series Other shows in the pipeline
focusing on Diego Luna’s character include The Acolyte, created by Leslye
Patty Jenkins, was announced by from 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Headland, a Star Wars mystery-thriller
Story has also been given a name. set during the final days of The High
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy Created by Tony Gilroy, and described Republic era. Star Wars: Visions will
as a tense, nail-biting spy thriller, see a new take on the galaxy from the
at a Walt Disney Company event in Andor will land on Disney+ in 2022. world’s leading anime creators, while
Industrial Light & Magic team with
December. But that wasn’t the only Obi-Wan Kenobi, in which Ewan Lucasfilm Animation to develop the
McGregor reprises his iconic role for epic new adventure film A Droid Story.
revelation to be made that day, as a special event series for Disney+, is All this and The Bad Batch are on their
set to begin filming in 2021. Joining way too. The Force is with us!
a host of new Star Wars shows for McGregor will be Hayden Christensen,

Disney+ were also made public.

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will

be executive producing two dramas

set in the same time period as The

Mandalorian, with the live-action

Ahsoka series, starring Rosario Dawson,

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian Season Two. Star Wars: The Bad Batch picks up the story of Clone Force 99.

10 / STAR WARS INSIDER

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) :WWU ?Q\P ) >QM_ Bunk down
in a Star Wars
Disney Parks gives a sneak peek inside the Galactic Starcruiser experience like

he first images of one by Disney Parks in November, showing no other.
a comfortably appointed cabin rich
T of the completed cabins with Star Wars detail. bunks for younger passengers, along
aboard the Hyperion—the with a viewport looking out into the
ambitious Star Wars-themed The futuristic suite (from a long depths of space.
accommodation experience currently time ago, in a galaxy far, far away of
under construction at Walt Disney course!) offers a comfortable queen- The Hyperion is expected to lift
World Resort in Florida—were released sized double bed and cool built-in off in 2021. Until then, you can scan
for the latest news and updates at
disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog.

One Giant
LeaX for
5IVLW
3QVL

The Child blasts into orbit Image courtesy of NASA

Q uite what his taciturn
clan of two
companion

would have

to say on the matter

we don’t know, but the Joining the crew of the “zero gravity indicator”—usually a soft
SpaceX Dragon spacecraft toy that is allowed to float freely in the
mischievous former that rocketed to the ISS on cabin to indicate the point at which
November 16, the Child Earth’s gravity no longer exerts an
Jedi padawan from The (in plush form) had a key influence on the spaceship.
role to play on the NASA
Mandalorian recently mission, serving as the ship’s What we don’t know is if macarons
were on the astronaut’s lunch menu?
blasted into Earth’s orbit to

spend some time aboard the

International Space Station.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 11

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Endor-se A Darth Vader
The Dark Side replica to melt
Reclaim the ashes of the Empire
your mind.
W hen Kylo Ren doubted The imagery of Vader’s hideously
his commitment to the twisted yet recognizable and still Made on a 1:1 scale, the extensively
dark side in Star Wars: The iconic headwear connected the latest researched collectible was crafted using
trilogy with the original, and EFX has information obtained from the prop’s
Force Awakens (2015), he harnessed the powerful emotions it creators to replicate the mask as seen
evoked (in fans as much as Kylo Ren!) in the movie. The limited edition
invoked the spirit of his grandfather to produce the stunning Darth Vader collectible is priced at $1,599, and
“Pyre” Helmet Replica. comes with a themed base featuring
by consulting Darth Vader’s charred a numbered metal plaque.

helmet, salvaged from his funeral pyre By Jamie Cosley

on Endor’s Forest Moon.

THE LIGHT SIDE

12 / STAR WARS INSIDER

LAUNCHPAD The
StarWars
DotColumn

Fascinating features and
articles from the digital vaults of

StarWars.com

Add StarWars.com/Insider to
your browser bookmarks to enjoy
Insider’s pick of the best of the
official Star Wars website.

“All Films Are Personal”: An
Oral History Of Star Wars: The
Phantom Menace (1999)
The creators and artists behind
the first film in the prequel trilogy,
including George Lucas, Doug
Chiang, John Knoll, and others,
look back at the making of the
movie, 20 years later.

Mando Goes Retro Interview: Ben Burtt
The sound designer takes
The Mandalorian Action figures with an old school look StarWars.com behind the
scenes with stories of the
F illed to the brim with easter Featuring five points of articulation many real-world audio clips
eggs and references to the and 6-inch by 9-inch cardbacks with that became some of the most
original Star Wars trilogy, faux aging, the first wave includes enduring creatures, vehicles, and
The Mandalorian is no fan-favorite characters from the background sounds in the saga.
stranger to the power of nostalgia. That hit Disney+ series, including The
theme continues with Hasbro’s latest Child, Cara Dune, Greef Karga, Moff Star Wars: Squadrons
Mando-themed additions to The Retro Gideon, Kuiil, IG-11, and the titular Industrial Light & Magic’s John
Collection, a range of 3 3/4-inch action Mandalorian himself. Knoll, Lucasfilm’s James Waugh,
figures inspired by Kenner’s line of toys and EA’s Neel Upadhye talk to
launched in 1978. Available now, these retro figures StarWars.com about the Star
can be yours for $9.99 each. Wars: Squadrons short film
“Hunted,” a new kind of Star
Wars story set prior to the
events of the video game.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 13

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Boba’s Blurrg!
Back(pack)!
Charge into battle with
A handy carry-all for work, Hasbro’s Mission Fleet
school, and every Fett fan
S tomp into action with pram, and the Mandalorian. This
E ven the most fearsome characters and creatures spring look for two more sets coming
bounty hunter in the from The Mandalorian to your galaxy, priced at $14.99:
galaxy needs somewhere in the latest additions of Kuiil Blurg Battle Charge, which
to stash their stuff as they Hasbro’s Star Wars Mission Fleet. includes the enigmatic ugnaught
stalk down their latest prey. The New additions to the line include the Kuiil and his missile-firing blurrg
Boba Fett Top Zip Backpack, coming Defend the Child figure and vehicle set, ride; and the Biker Scout Speeder
soon from Bioworld out now and priced $19.99, featuring Bike Speeder Sprint, which includes
Merchandising and fun figures of IG-11, Cara Dune, a a biker-scout figure and a speeder
priced at $98.99, stormtrooper, the Child with hover bike with a sidecar.
features the
green and
grey color
scheme of
Boba’s iconic
armor, with
a mythosaur
skull adding
authentic
detail.

Moff is a
Must Have

Mando’s fearsome foe goes
Premium Format

M off Gideon’s desire to capture
the Child in the Disney+
series The Mandalorian

has been a major problem

for Mando and his friends across

two seasons of space adventure. His

obsession could become yours, if you

feel a compelling need to add the Moff

Gideon Premium Format Figure from

Sideshow Collectibles to your carefully

curated collection.

Recreating a gasp-inducing moment

from the final episode of Season One,

this finely detailed polystone figure of

the fiendish Moff features a sculpted

body suit and fabric cape, plus the

legendary darksaber. Available to pre-

order now, priced $595, shipping is

estimated to begin in December 2021.

14 / STAR WARS INSIDER

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Mando
Merch

The latest bounty on
which to blow your beskar

Black Series Bucket A Digitally rendered image. Final product may vary.
B
Boba Fett Re-Armored May the floors be with you
C
Having made a surprise return to our Adorn your doorstep with
screens during the second season of The the Child’s friendly face
Mandalorian, and having reclaimed his
father’s armor in the process, Boba Fett What better way to welcome guests to
showed an unexpected creative streak your home than by showing off your
by buffing up his battered bucket with Star Wars fandom? Pyramid America
a shiny new coat of paint. provides a pair of perfect doormats C
that will let your neighbors know that
New to Hasbro’s Black Series, the Boba Mandalorians from far and wide are free
Fett (Re-Armored) Premium Electronic to visit your own personal covert.
Helmet A recreates Fett’s fancy new look,
complete with flip-down rangefinder with Measuring 17-inches by 29-inches,
flashing LED lights and an illuminated both mats bear likenesses of the Child,
heads-up display. but offer very different messages.
The cheerier of the two options has
Available for pre-order now priced the Child peering cheekily up at
$119.99, the new Fett bucket will be guests, ears raised, and bears the jokey
coming to stores in the Spring of 2022. legend, “Welcome. I’m All Ears.” More
And if that seems like a long wait, menacingly, and surely gracing the floor
remember the last time we saw the of Moff Gideon’s personal residence,
legendary bounty hunter, he was destined the second mat simply says “Wanted,”
to spend all eternity languishing in the and features a more worried looking
belly of the all-powerful Sarlacc! Child in his hover pram. Available now,
each natural coir doormat includes soft
The Mandalori-Pin PVC skid-resistant backing and is priced
at $19.99.
Show off your Mando spirit
STAR WARS INSIDER / 15
The Armorer’s decision to affix the
mudhorn icon to Mando’s armor was one
of the most powerful moments of The
Mandalorian’s first season. FiGPiN brings
you the opportunity to wear your own
Mando-inspired pins on your clothing or
display them in your home. The highly
detailed 3-inch tall pins B are made from
hard enamel and come with a unique ID
code, rubber backer stand, a backer card,
and a collectible FiGPiN clear protector
case. Choose from an array of characters,
including the Child in his pram, The
Armorer holding her blacksmith tools, IG-
11 carrying the Child, and Moff Gideon
wielding the legendary Darksaber. Each
pin is priced at $14.99.

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Book Club

Gaining wisdom from past event in the latest Star Wars books.

<ISM I LMMX LQ^M QV\W \PM ;\IZ ?IZ[ )ZKPQ^M[

Lost secrets of the prequel trilogy uncovered

If the first volume, The Star Wars An astonishing array of images process, and the filmmaker talks
Archives: Episodes IV - VI: 1977-1983, make The Star Wars Archives: extensively about his motivations
authored by Paul Duncan proved a Episodes I-III: 1999-2005 a visual feast, and the storytelling opportunities
heavy burden for your bookshelves, with eye-catching concept art, made available by the pioneering
adding this prequel trilogy follow-up to behind-the-scenes photographs, technology developed for the films.
your collection may require some storyboards, and stills from the movies Lucas also speaks about his early ideas
structural reinforcement. The 600- benefitting from the scale and space for a sequel trilogy, which makes for
page tome weighs in at an impressive this large-format book affords them. fascinating reading.
13.76 pounds (6.24 kilograms), and There are also facsimiles of production
every ounce has been put to good use notes and script pages that tell their Duncan also spoke to many of
in an exhaustive exploration of George own stories of how the movies were Lucas’ collaborators who worked on
Lucas’ trio of movies following the rise made, but the real detail comes from the trilogy, painting the most complete
and fall of Anakin Skywalker in Star the exclusive interviews that run picture of how the films were created
Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), throughout. As with the first book, ever to have seen print.
Attack of the Clones (2002) and Duncan again spoke with George
Revenge of the Sith (2005). Lucas at length about his storytelling Published by Taschen, The Star
Wars Archives: Episodes I-III: 1999-
2005 is out now.

16 / STAR WARS INSIDER

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02
01

03

01 02 03

Star Wars: Star Wars: The Tiny Book of Jedi:
Victory’s Price The Mandalorian Wisdom from the Light
Junior Novel Side of the Force
Available March 2 from Del Rey,
Victory’s Price is the hardcover This is the way! The Mandalorian Coming March 9 from Insight
sequel to 2020’s Shadow Fall is the smash hit series on Disney+, Editions, this enlightening yet tiny
and represents the conclusion of and this new junior novel from book’s small size allows any fan
Alexander Freed’s high-octane Disney Lucasfilm Press is the to hold a thousand generations
Alphabet Squadron trilogy. perfect way to relive the events of Jedi history in the palm of
of the show’s first season. their hand.
In the wake of Yrica Quell’s
shocking decision, Alphabet Follow the Mandalorian as he Written by S.T. Bende, The Tiny
Squadron seeks answers as the travels the fringes of the galaxy, Book of Jedi compiles generations
galaxy’s war scars threaten to hunting bounties for credits until his of Jedi lore from such luminaries as
split open once more. While work brings him into contact with Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Rey, and Ezra
Operation Cinder—the Empire’s the Force-sensitive being known Bridger, presenting their lessons
terrifying protocol of planetary only as the Child. His decision to alongside dazzling art pieces and
extermination—burns throughout protect the Child at all costs puts a cloth bookmark to mark one’s
the galaxy, Shadow Wing regains the Mandalorian at odds with place. The Tiny Book of Jedi serves
its strength. The starfighter pilots everyone, including the Empire’s as a companion volume to The Tiny
of the New Republic have one remnants and the Bounty Hunters Book of Sith: Knowledge from the
last chance to defeat their enemy Guild! Written by Joe Schreiber Dark Side of the Force, available at
before it carries out the Emperor’s and featuring a color photo insert, the same time, for those who prefer
final edict of destruction, but how The Mandalorian Junior Novel is in dark-side lore from masters ranging
do you catch a shadow? stores now. from Darth Maul to Kylo Ren.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 17

LAUNCHPAD

+WUQK[ :W]VL]X

A new epoch of adventures begins
in this month’s Star Wars comics.

0MZM +WUM
\PM 6QPQT

The Jedi prepare for battle
in Star Wars: The High
Republic Adventures #1

Star Wars: The High Republic IDW editor Elizabeth Brei added, Star Wars: The High Republic
Adventures, coming this February “It’s a thrill for us to get to participate Adventures #1 will be available in
from IDW Publishing, is a brand-new in the storytelling of this bold new era stores on February 3, and collectors
ongoing series set centuries years of Star Wars lore. Daniel, Harvey, and should keep their eyes open for
before the events of the Star Wars Rebecca are building an incredible several unique retail cover variants,
films. In this era, the Republic is at its chapter of the story that is truly including one by Tolibao himself
peak and the Jedi Order has never essential reading.” and another by artist Yael Nathan.
been stronger. But a terrifying new
adversary known as the Nihil wants
to bring it all crashing down.

Writing this all-ages title is
Daniel José Older, author of the
2018 New York Times bestselling
novel Star Wars: Last Shot, and
he’s ably suported by artist Harvey
Tolibao and colorist Rebecca Nalty
in chronicling the adventures of
Master Yoda’s Padawan trainees and
the young heroes in their orbit. The
action begins in the aftermath of the
devastating Hyperspace Disaster, with
flaming debris about to rain down on
the planet Trymant IV. Zeen and her
friend Krix have only minutes to reach
the Elders of the Path and lead them
to safety, while the Padawan class
serving under Jedi Masters Yoda and
Torban Buck steel themselves for a
perilous rescue mission.

“I’m so very excited to be able to
tell this epic story of Padawans, as the
galaxy changes dramatically around
them and danger lurks around every
corner,” Older explained to StarWars.
com. “Working on The High Republic
has been a dream come true, and
getting to watch this world come to
life through the brilliant art of Harvey
Tolibao is one of the highlights of my
career. I can’t wait for the fans to see
what we’re cooking up.”

18 / STAR WARS INSIDER

LAUNCHPAD Incoming

Bounty Hunters #9 Don’t Miss These
Upcoming Releases
As the “Terminus Gauntlet” arc
continues, cyborg bounty hunter Valance FEBRUARY
is on the run. Having already survived
encounters with notorious hunters Star Wars Adventures #6
including Zuckuss and 4-LOM, Valance IDW Comics
finds that he’s now the most wanted Writers: Katie Cook
person in the galaxy! and Shaun Manning
Artists: Cara McGee
In the latest installment from writer and Fico Ossio
Ethan Sacks and artist Paolo Villanelli, Cover Artist:
Valance is trapped aboard a rebel Francesco Francavilla
transport beseiged by pirates. Only a Star Wars #11
desperate gambit will ensure his survival, Marvel Comics
but his old rival Dengar is back—along Writer: Charles Soule
with another figure guaranteed to Artist: Jan Bazaldua
change the galactic underworld forever! Cover Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Bounty Hunters #9 features a cover by Darth Vader #10
Mattia De Iulis. In stores January 27. Marvel Comics
Writer: Greg Pak
Darth Vader #9 Artist: Raffaele Ienco
Cover Artist: Aaron Kuder
As punishment for his previous The High Republic #2
weaknesses, Emperor Palpatine has Marvel Comics
banished his apprentice, Darth Vader, Writer: Cavan Scott
to the lava world of Mustafar. Seething, Artist: Ario Anindito
Vader has since scoured the planet to Cover Artist: Phil Noto
unlock the secrets of his cruel master, Star Wars Legends
and only the Sith assassin, Ochi of Epic Collection Volume #5
Bestoon —as mentioned in Star Wars: The New Republic
The Rise of Skywalker (2019)—can aid Marvel Comics
him in his quest. Writers: Tom Veitch and others
Artists: Cam Kennedy and others
But could these events merely be Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
cogs in the Emperor’s machinations,
and what might happen when Vader STAR WARS INSIDER / 19
and Ochi discover the truth? Darth
Vader #9, by writer Greg Pak and artist
Raffaele Ienco, is available now, with a
cover by artist Aaron Kuder.

Star Wars Adventures #5

In another exciting tale set during
the prequel trilogy, outlaws ruin a
romantic evening between Padmé
Amidala and Anakin Skywalker,
kicking off the fifth issue of Star
Wars Adventures from IDW.

After Anakin is Jedi-napped at the
hands of a bunch of greedy bandits
with designs on stealing a holocron
from the Jedi Temple, Padmé must
marshal all of her cunning to infiltrate
their criminal hideout and rescue her
love. Brought to you by writers Katie
Cook and Casey Gilly, with artists Cara
McGee and Ethen Beavers, Star Wars
Adventures #5 is in stores now.

4]UQVW][ 4WZM Republic
Roundup
Shining a light on Star Wars: The High Republic.
JANUARY
Darkest suddenly finds himself at the heart of
Fears the unfolding crisis and seeking refuge Light of the Jedi
aboard a seemingly abandoned space Writer: Charles Soule
A young Jedi is taken station. It isn’t long, however, before Publisher: Del Rey
W]\ WN PQ[ KWUNWZ\ bWVM strange things start happening. Reath Release Date: January 5, 2021
in Into the Dark. and his companions must unravel a
dark mystery, even if the revelation A Test of Courage
Star Wars: The High Republic is of the truth results in tragedy! Writer: Justina Ireland
Lucasfilm’s new multimedia initiative, Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
promising a wealth of books and Published by Disney Lucasfilm Release Date: January 5, 2021
comics dedicated to exploring an Press, Star Wars: The High Republic:
untold Star Wars era, 200 years prior Into the Dark is in stores now. The Great Jedi Rescue
to the events of the films. Providing Writer: Cavan Scott
an ideal entry point to this saga for Artist: Petur Antonsson
young adult readers is Into the Dark, Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
the new novel by Claudia Gray, one Release Date: January 5, 2021
of the key architects behind the
ambitious project. FEBRUARY

The novel tells the tale of Reath Into the Dark
Silas, a Jedi Padawan sent on a new Writer: Claudia Gray
mission intended to uproot him from Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
the cosy, cosmopolitan urbanity of Release Date: February 2, 2021
Coruscant. Young Reath is quite fond
of the sterile environs of the Jedi JUNE
Archives, and isn’t too happy about
being transplanted into the savage The Rising Storm
wilds of the galactic frontier, but when Writer: Cavan Scott
his ship is knocked out of hyperspace Publisher: Del Rey
during a galaxy-wide disaster, he Release Date: June 29, 2021

Race to Crashpoint Tower
Writer: Cavan Scott
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: June 29, 2021

Author Claudia Gray on something of an introvert. Of course,
the reluctant hero of her his master knows it’s time to shake
The High Republic debut Reath’s expectations up a bit.

“Reath has had a somewhat unusual “For a Jedi, he’s not especially
experience as a Padawan,” Into the strong in the Force,” adds Gray.
Dark author Claudia Gray reveals to “Reath’s intellectual capacities
Star Wars Insider. “His master, Jora determine his success more than his
Malli, is a member of the Jedi Council, raw abilities. He knows how to dig
and the two of them have traveled deep and come at a problem from
away from Coruscant fairly rarely. So, different directions. When the going
while most Padawans have seen a lot gets tough, you might rather have
of the galaxy, Reath’s experience is a someone like Reath on your side.
little more limited. And he likes it that It was a welcome change of pace to
way! He’s a bookworm, a homebody, write a Jedi Knight who wants very
different things and looks on his
lightsaber as a weapon of last resort.”



200 REASONS

WHY WE LOVE

STAR WARS

Star Wars IXXMIT[ \W XMWXTM NZWU UIVa LQ‫ٺ‬MZMV\ XTIKM[
and all walks of life. Our love for the saga unites us, binding this
galaxy of fans together. On the occasion of Star Wars Insider’s
200th issue, we present 200 reasons why we love it so much, with

the help of Star Wars luminaries and celebrity devotees.

WORDS: CHRISTOPHER COOPER

W I T H T H A N KS TO JAY S TO B I E , B R E T T R E CTO R ,
K RI S T I N BAV E R , M A R K N E W B O L D , A N D A L L W H O GAV E

T H E I R T I M E TO C O N T RI B U T E TO T H I S F E AT U R E .

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

33 Jessica Henwick

YEARS IN Jessika Pava in Star Wars:
THE MAKING The Force Awakens (1999)

Ten years after Star Wars: “A world without Star Wars
A New Hope (1977) made would be a wildly different
its theatrical debut in the place. No film series has had
U.S., the Official Lucasfilm a bigger cultural impact. I love
Fanclub published the how it transcends countries,
first issue of its club cultures, ages even!”
newsletter. Twenty-three
issues later the magazine Rob Bredow
morphed into Star
Wars Insider, the title Chief Creative Officer,
under which it has been Industrial Light & Magic
published since 1994.
Along the way, dozens of “Dennis Muren photographing
contributors have shared the AT-AT’s in Star Wars: The
their love for Star Wars Empire Strikes Back (1980)
with you, our readers. inspired me to follow a career
Insider wouldn’t exist in the visual effects industry.
without your enthusiasm Getting to work at ILM is a
and continued support. dream come true.”
Thank you.

Ingvild Deila Amin Elhassan Jerome Blake

Princess Leia in ESPN Analyst Mas Amedda in
Rogue One: A Star and Commentator Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Wars Story (2016)
“When I was 8 years old, my “Where do I begin, to tell the story of how great
I’ve met family and I moved back to our a love can be? Back in the day, I went on a date
Star Wars native homeland of Sudan. It with a girl who was way out of my league to see
fans from around was quite the culture shock, the movie Love Story (1970); we stayed to watch it
the world, and its but I was able to survive three times. The next time I stayed to watch a movie
been encouraging with a caseload of movies three times was in 1977, and that movie was A New Hope.
to see people videotaped off the TV. By far I was hooked. Star Wars is the longest love story of my life.”
from different and away the most viewed
backgrounds was A New Hope. Dominic
come together Monaghan
and be supportive “Watching a young Luke
of each other in Skywalker grow up in an Beaumont Kin in
their expressions of environment not that dissimilar Star Wars: The Rise
fandom. It is moving to my own was inspirational. of Skywalker (2019)
when I meet fans I dreamed of outgrowing my
who devote their surroundings and changing “Star Wars is the reason
love for the galaxy the course of history.” I became an actor.
far, far away to
raising funds for John Jackson Miller Every experience I’ve
worthy charities had as an actor has
in this galaxy. Author, Star Wars: Kenobi been influenced by
the spark that was lit
“The movie house where I when watching the
first saw A New Hope was the original trilogy as a kid,
very same one where Elvis and deciding acting is
Presley had seen it weeks what I wanted to do. It’s
before, the Whitehaven been one of the driving
Theater in Memphis, narratives behind my
Tennessee. The King of Rock
and Roll used it as a private entire life.”
screening room. Star Wars
would have been one of the
last movies he saw; I don’t
know if he liked it, but hey,
who doesn’t like Star Wars?”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 23

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

David Dastmalchian 14

Piter De Vries in Dune (2021) THE ART OF
“I have always loved the way STAR WARS
Star Wars’ ragtag group of
accidental friends learn to The iconic look of Star Wars
love and lift one another originated in awe-inspiring
up in the face of seemingly concept art by Ralph
invincible evil. It is truly McQuarrie. His work, and
about holding onto hope, that of other talented artists
regardless of the odds.” over the decades, has been
showcased in the lavish Art
Chris Weitz of Star Wars books, now
numbering 14 titles.
Screenwriter,
Rogue One: A Star Dave Freeman Michael Rosenbaum Julie Kogura
Wars Story (2016)
Senior Concept Artist, Lex Luthor in Associate Post
Luke Industrial Light & Magic Smallville (2001-2011) Production Manager,
Skywalker Lucasfilm Animation
was always my “I spent my childhood “Star Wars has so much
favorite. Everybody drawing spaceships, aliens detail, you can really tell “I love how Star Wars brings
loves Han, but as and planets from Star Wars. how much love was put into generations together. My dad
an idealistic seven- Now, forty years later, I’m still the movies. My friends and and I bonded over Star Wars
year-old, Luke was doing the same as a concept I constantly text each other long before I got this job!”
everything I wanted artist. That is the power of with Star Wars news and
to be. And the thing Star Wars.” trivia. It keeps us young.” Garrick Hagon
is, I still feel the
same way. Biggs Darklighter in
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Greg
Grunberg “Star Wars
has meant
Temmin “Snap” Wexley the world to
me. Literally.
“Star Wars has always Wherever
meant family to me, I’ve worked,
especially now that throughout
I’ve been lucky enough Europe, in China,
to join the Star Wars Africa, wherever, I mention that
family. Playing Snap I was in the original film and
Wexley was a bucket- eyes light up. I guess they’re
list item that I’ll never amazed you’re still alive!”
be able to top, and
working on those
amazing films with
my dearest and oldest
friend, J.J. Abrams,
made it even
more special.”

Taran Killam Neal Scanlan

Actor and stormtrooper Creature and special make-up effects
cameo in Star Wars Resistance creative supervisor
(2018-2020)
When Luke Skywalker flies his X-wing into the Death Star trench
“Star Wars taught me that was the first time I’d felt like the theater itself had moved. I’d
appearances aren’t always never experienced anything like it, and that was when Star
what they seem. A green toad Wars became more than visual to me, it was physical.
man can be the wisest of us all.
A mining magnate will stab you
in the back then save your life.
Trying means nothing.”

24 / STAR WARS INSIDER

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

Ian David Whiteley Simon Williamson
McDiarmid
Filmmaker, Max Rebo in Star Wars:
Emperor Palpatine/ The Galaxy Britain Built (2017) Return of the Jedi (1983)
Darth Sidious
“Star Wars has been my “Tinkling the prop ivories as an
“When I first saw what favorite thing my entire life. elephantine keyboard-player
I looked like in the The excitement and wonder was a terrific job. Forward some
apparatus from The are as real today as when I decades to a panel talk on a
Rise of Skywalker, I was 5 years old. When I made podium. Happy faces, hands
thought ‘Ahh, I’ve the documentary, The Galaxy shaken, moments shared. The
finally achieved my Britain Built, I got to meet so life of a performer from the
apotheosis as a Pez many of my filmmaking heroes original trilogy, still close to
dispenser.’ That was who brought that galaxy to life. people’s hearts. What a fine
weirdly satisfying.” What an honor!” thing this Star Wars galaxy is.”

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Freya Fenris in Star Wars
Resistance (2018-2020)

For me, Star Wars has always been
about one thing—hope. Faced with
seemingly insurmountable odds, there
is always hope. We can never give up.

Sarah Spain

Radio host and
TV personality

“Whether you’re a Star Wars
diehard or a casual fan, you
know the impact of Princess
Leia. While most movie
princesses would be waiting
around to be saved, Leia
was adjusting strategies for
taking out stormtroopers. In
a galaxy full of fantastical
creatures, somehow the
galaxy’s petite but persistent
heroine steals the show.”

James Khan 27A SAGA IN NUMBERSAcross twelve films (including The Clone Wars movie) and fifteen seasons
of television adventures, it would take almost seven days (including
Author, Star Wars: Return comfort breaks) to enjoy every moment of onscreen Star Wars *.
of the Jedi novelization 12 7 4 2 2

“I saw Star Wars on the Blockbuster Seasons of Seasons of Seasons of Seasons of
opening night, May 1977. The Theatrical Star Wars: Star Wars Star Wars Star Wars: The
theater was almost full, so The Clone Wars Resistance Mandalorian
I had to take a seat in the Movies Rebels
second row, my head tipped (2008-14, 2020) (2018-2019) (2019-present)
back to look up at the screen. Total Minutes (2014-2018)
And then one of the peak of Star Wars : Total Minutes Total Minutes Total Minutes
movie experiences of my life. Approx. 1,606 of Star Wars : Total Minutes of Star Wars : of Star Wars :
A spaceship enters the frame, Approx. 3,990 of Star Wars : Approx. 630 Approx. 480
trailed by another, flying Approx. 2,250
directly above me as I stare
up in awe. And it just keeps *and counting (not including Ewok movies, videogames, LEGO adaptations, holiday specials, or documentaries)!
coming, and coming, there’s
no end to it, it’s massive,
there’s never been a spaceship
this big… And I’m a fan for life.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 25

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

Kristin Baver John Morton

Host of This Week! in Star Wars and Dak Ralter in Star Wars: The
The Star Wars Show Book Club Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Associate Editor, StarWars.com, Lucasfilm “Playing Dak has given me the
privilege to serve as a Star Wars
“There’s something in Star Wars for everyone—a ambassador, to go out amongst
character that resonates, or a moment that helps the fans to reinforce the positive
you understand your own life a little bit better. And vision of the films, to entertain
it helps us connect to each other. I’ve lost count of the and encourage fans to have
number of times I’ve met someone wearing a Star Wars hope and faith in themselves,
T-shirt and it’s started a conversation or a friendship.” and pursue their dreams.”

William Dave Chapman Brian Herring Bridgette
Shatner Powell
BB-8 pupeteer BB-8 puppeteer
Captain Kirk Software
in Star Trek “Watching Star Wars for the “It’s a generational thing, and Engineer,
first time took me away from I love that. Whether you’re Industrial
I like a wintery, grey U.K. and into an excited kid watching the Light &
everybody in an incredible and exciting Star Destroyer pass over your Magic
Star Wars, including world. I became obsessed head for the first time, or a “I love how the
Mark Hamill. And with finding out how it was grandparent remembering Star Wars galaxy contains
believe me, that’s a all done. I remember lying on taking that child’s parent to so many technological
generosity of spirit my bedroom floor as a kid, see it way back when, the inventions! It’s inspiring
that I didn’t know I dreaming of working on a Star thunderous fanfare of the to see technology used
had. The Star Wars Wars movie, just for one day. opening crawl still delivers by everyone.”
saga tells tales I suppose the ‘dreams can a tingle. I’ve never lost sight
right out of Mount come true’ thing is what Star of how these stories make Jon
Olympus. Grecian Wars means most to me.” me feel.” Kasdan
stories of Gods
and hostile giants Co-writer, Solo: A Star
living far, far Wars Story (2018)
“I love Star Wars’ scale,
1away. the limitlessness of that
THE ONE galaxy far, far away that
AND ONLY seems to always have
CHILD room for more worlds,
more characters and
Small, green,and always more stories. I’d already
hungry, he’s the breakout experienced the thrill of
star of The Mandalorian ! imagining something
and then realizing it as
a filmmaker, but to do
so with Star Wars, on
that largest of scales,
reminds you of the
awesome power of
imagination.”

26 / STAR WARS INSIDER

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

A GALAXY IN Joonas
NUMBERS Suotamo

The Insider navicomputer Chewbacca
parses the fastest route to
55 reasons, in just 10 jumps!* Star Wars
is a special
10 Years 07 Dark-Side Devotees 03 Planet-zapping place for me. It’s
Superweapons a refuge where my
Length of time after The Kylo Ren and his band of mind can escape.
Phantom Menace before Force-sensitive warriors, The bigger they come, The relatable
Anakin Skywalker saw the Knights of Ren. the harder they fall. characters and
Padmé Amidala again. thrilling adventures
06 Riotous Rebels 02 Plucky Droids make the galaxy
09 Trench Runners come alive and
The crew of the Ghost, C-3PO and R2-D2 feel so real. In this
The number of rebel codenamed the Spectres. witnessed it all, but only fantastical setting,
starfighters that braved one remembers. (They I love that we can
the Death Star trench. 05 Aces High even had their own recognize elements
animated TV series!) of our own world
08 Droid The defenders of the in the midst of
Denominations Colossus refueling station. 01 Chosen One this ancient,
spacefaring
BB-8, R5-D4, QT-KT, BT-1, 04 Deadly Darths The prophesied person society.
L3-37, C1-10P, K-2SO, who would bring balance
IG-88… the list goes on! Dark Lords Sidious, Maul, to the Force. STAR WARS INSIDER / 27
Tyranus, and Vader!

*Add them up as follows: 10+9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1=55!

Mary Carr Tim Rose

Asset Team Office Admiral Ackbar
Administrator, Lucasfilm
“After the costume fitting
“My favorite thing about Star for The Force Awakens,
Wars is the way it can turn it was deemed that my
total strangers into friends. No middle-aged pot belly
matter what we are facing in was spoiling the lines of the
this world, Star Wars continues Ackbar costume, so I had to
to bring people together.” wear a male girdle during
filming. When I saw the
John Walsh new Hasbro action figure
for the first time, I burst
Filmmaker and Author out laughing. I had most
definitely forgotten
“For all its technological to put my girdle on
wizardry, the original Star Wars the day they
trilogy relied on stop-motion 3D-scanned me
animation—a century-old for the toy mold!”
special effects technique—
to bring the story alive. From
the chess set onboard the
Millennium Falcon to the scout
walkers on Endor, the use of
stop-motion makes those
scenes timeless.”

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

HEROES’ JOURNEYS Ahmed
Best
Star Wars has given us a wealth of heroic characters to root for, in epic tales
that can trace their roots to folklore, myths, and legends from our own galaxy. Jar Jar Binks

Jean-Paul Beaulieu P.J. Byrne Star Wars
showed me
Senior Lighting Adam Bourke in The Boys (2020) at a very young
Technical Director, age that there is
Industrial Light & Magic “Star Wars was the first big no limit to what
movie event of my life and creativity and
“For me, Star Wars has been nothing has quite captured imagination can
about living up to your potential; that communal grandness bring. George Lucas
doing what is right; and even since. There’s nothing better had this radical
when you fail, never giving up. than watching an epic film and idea and had the
I try to live my life like this, and feeling the energy of a packed faith in himself to
Star Wars is the reason I do.” movie theater.” bring it to fruition.
I take that lesson
with me every day,
and it inspires me
to keep playing,
creating, and
achieving.”

Gary Whitta STAR WARS CELEBRATION

Writer, Rogue One: From Denver in 1999 to Chicago in 2019, taking in Japan, Germany and the U.K. along the way,
A Star Wars Story (2016) Celebration is the most joyful gathering of Star Wars fans in the galaxy. See you in Anaheim in 2022!

“I remember vividly the
moment Star Wars set me
on the path to my filmmaking
career, when Lando says, ‘Here
goes nothing!’ and pilots the
Millennium Falcon inside the
Death Star in Star Wars: Return
of the Jedi (1983). I was 11 years
old, and it absolutely blew me
away. That whole third act
filled me with such wonder
and joy, I realized that I wanted
to do something with my life
that would allow me to convey
that same magical feeling
to others.”

28 / STAR WARS INSIDER

200 REASONS WHY WE LOVE STAR WARS

BESPIN MUSTAFAR ENDOR Tony Sherg

Where Luke Where Obi-Wan Where the Empire Designer,
Skywalker learned Kenobi defeated fell and the Jedi StarWars.com,
Darth Vader’s true returned. Lucasfilm
Darth Vader.
identity. TATOOINE I love the
6 strong
EXEGOL Birthplace of Anakin sense of design
PIVOTAL Skywalker. Home of that supports Star
Where a galaxy PLANETS Wars. The clear
joined forces to Luke Skywalker. visual language
ensure Palpatine’s Six Star Wars of the films clearly
worlds that had a communicate who
final demise. seismic impact on the the characters
Skywalker saga. are, how the
gadgets work,
NABOO and what kind of
environments our
Birthplace of Sheev heroes are facing,
Palpatine and leaving more time
for the audience to
Padmé Naberrie. make a connection
with the saga’s
1 characters
and themes.

Mickey Capoferri THE ONE AND
ONLY GEORGE
Senior Director of
Online Content and That Star Wars exists at all is thanks to the
Programming, Lucasfilm imagination and determination of George

“Star Wars represents the idea Lucas, and because he couldn’t get the
that anything is possible. As a rights to make a Flash Gordon movie.
kid it opened my imagination
like nothing else. It inspired me Gordon’s loss has been very much our gain.
to dream beyond my everyday
life with endless adventures
that I could lose myself in. It
inspired me to want to create
my own stories, and it gave me
the confidence to try. Making
Star Wars content is literally my
dream come true.”

Steve Sansweet

Collector of Star Wars
ephemera and artifacts

“When I walk through the aisles
of toys and other merchandise
at Rancho Obi-Wan, it triggers
wonderful memories of the
Star Wars movies, television
series, books, and comics
that have filled more than
four decades of my life and
led me in totally unexpected
directions. And it is those
memories, and the ability to
share them with fellow Star
Wars fans, that keeps my
passion for collecting Star
Wars burning bright.”

STAR WARS INSIDER / 29

IMancDiarmid

Return Of The Sith

With his trademark cackle, the imminent return of Emperor Palpatine
was heralded in the trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
For actor Ian McDiarmid, it was a welcome opportunity to contribute
to the completion of a movie saga that has entertained generations.

WORDS: MARK NEWBOLD

an McDiarmid about it?” Well, my first thought
was, “Hasn’t he been destroyed?”,
I first played the and J.J. explained that he’s so clever,
sinister Emperor bits of him aren’t the same as
Palpatine in Star before, but the brain is still intact.
Wars: Return of So, I said yes, it sounded exciting,
the Jedi (1983), and indeed it turned out to be.
returning to play a younger
version of the character in the Once I’d read the script, and
prequel trilogy that showed how J.J. and I had talked about it, it all
the seemingly affable senator seemed highly feasible to me. As
conquered the Star Wars galaxy you see in the film, Palpatine was
through stealth and cunning. in a terrible physical mess, really
Having been killed off by Darth knocked about and hanging up
Vader at the climax of the original there in that strange contraption,
trilogy, as far as McDiarmid was but the brain was ticking over. In
concerned Palpatine’s fate was the original script he was much
sealed. Or was it? more badly mauled than you saw
in the movie, which is probably
Star Wars Insider: Were you just as well. One line I had that
surprised when the opportunity didn’t make the final cut was when
arose to pull on Palpatine’s Kylo first encounters Palpatine in
cloak once again for The Rise that first scene and says, “You’re a
of Skywalker ? clone!” My line was, “More than
Ian McDiarmid: I was, because a clone, less than a man,” which
I’d assumed he’d been forever to me seemed to sum him up
consigned to the galactic hell where extremely well.
he belonged. It really didn’t look
as if he was going to survive after What appealed to you most about
Darth Vader shoved him down reprising the character?
that shaft, so I was very surprised The thing I liked was that he was
to get an email from J.J. Abrams’ so determined he wouldn’t be
office asking for my phone number. defeated, that he would live on in
When I eventually spoke to J.J., he some form, even if it wasn’t going
said, “We’re thinking of bringing to be in his own body. That was a
Palpatine back. What do you think very interesting idea.

30 / STAR WARS INSIDER

“I’d assumed
he’d been forever

consigned to the
galactic hell where

he belonged.”

INTERVIEW: IAN McDIARMID

You’d imagine that someone 01
with such a brilliant mind as
Palpatine would think about listen to. I felt like I’d seen the 01 The Emperor’s necessarily see a script. So, when we
the afterlife and not dying, and whole movie by the time he’d makeup chair did the first rehearsal on set there
of course he implied what he’d finished. It was an extraordinary for Return of was an audible gasp throughout the
learned from his predecessor in Star notion to find out that I was the Jedi (left) studio. I thought, “Well, if there’s
Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rey’s grandfather, and sort of and The Rise a gasp here and we can keep it a
so I thought he’d probably have wonderful too. The films are of Skywalker secret, there’ll be a very big gasp
something along those lines tucked full of fathers and sons, and (right). indeed when the film is released!”
away somewhere. now full of grandfathers and
granddaughters too, and it was 02 J.J. Abrams Much like the three trilogies,
More than that, I know J.J. felt a nice parallel to Kylo Ren’s (center) Palpatine’s story played out in
honored to have the job of tying problems. We see just how directs an unorthodox order, skipping
up these nine movies, and in a closely Rey and Kylo are bound. McDiarmid, from the middle to the beginning,
sense that honor was channeled I thought it was a brilliant stroke. Adam Driver, then to the end. Has that been a
through my character. When and Daisy challenge as an actor?
you think about it, Palpatine had It was a very exciting day at Ridley. Performers in long-running
been responsible, either directly Pinewood when we shot the scene television series only ever know
or indirectly, for every evil act where I tell Kylo that I’m Rey’s how their character is going to
throughout these films, so it was grandfather, because as you may develop from episode to episode,
a dubious honor to play him again. know, a lot of people involved in and that’s not a bad thing. They
the process of making a film don’t suddenly find that there is a new
Along with the revelation aspect of their character that they
that Palpatine survived, we can call on to play that they hadn’t
also discovered he was Rey’s thought of before, and that was
grandfather. When was that plot certainly true for me with Palpatine.
twist first revealed to you?
That came out of the blue. I met I didn’t know that he was a
with J.J., Kathleen Kennedy, and young senator when I played the
the casting director Nina Gold Emperor in Return of the Jedi
shortly after I’d agreed to do the (1983), and George never actually
film, and as I had a cup of tea J.J. told me when we had our first
went through the film and told meeting about the prequels. He said
me the plot as it was at that point, there were two people, the senator
and he didn’t spare any detail, he who was working his way up who
performed it. It was exhilarating to would end up as the Emperor, and
this other character. It was only
02 when I got the call sheet for the
first day of filming that I saw my
number opposite a character called
Darth Sidious, and I thought it
was a mistake. Then I thought no,
no, they don’t make mistakes like
this. It was only then that I knew
I was two people in one. That was
fascinating in itself.

32 / STAR WARS INSIDER

“Palpatine BLACK IS THE
had been NEW BLACK

responsible, A veteran of Shakespearean
either directly theatre, Ian McDiarmid
or indirectly, for is more than used to
performing in opulent
every evil act theatrical costumes, but his
throughout these wardrobe as the Emperor
films, so it was a in Return of the Jedi wasn’t
dubious honor to quite what he’d expected.
play him again.”
“I remember when I first
03 got the part, I imagined a
whole series of magnificent
That literal duplicity is at the 03 Ian McDiarmid authoritarian dictatorship. Of costumes, like a Chinese
heart of the character. as Supreme course, such figures ultimately fail Emperor,” the star of stage
Yes, and I think it was really Chancellor because they’re short termers, they and screen ruefully recalls.
important for the story George Palpatine in don’t really think too far ahead. By What he got was layers of
Lucas was telling in the prequels Revenge of the disappearing for so long and having black robe hidden beneath
Sith (2005). various surrogates represent him, an equally black cloak. The
like Snoke who was genetically prequels, however, were
that you should see someone engineered by Palpatine, he was another story.
able to work obsessively to build
move up the ladder towards the this enormous army so that one day “I did get those kinds
he could obliterate all opposition of costumes as Palpatine
center of power using the levers and move back to the center of was moving from senator to
things. It was an act of unqualified chancellor to emperor,” adds
of democracy. revenge, really. McDiarmid. “Some wonderful
costumes, particularly those
These are a series of films Palpatine’s problem was he for Star Wars: Attack of the
couldn’t be the person he was, Clones (2002).”
primarily aimed at young people, which was the Emperor at the end
of Return of the Jedi, until certain The return of Palpatine in
and George was trying to relate to things were in place, which were all The Rise of Skywalker offered
to do with the relationship between an unexpected dash of flair in
them the real world, showing how Rey and Kylo Ren, and we know the revived Emperor’s garb. “I
how that worked out for him. was pleased to see that when
someone as clever and complicated he got back to his original
self, there was a red gown in
and evil as Palpatine could twist the wardrobe that he could
wear his black cloak over.
and manipulate democracy while A flash of red was allowed,
so Palpatine wasn’t entirely
appearing to be in favor of it. It was without vanity,” the actor
laughs, before concluding,
very important to George to tell “Of course, he wasn’t
interested in appearances at
that part of the story. all, he was only interested in
unlimited power!”
Palpatine played a very clever,
Speaking of Rey and Kylo Ren,
devious political game, turning you shared your scenes with
co-stars Daisy Ridley and Adam
the galaxy into his own ultimate Driver. How was that experience?
I was so lucky to be working with
two such brilliant actors. I spent
a good amount of time with Daisy,
and I would have loved a bit more
time with Adam, but that was the
nature of our scenes together. My
first day on set was the first scene of
the film, as Kylo Ren made his way
through the caverns of Exegol and
confronted me. The scene changed
in all sorts of ways but basically the
relationship stayed the same. It was
about two characters experiencing
danger at the same time, and

STAR WARS INSIDER / 33

INTERVIEW: IAN McDIARMID

BACK IN A
FORTNITE

The opening crawl for The Rise of
Skywalker began with this chilling
announcement: “The dead speak! The
galaxy has heard a mysterious broadcast,
a threat of revenge in the sinister voice
of the late Emperor Palpatine.”

But what exactly did that voice say?
Players of the videogame Fortnite,
joining a Star Wars-themed in-game
event just prior to the movie’s release,
were the ones who got to hear it. The
Emperor’s gravelly tones, performed
by McDiarmid himself, sent this sinister
message to the galaxy:
“At last the work of a generation is
complete. The great error is corrected.
The day of victory is at hand. The day of
revenge. The day of the Sith!”

that’s always an exciting thing for they were going to replace my I could stop it if I wanted to, but
an actor to play. eyeballs (laughs), of course. He was I didn’t want to at all. I loved
wonderful to work with and just zooming around.
There are many great things great to chat with. And he’s so tall!
about Adam’s acting ability and Was that contraption as
versatility, but what really struck Daisy is delightful. She sings a uncomfortable as it looked?
me was his amazing concentration, lot before each take to get herself We did a lot of fittings for the
when we were close, eyeball to in the mood, which is great. She’s contraption. The original plan
eyeball. I didn’t know at that time got a very good voice, actually; would have had me resting on my
she should do a musical one day. knees throughout, which would
“In the end, we She’s entirely concentrated but have been a little difficult as it
decided that he should in a completely different way would have put a strain on my
be the Emperor that to Adam, and she was always back. That was so they could get
everyone knows from worried that I might fall off or get closer to me for the close-up shots,
Jedi and I think that dizzy when I was zooming in and but thankfully they discovered
was absolutely the out in Palpatine’s contraption. I that they could do all of that quite
best decision.” wasn’t worried because I quite like happily with me just standing up
heights anyway, and I knew I was and being swung around, so that’s
in very safe hands. There were four what we settled for in the end.
guys who were manipulating the
contraption and the guy who was Palpatine is in pretty unappealing
in charge could stop it at any time. shape in The Rise of Skywalker.
Was the makeup application very
04 different to those for Return of
the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith?
Interestingly enough, Lucy Sibbick,
who was in charge of my face, and
Martin Rezzard, who was in charge
of my hands and other parts of the
body, wanted to get close to what
Nick Dudman had done for Return
of the Jedi, because this is what
the Emperor wanted to be again.
There were discussions about what
he would look like when he was
returned to full power, and at one
point it was thought that he would
be much younger, which I would

“When I was a
kid and we played

games, I always
wanted to be the

baddie.”

05

06 07

have been interested in, but in the brilliant. Later on they removed 04 McDiarmid politician. There was no apparent
end, we decided that he should be my eyes, though thankfully that and Adam side to him, he was just doing a job
the Emperor that everyone knows was done digitally. Driver and serving Naboo. I knew all the
from Jedi and I think that was prepare for time what he really was and what
absolutely the best decision. With Palpatine ending his Palpatine’s he was doing, but it was exciting
first scene. playing someone who appeared
I would go in every morning to be doing good while secretly
and place myself in their very days as a cloud of ash, what 05 The fully practicing the worst possible kind
talented and capable hands, and mark has he left on you? rejuvenated of evil you could conceive of. That’s
as it was with Nick, we started off When I was a kid and we played Emperor what’s great about his name—Darth
fairly slowly and gathered pace as games, I always wanted to be Palpatine. Sidious. He’s always insidiously,
shooting went on. The first makeup, the baddie, and when I started hideously there, throughout all the
before Palpatine’s power is returned out as an actor those were the 06 Palpatine movies. That I could help finish off
to him, was like a theatrical make- exerts his this great saga with that revelation,
up. I loved it. It looked very strange, Sith powers. I could never have dreamt I’d be so
even on set, and much as you see it lucky. In a sense it’s been a series of
in the movie. It was very odd and parts that were attractive to 07 Rey (Daisy strokes of luck. When J.J. called, I
very pale around the mouth, like me. Many actors will tell you Ridley) thought it wasn’t so much a case of
a face that had sort of sunk into the same, because you can get confronts third time lucky, but lucky for the
itself. Kind of appropriate. And the your teeth into the baddies, so Palpatine in third time (laughs).
lighting by Dan Mindel was just to have ended up playing the The Rise of
evilest creature in the Star Wars Skywalker.

saga is weirdly satisfying.

It was exciting early on because

Palpatine was merely an ordinary

STAR WARS INSIDER / 35

OUR STAR WARS STORIES

THE STORY OF

Our Star Wars Stories producer Dan Brooks takes Insider behind the scenes of
the compelling online documentary series that puts the saga’s fans in the spotlight.

WORDS: DAN BROOKS He’s here, too, standing to my right, Star Wars. His voice filled with
just out of shot. A member of the emotion, Jordan asks Zoe directly
am in Lancaster, 501st Legion costuming fan group, about her own relationship with
Mike introduced Zoe to Star Wars her dad.
I Pennsylvania, at an early age. They build their
sitting in the costumes together. They go to see “I don’t know if I would love
kitchen of the every new film release together. Star Wars the way I do if it wasn’t for
Hinton family. They love Star Wars and each other. him,” she says, tearing up. Jordan
From here, along calls Mike in. He hugs his daughter.
with a few others, I’m watching Suddenly, Jordan starts talking Around the room, people are wiping
Jordan Hembrough—pop-culture about his own childhood. About away tears, myself included.
expert and former host of Toy his father. He says they didn’t have
Hunter—talk eye-to-eye with Zoe, much to bond over, but they had This is how we make and tell
18. She’s the eldest daughter of the Our Star Wars Stories.
Hinton clan. The topic is Star Wars.
But not really. 01
Their conversation covers lots
more ground. How Zoe loved the
Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated
series, growing up with and learning
from Ahsoka Tano—the saga’s
first starring female Jedi. That Zoe
connected so deeply with Star Wars
Rebels’ Sabine Wren, she began
cosplaying as the character, crafting
homemade armor and weaponry.
And her decision to study film due
to the impact of Star Wars on her life
and the inspiration of George Lucas.
A constant throughout each
thread, however, is Zoe’s dad, Mike.

36 / STAR WARS INSIDER

02

Human Stories 03

As a producer on Our Star Wars to bring that idea to fruition. He
connected with Mickey Capoferri,
Stories and editor of StarWars.com, Lucasfilm’s senior director of online
content and programming (and my
I’ve been involved with the series boss); as it happened, Lucasfilm and
Mickey were already exploring the
(available on both StarWars.com possibility of a series focused on
Star Wars fans at the same time.
and YouTube) since the beginning.
Almost. The story of Our Star Wars Developing the concept together,
Jordan and Mickey decided the
Stories starts with Jordan, producer show wouldn’t be about collections
or the material side of fandom. They
and host of the show, and in would go deeper. “We wanted to
find a way to feature and showcase
surprising circumstances.

From 2012 to 2014, Jordan

traveled the country visiting

collectors as host of the Travel
Channel’s Toy Hunter. Sometimes

he’d uncover a gem tucked away in

a dusty attic. Other times, complete

sets of long-discontinued lines.

What he didn’t count on, however,

was finding something completely 04

unexpected: inspiration for another

series altogether. 01 Host Jordan some of the amazing Star Wars
“We would be on the road Hembrough fans from around the world, and
(left) with show how Star Wars can truly
meeting all these incredible the Perales impact someone’s life. Not just in
people who had a passion, family. an entertainment way, but in an
whether it be for collecting toys, emotional and a beneficial way,”
says Mickey. “We wanted these to be
or just a fan of a franchise. And 02 Toy collector human stories, and stories with deep
they had these incredible stories Dale Hopkins emotional resonance.”
about how these franchises (right).
From there, it was just a matter
and movies were affecting their 03 501st founder of figuring out what that would
lives,” Jordan tells me. “I decided Albin Johnson actually look like onscreen. Mickey,
then and there. I said, ‘We really (left) talks as executive producer, assembled a
have to start telling these stories, with Jordan. core creative group: Alan Griswold,
because they’re so wonderful.’” an old friend and collaborator,
04 Droid builder would direct, leading his team
A couple of years later, Jordan Christina Cato from production company Monkey
would have an opportunity (left). Deux; Matt Martin of the Lucasfilm
Story Group came onboard to
“We wanted to find a way to feature and produce; and I joined the team
showcase some of the amazing Star Wars as a producer and writer. (Tony
fans from around the world, and show how Sherg, the StarWars.com team’s
Star Wars can truly impact someone’s life.” designer, created all the graphics.)

MICKEY CAPOFERRI, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

STAR WARS INSIDER / 37

05 Budding filmmaker
Zoe Hinton gets
behind the camera.

06 Zoe shows off
her self-made
Mandalorian armor.

07 Producer Dan Brooks
(left) on location.

08 (Left to right) Alan
Griswold, John Lizzio,
Bernie Ozol, Jordan
Hembrough, Mike
Hinton, Zoe Hinton,
Duncan McCabe, Matt
Martin, Dan Brooks,
and John Harper.

09 Director Alan Griswold
talks Zoe through
setting up a camera.

05

Together, we vetted interviewee to cities around the world, talking 06
candidates (most of whom Jordan with all kinds of people about 07
discovered—to be clear, he’s a true food, culture, and local life. I loved
producer and creative force on Our how that show could bounce from
Star Wars Stories), and dialed in the earnest to goofy to tragic and back
look, feel, and tone of the show. again, and saw similarities with
what we were trying to accomplish.
“We wanted it to be serious. With our small crew we could never
Serious, but fun,” Mickey says. capture what Parts Unknown did
“You know, we’re dealing with visually, but tonally we could, and
some subjects like cancer, like that was my personal North Star
discrimination, so we wanted to in terms of feel and, ultimately,
have respect for that.” Some early in writing for the interviews. In
ideas, like a freezeframe “stats” the end, I think Our Star Wars
list of the fans’ favorite Star Wars Stories landed somewhere in that
characters and movies, were thrown zone: it’s Jordan going to different
around and ultimately dismissed as places, sitting down and talking
feeling gimmicky or superfluous or with someone about the good, the
just not right. bad, and the uplifting, all couched
within their Star Wars experience.
“I’d been part of the fandom for
a really long time,” Matt says. “So Making the Show
I had a really wide view of what
fandom was. For Our Star Wars Choosing which fans to feature is
Stories, I really wanted to be able maybe the most important decision
to showcase that.” we make. And it ain’t “all too easy,”
as Darth Vader might say.
At the time, I was watching
a lot of Anthony Bourdain: Parts We try to make the episodes
Unknown, in which Bourdain went diverse in every sense of the word.
We want unique stories; we want
“The Star Wars fans of different sexes, races, sexual
of this show is orientation, nationalities. We want,
more of an ice- in other words, to represent what a
breaker than it fandom looks like. And it looks like
is the spine of anyone and everyone.
the story.”
“From the very beginning, we
ALAN GRISWOLD, wanted these to be diverse, and we
DIRECTOR went out of our way to really make
sure that these stories had a wide
range,” Mickey says. “An underlying

38 / STAR WARS INSIDER

OUR STAR WARS STORIES

08 of Star Wars ; Christina Cato, who have the toys.’ Because SEASON 1
taught herself how to build droids; everybody loved the
intent of this series was to show Jason Eaton, a supremely gifted fan movies and everyone EPISODE 1: Albin Johnson
the broad scope of fans. You know, modelmaker; Brandon Jackson, a had the toys. I want and the Power of Fandom
the hope is that everyone out there Navy veteran who has dealt with it to go beyond that.
can see themselves in one of these PTSD through Star Wars ; Amiyrah I ask people to consider EPISODE 2: How Star Wars
people, and realize they’re not alone Martin, who homeschools her their life like an onion, Sparked Robin’s Journey
and there are others out there just children with Star Wars-inspired and I want to go deep
like them.” lessons; and Tintoy Chuo, who into the different layers EPISODE 3: Christina Cato
is trying to save an ancient form of that onion. So I ask and the Drive to Create
I believe this is reflected in the of puppetry by fusing it with the people to talk to me
stories we’ve told thus far. We’ve galaxy far, far away. about Star Wars and EPISODE 4: How Star Wars
produced 17 episodes of Our Star how it’s affected them Showed FJ That It’s OK to
Wars Stories across two seasons, all “Star Wars has the best fans in a meaningful way, Be Yourself
showcasing varied experiences from around. They are so passionate in a happy way, or
very different people. Among the about the love of the franchise. helped them maybe EPISODE 5: The Perales
fans featured are Albin Johnson, They all have this incredible story. go through a tragedy. Family and the Binding
founder of the 501st Legion who They all have their story to tell,” Maybe inspire them. Force of Star Wars
lost his daughter to cancer, in a Jordan says. “I want it to go beyond I want a lot of folks to
deeply emotional installment; Robin the normal, ‘I love the movies and I dig deeper than the SEASON 2
Bocra, a collector and doctor who normal fan story.”
took an interest in science because 09 EPISODE 1: Dale Hopkins
Productions for and Finding Strength in
Our Star Wars Stories Star Wars
are (or were, in the
pre-pandemic world) EPISODE 2: Zoe Hinton
run-and-gun, and the Creative Spark
a whirlwind of travel, of Star Wars
hotels, and 9-hour
plus shoots. Alan and EPISODE 3: Jason Eaton
John Harper (of the and His Incredible Star
StarWars.com team, Wars Models
and a new producer
for Season Two) lay EPISODE 4: How Brandon
out a schedule so that Jackson Discovered Hope
we can film, say, three and New Talents Through
or four episodes along Star Wars

EPISODE 5: Keri Bean:
From a Galaxy Far, Far
Away to Mars

EPISODE 6: Amy
Chrzanowski and Seeing
Oneself in Star Wars

EPISODE 7: How Josh and
Barry Made a Life-Changing
Star Wars Connection

EPISODE 8: Amiyrah Martin’s
Fantastic Star Wars Family

EPISODE 9: The Many
Ways that Star Wars
Inspired Justice Schiappa

EPISODE 10: The DIY
Spirit of Filmmaker
Eduardo Sanchez

EPISODE 11: The Rebel
Heritage of Lee Francis

EPISODE 12: Tintoy Chuo’s
Fight to Save an Ancient
Art with Star Wars

STAR WARS INSIDER / 39

OUR STAR WARS STORIES

the East or West Coast in the span
of about a week; associate producers
Anina Walas and AJ Camarillo and
Monkey Deux’s Alyse Gellis offer
additional planning support. The
producers will typically fly from
location to location, while Alan
and his camera crew, including
John Lizzio and Duncan McCabe,
make the long drives with all of
their equipment. We’ve usually
scouted the fans’ homes in advance
via photographs, so we know
going in which room will make
the most sense for shooting. On
the day of the shoot, we’ll get to
the interviewee’s house early, set
dress as needed (I am the official
“action-figure poser”), position all
the cameras (typically three, all
capturing different angles), and
go over the questions with Jordan
before we begin, though of course,
he improvises as the interview
goes on. Matt and I monitor from
behind the camera, listening for
any flubs or missed questions or
new opportunities. For his part as

10

“This is more director, Alan makes himself as
than a hosting invisible as he can.
gig for me.
Working on “I want to bring as little of my
the show has agenda as possible,” Alan says of
been one of the his approach. “I enjoy the surprise
greatest joys of of these people’s lives and these
my life.” people’s stories.” A benefit of being
a lean-and-mean crew is that we can
JORDAN HEMBROUGH, make decisions quickly or change
HOST things up. When Jordan called Zoe’s
dad into the room, it wasn’t pre-
40 / STAR WARS INSIDER planned. But Alan was ready to go
with a handheld camera to capture
the moment.

“I think that’s where the magic
happens,” Alan says. “With a format
like this, the show lends itself to
going where the story takes it. And
Jordan is very good at pulling out
those stories.”

The show really comes together
in the edit—we’ll capture an hour
or so of conversation, and whittle
it down to 5-10 minutes. Frank
Knight, an editor of The Star Wars
Show, cuts Our Star Wars Stories,
and we all weigh in on what goes
into each episode and where. One

thing I love about this part of the 01
process is that it’s really all-hands
on deck, and everyone’s opinion she passed away at the age of 10 (Top to for me. Working on the show has
counts. Jermaine Stegall then 7. In subsequent years, Albin bottom) been one of the greatest joys of my
writes an original score, and we has sent R2-KT to children’s Our Star life,” Jordan says. “I share the same
have an episode. During lockdown Wars Stories experience as a lot of these folks.
installments were created virtually, The most formative years of my life
but the core and heart of Our Star hospitals to comfort other kids guests Tintoy were impacted by Star Wars and it
Wars Stories remained the same. dealing with illness. “Listening Chuo, Amy got me through dark times. I want
to his story and having two Chrzanowski, to be able to share the stories that
“The Star Wars of this show is Robin Bocra, all of these other people have. Star
more of an ice-breaker than it is the Wars is home to me.”
spine of the story. You’re getting young girls of my own… I’m in Jason Eaton,
into people’s lives,” Alan says. “Each tears, and having to wipe the FJ DeRobertis, And for Mickey, the series
of the episodes we’ve done, the tears out of my eyes so I can Amiyrah illustrates one thing. “The different
stories are very different, the people look through the viewfinder of Martin, and ways people interpret the stories,
are very different. Their perspectives the camera, because my heart is Justice and the different parts of the saga
on the world are different, how they Schiappa. that resonate with people, I think
have interacted with the world of that really shows the power of
Star Wars is different. And that’s breaking for what he has gone 11 Zoe Hinton Star Wars.”
what’s really special.” through,” Alan says. “And yet prepares to
at the same time, the positivity tell her Star What I’m most proud of is that
Everyone Has Wars story we’ve made a show that is honest.
a Star Wars Story People have opened their homes
that Albin brought from that to Jordan and hearts to us, telling us stories
Each episode starts with the words, experience, the way he and the Hembrough. of inspiration, tragedy, and hope.
“Everyone has a Star Wars story.” And that’s why I love Our Star Wars
It’s a mantra and jumping off point Star Wars community around Stories. It’s not really about Star
for the series, but it’s come to mean Wars. It’s about life. I can’t wait
something more to those of us him transformed that moment into to make more.
working on it; I can safely say for
everyone involved that the privilege something that real good has come
of making the series is now a big
part of our own Star Wars stories. from, I think that will always be the

“Working on the show, it prime example of not only what
helps me reconnect with my
Star Wars fandom roots, because the show can be, but also the reason
that’s what really got me in the
door at Lucasfilm to begin with,” this show is important to do.”
says Matt. “It’s nice to just go out
and experience people’s love for For Jordan, Our Star Wars Stories
something, and it’s something that
I care about.” is a personal expression and project.

Alan recalls shooting Albin “This is more than a hosting gig
Johnson’s episode as an experience
he’ll always remember. Filming
outside in the heat of a South
Carolina summer, Albin told of
how his 6-year-old daughter, Katie,
received a cancer diagnosis that
had a very low survivor rate. Katie
loved the scene in Star Wars: Attack
of the Clones (2002) where R2-D2
watches over Padmé as she sleeps,
and Albin was determined to build
her a droid—but there was not
enough time for him to do it alone.
The R2 Builders Club, another fan
group, came to the rescue and made
a fully functioning astromech,
R2-KT, that Katie enjoyed before

STAR WARS INSIDER / 41

oPfrAinlcdesesersaan
The Voices of Leia Organa
<ITMV\ML ^WQKM IZ\Q[\[ +I\PMZQVM <IJMZ +TIZQ[[I AIbbQM )VVI
Graves, Julie Dolan, Misty Lee, and Shelby Young are among the
performers who have taken on the mantle of Leia Organa, the
iconic role originated by Carrie Fisher, in a variety of animated
projects. Star Wars Insider discovers what the character and
Fisher’s performance has meant to each of them.

WORDS: AMY RICHAU

aving portrayed Despite the tragic loss of Carrie
Fisher in 2016, the character she
H Princess Leia defined lives on in the performances
Organa of of other actors who have been
Alderaan in Star cast as Leia in numerous Star Wars
projects over the years, from mobile
Wars: A New phone apps and videogames to
animated appearances in the likes
Hope (1977), of Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018),
Star Wars Resistance (2018-2020)
Carrie Fisher left an indelible and Forces of Destiny (2017-2018).

mark on popular culture. Leia In tribute to Fisher, Star Wars
Insider spoke to six of those actors
was forthright, independent, and about their experiences playing
such an iconic character, and their
a force to be reckoned with— favorite Leia and Carrie
Fisher moments.
character traits fully embodied by

Fisher herself—and unlike more

traditional princesses in countless

fairytales, she was no damsel

in distress either. As such, Leia

became a role model for young

girls also eager to break the mold.

Main Picture: Carrie Fisher as General Leia
Organa in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).

Opposite Page: The voices of Leia
(Clockwise) Catherine Taber, Shelby Young,

Julie Dolan, Clarissa Yazzie Garcia,
Anna Graves, and Misty Lee.

01

Landing Leia Destiny, all she knew was that 02

While most of the performers the production was looking for a

landed the role of Leia after years young Leia-like voice, but that was

in the voice-over business, the enough information for her to start

journey was different for each of preparing. “Leia’s voice was one

them. Voicing Leia was the first I already knew well but had never

professional acting job for Clarissa tried to match,” recalls Young.

Yazzie Garcia, whose only previous “I only had one day to work on

experience had been in high school it, so I studied hard, re-watching

and college theater productions, A New Hope and pausing and

and she faced a unique challenge rewinding every Leia scene, reciting

in her interpretation of Leia— along with her dialogue.”

providing the character’s voice for Anna Graves had already voiced

the Navajo translation “It’s strange, Mandalore’s leader,
of A New Hope (the but it kind of
first feature film ever felt like Carrie Dutchess Satine Kryze,
to be dubbed into the in episodes of The
Navajo language). was there, Clone Wars before
saying, ‘Just do she first voiced Leia
Surprisingly, Garcia it, kid. You’ve for a Star Wars pinball
had not seen A New app, auditioning by
Hope in its entirety got this.’”
until a few days before imitating Fisher’s
she auditioned for the performance in A New
Hope. After voicing

role. “Princess Leia Misty Lee a rebel soldier for

had always caught my the Star Wars Battle

attention though, even from the Pod arcade game, Graves received

short bits of Star Wars I’d seen over word she had booked another

the years,” says Garcia. “There was mystery job. “They wouldn’t tell

something about Carrie Fisher’s me what the game was or who I’d

onscreen presence that made me be playing,” remembers Graves,

very fond of her.” “And the secrecy was very exciting.

When Shelby Young got the It wasn’t until I showed up at the

call to audition for Forces of session that I found out I was

44 / STAR WARS INSIDER

PRINCESSES OF ALDERAAN

03

voicing young Princess Leia Organa projects, including the television LEIA LUNCHES

for Disney Infinity 3.0. It felt like series Star Wars Rebels and Despite having voiced the same character
over the years, several of the actors who’d
something I had been working LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker played Leia had never met until Misty Lee put
out the call for a “Leia Lunch.” Since then,
towards for years.” Adventures (2016-2017). the actresses have come together regularly
to catch up, share stories, laugh, and support
Julie Dolan’s first job as Leia also Playing Leia each other’s careers.
came from a voice-match recording
Playing the same iconic character created
of some of Leia’s most memorable Catherine Taber has the distinction a unique bond for the group. “It’s the
awesomeness of Leia,” said Taber, “She’s a
dialogue. “My agent called me one of having played characters character who represents the best in women
and, in so many ways, that’s what brought us
day and asked me if I could sound from multiple generations of the together and has made us such good friends.”

like Princess Leia. My first response Skywalker clan, having been the

was ‘Um, probably not,” laughs voice of Padmé Amidala in Star

Dolan. “She sent me the famous Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2014,

hologram speech and told me to 2020), Disney Infinity 3.0, and

work on sounding like her, record Forces of Destiny. Taber also voiced

it, and send it back, “There was Mission Vao in Star new shades to her. Julie Dolan 01 Mark Hamill
which I did. something about Wars: Knights of the played a younger Leia in the and Carrie
Carrie Fisher’s Old Republic before animated series, Star Wars Fisher having
“Apparently they she was cast as Leia fun on the
auditioned over 200 onscreen in Star Wars: The
voices the first time presence that Force Unleashed, a Rebels. “One of my favorite set of A New
around but didn’t role she reprised for lines was when Leia consoles Hope (1977).
find what they were

looking for,” Dolan made me very the game’s sequel. Ezra after he learns that his 02 Fisher and
continues. “Then fond of her.” Taber believes her
they brought in parents were killed,” says Harrison
familiarity with both Dolan. “He asks her why she Ford between
fights when she doesn’t have to takes while
Carrie Fisher, but her Clarissa Yazzie characters made because she is a princess. Leia filming The
replies, ‘I fight for those who Empire Strikes
voice had changed all the difference Back (1980)

since making the original movie when landing the role. “I’ve always

so they had another round of thought of Leia as a combination cannot, and I think you might 03 A stolen
be the same way.’ That is when moment for
auditions—200 more voices—and of Anakin and Padmé,” says Taber. she and Ezra bonded.” Carrie and
Chewie (Peter
I was in that group.” “She can exhibit Padmé’s grace and
Mayhew).
As a result, Dolan became the royal countenance, but she also has Shelby Young was pleased

voice of Leia for the Star Tours that super fiery and impetuous side to be involved in bringing an

attraction at Disney parks around that comes out, which she is less important moment to life for Leia

the world. “After I’d recorded the able to control than Padmé could. in Forces of Destiny. “I love when

lines in the studio, they showed For better or for worse, I think Leia Luke throws Leia his lightsaber

me a video of the hologram scene. favors her father.” in ‘Traps and Tribulations,’” she

I had to ask, ‘Is that my voice Despite the variety of media in says. “Knowing that I voiced Leia’s

or is it Carrie’s?’ and they said which they portrayed Leia, each of first canonical moment wielding

‘Yours.’ We were all blown away. It the actors found new depth and a lightsaber is just insane for a

sounded just like her.” Dolan went understanding of the character and fangirl like me. I also love ‘Bounty

on to voice Leia in several other her beliefs, and enjoyed adding of Trouble,’ where Sabine tries to

STAR WARS INSIDER / 45

PRINCESSES OF ALDERAAN

04 05

figure out how to properly address those movies, like a head-tilt, deliver Leia’s message regarding
the information stored in R2-D2
Leia when they first meet, stumbling that we really wanted to grab and to Obi-Wan Kenobi!”

between princess and senator, and honor,” Lee says. Recoding the Navajo version
of A New Hope threw up an
Leia says it’s just, ‘Leia,’ and follows For Disney Infinity 3.0, Anna interesting timing challenge for
Garcia. “When Leia says, ‘Will
up by saying, “I hope one day we Graves had the challenge of adding somebody get this big walking
carpet out of my way?’ the
can fight together.” That line has new elements to her performance translation for ‘big walking carpet’
(yaateel di’ili tsoh) took me a
always stuck with “Knowing that as Leia that weren’t few takes,” she admits. “It was
me. It really sums her I voiced Leia’s in Fisher’s original something of a tongue twister to
character up in one first canonical portrayal, namely get the words out as quickly as
short sentence.” moment wielding making fighting I could, and still articulate each
a lightsaber is noises that suited syllable. At the speed I was saying
Performing as the game’s action- it, it sounded like I was saying
Leia could prove as orientated gameplay. ‘dzi’izi tsoh,’ which in English
daunting as it was is ‘big bike!’ I took a break and
eventually got it right.”
exciting, as Misty just insane for a Graves was also
Lee discovered when fangirl like me.” charged with Leia’s Legacy
providing the voice delivering iconic
Above and beyond the task of
for Leia in the 2015 Shelby Young lines of dialogue crafting their own interpretations
of Leia, each of these Princesses of
videogame Star from the movies in

Wars: Battlefront. “About halfway new ways. “A lot of the lines were

through the recording session I had reminiscent of the original dialogue

to deliver the line, ‘Good luck—and but moved the story in a faster

may the Force be with you,’” Lee and more efficient way, so that

remembers. “I’d been doing fine the player could get to the action

until that moment, but as soon of the battles.” Graves explains.

as that line appeared, I freaked. I “So I loved that I got to personally

started to hyperventilate.” Lee had

to take a break from recording to 06
gather herself, and thinking about

Carrie Fisher helped put her back

on track. “It’s strange, but it kind

of felt like Carrie was there, saying,

‘Just do it, kid. You’ve got this,’”

says Lee. “I was immediately able to

settle into doing the best I could.”

Lee was later called upon to

incorporate motion capture into

her performance for the follow-up,

Star Wars: Battlefront II—not only

having to sound like Leia but move

like her too. Working closely with

the game’s director, Tom Keegan,

Lee was able to adopt a physicality

that echoed Fisher’s. “There were

iconic things that Carrie did in

46 / STAR WARS INSIDER

PROJECTING
A PRINCESS

Finding Leia’s voice was a
unique challenge for each
actor. Misty Lee felt Leia’s
voice was not dissimilar to
her regular tones so just
added a little Mae West.
Shelby Young found herself
occasionally scrunching up
her nose for some lines of
dialogue, and pitching her
voice from further back in
her throat to achieve
a rounder tone.

Beyond matching the
pitch and timber of Leia,
finding the spirit of the
character was also key.
Anna Graves went for a
combination of diplomacy
and confrontation when
voicing Leia, while Clarissa
Yazzie made sure she
delivered every line with
purpose and importance.

07

Alderaan holds Carrie Fisher’s 04 Anna Graves Leia’s sassy confidence. “Empire made her grow and change, but
original performance close to provided
their hearts. So, what are their Leia’s voice really helped me develop my Leia at her core she knew who she was
in Star Wars
for Rebels. She was growing up. She from the beginning.

favorite movie moments? Rebels was in charge of troops, learning “Something I love about Carrie
Garcia points to Leia’s (2014-2018).
to strategize, and discovering who Fisher, from a fellow artist and a

first encounter with Darth 05 Misty Lee she was in the Rebel Alliance. She fan’s perspective, is that she was
Vader in A New Hope. “That played Leia
brief exchange with Vader in Star Wars: becomes a tough soldier and falls never afraid to be 100-percent,
Battlefront II
in love!” authentically Carrie,” Young

encapsulated who she was,” (2017). Anna Graves loves Leia’s says. “She was outspoken about

she says. “And right in that 06 Shelby confidence in Star Wars: Return important subjects that so many
moment, I became Team Leia. Young’s Leia
of the Jedi (1983). “She was in the other public figures tend to shy

Regardless of her circumstance, was the first thick of the action “I’ve always away from.”
she was always strong and to wield a on Endor, fighting Garcia adds,
confident in her stance.” lightsaber
on screen. stormtroopers,” says thought of “The character
Graves. “I love the Leia as a Fisher brought to
The detention block 07 Young voiced scene where she combination Leia instantly made
sequence in which Leia took Leia in four acknowledged what of Anakin you feel like you
she’d felt all along, and Padmé.” could do anything
firm control of her own rescue, episodes of about being Luke’s as a woman.”
also made a big impression. Star Wars: sister. And when she Catherine Taber
“I absolutely love Carrie’s Forces of asked Han, ‘Hold Carrie Fisher’s
Destiny sharp sense of

delivery of ‘Into the garbage (2017-2018).

chute, fly boy’,” says Lee. “She’s

so annoyed, and it’s such a non- me…’ I just melt.” humor is something

princessy thing to say. It’s magic.” “Leia’s story and growth that will also never be forgetten, as

Catherine Taber remembers the throughout the Skywalker saga Catherine Taber, who voiced Padmé

same scene as a defining moment makes each movie she’s in so Amidala for seven seasons of The

for the character. “‘Somebody has special, because they take place at Clone Wars, attests, recalling an

to save our skins!’ It’s classic Leia. huge milestones throughout her encounter with Fisher at LEGOland

Calm under pressure, witty to the life,” Shelby Young notes. “I can’t in 2011. “As they announced my

end, and no one’s victim.” even compare A New Hope Leia to name over the PA system, with

“My favorite film for Leia is The Force Awakens Leia. Just like great timing Carrie pointed and

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back you or me, she had been through shouted, ‘That’s my mother!’”

(1980),” says Dolan, who admires so many life experiences that had laughs Taber.

STAR WARS INSIDER / 47

UNLIMITED
POWER!
Editing

At 200 issues and counting, former editors
of Star Wars Insider discuss the magazine’s

history and high points.

WORDS: CHRISTOPHER COOPER

EDITING INSIDER

here’s a lot 01 “Every time I
of love that thought I might move
T goes into the on, Lucasfilm announced
magazine you’re something cool that I
didn’t want to miss!”
reading. Passion,
JONATHAN WILKINS
even, and a
worlds, as evidenced in the title
great deal of hard work. From chosen for the club’s newsletter.
The remit of The Lucasfilm Fan
writers too numerous to list, to the Club Magazine was to cover all of
the productions that Lucasfilm had
designers who’ve tweaked every in the works at the time, which
included Willow (1988) and Indiana
layout in our 33-year history; from Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

the various publishers who’ve “I spent a week on the sets of
both of those productions in the
been custodians of the magazine, 02 U.K., interviewing the casts and
and to the countless others who crews for the magazine,” Madsen
relates. “I was, however, committed
have played an invaluable part in to having at least one Star Wars
feature in every issue, so that we
bringing Star Wars Insider to your always had a saga presence in there.
Keeping the magazine going during
local bookstore every six weeks or the ‘dark times’ when there was
no new Star Wars was a challenge.
so (global pandemics excepted). We had to get creative in keeping
everything growing and evolving
Marshalling these efforts, and during those lean years,” he adds.

guiding the unique content that Fortunately for the fans of the
saga who endured that dry period,
makes Insider so special, has been the stars of the galaxy were about
to realign.
the privilege of its editors. And

it all began thanks to another

franchise entirely.

“I became a Star Wars fan when

I was 14 years old,” Dan Madsen

tells Star Wars Insider, the magazine

he launched as The Lucasfilm Fan

Club Magazine in the Fall of 1987.

“I was smitten from the very first

time I saw the film. I put posters up

all over the walls of my bedroom,

built the model kits, read the

comics. I was a member of the

original fan club back in the day, 01 Guest editor and stand out,” he remembers. “It
and I loved the Bantha Tracks Warwick came to the attention of Paramount
fan club newsletters of the time, Davis (right) Pictures, who offered me a license to
which I still have.” with former become official in 1982.”
Insider editor
Madsen was already a Jonathan The entrepreneurial Madsen’s
devotee of science fiction when Wilkins. success with the Official Star Trek
Fanclub led Lucasfilm to approach
Star Wars: A New Hope was 02 Davis and him to help relaunch their own
released in 1977, especially the the editorial brand’s fan-focused offering in
1960s TV series Star Trek, so team at work 1987. “I signed a licensing deal with
when that franchise made the on issue 143. Lucasfilm with a vision to create
an official, full-color magazine that
leap to the big screen in 1979 would go out to every member of
The Official Lucasfilm Fan Club,”
with Star Trek: The Motion says Madsen. “It was something I
was fully invested in, as I loved Star
Picture, Madsen decided to start a Wars, and running the fan club
gave me exclusive inside access to
fan club devoted to it. “I worked in Lucasfilm and the stars of the films.
I was given a private tour of the
a print shop, so I was able to make [Lucasfilm] Archives on my first
trip to Skywalker Ranch, which to
my newsletter look professional me was like finding the Holy Grail
(which was in there, too!).”
“We were all already thinking
about Star Wars whether we Meanwhile, Lucasfilm was
wanted to or not, whether we occupied crafting other cinematic
WERE getting paid for it or not.”

SCOTT CHERNOFF

STAR WARS INSIDER / 49