The cast of George Lucas's Star Wars: where they are now?

George Lucas came up with the idea for Star Wars while he was a student working on a project at the University of Southern California. Being a fan of the Flash Gordon comics, popular in the 1930s, and the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's movie “The Hidden Fortress” (1958), he developed a plot about a flying Death Star and started right from the “fourth episode” to “claim” it.

The actors for the main roles were not very famous, for example, Mark Hamill played only small roles in the series, and Harrison Ford before “Star Wars” and at all managed to work as a carpenter, and then on Lucas's 1973 film “American Graffiti”. So, in this review, let's take a closer look at the actors who launched, along with the director, a long-running, “multiple” franchise that has become iconic in movie history.

Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker

Despite an impressive filmography, 72-year-old Mark Hamill can be safely called an actor of one role - a modest blue-eyed guy Luke Skywalker in a galaxy far, far away. In 1977, Lucas invited him to the role of the main protagonist in “Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope” and was not mistaken. After filming Hamill woke up famous, but in subsequent years could not boast of major roles. Much engaged in voiceover, appeared in cameo roles in subsequent screen adaptations of “Star Wars”, but the success obtained after filming in three films Lucas, could not repeat. And according to “Star Wars” fans, maybe it's a good thing that Hamill remained the “face” of the franchise.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.

Another “victim” of Lucas and “Star Wars”, if I may say so. As in the case of Hamill, Fisher did not distinguish herself with big breakthroughs in the films of other directors. Also did a lot of voice work, appeared in David Cronenberg's “Star Map” (2014) as the famous princess and in one of the films of the sequel trilogy “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015). She passed away in 2016 at the age of 60, as a result of complications after taking psychotropic substances.

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

Ford can be considered the most successful “graduate” of “Star Wars”. But here, rather, played a big role in his screen charisma - a tough guy, with a crude sense of humor, who can handle any task, whether it is a flight to a remote corner of the universe or sent in search of the Holy Grail. The most interesting thing is that Indiana Jones Harrison became thanks to Lucas' friendship with Spielberg. On the eve of the premiere of the first “Star Wars” George was so stressed, being sure of failure, that Stephen had to take him on board and take him to Hawaii to unwind. There they came up with the plot of “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark”, and the main character saw no one but Ford. Later, the actor noted several more successful films, such as “Blade Runner” (1982), “Working Girl” (1988), “The Fugitive” (1993), “Air Force One” (1997), “K-19: The Widowmaker” (2002) and others.

James Earl Jones - Darth Vader

On the participation of the actor in “Star Wars” was not immediately known. After all, he did not appear on the screen in the usual guise, and had to be filmed “in black” - helmet and a long cloak, completely covering his face and figure. This is how Lucas conceived the main negative character of the story - disfigured as a result of experiments and hiding the identity of the Sith ruler, personifying the Dark Side of the force. The main gift to the franchise from Jones was his voice, which Lucasfilm eventually bought for a lot of money to work with him further using artificial intelligence. Now the actor is 93, and behind his shoulders participation in various film and television projects in small roles. Russian viewers may remember him, for example, for the role of the father of the main character, King Zamunda in the comedy “A Trip to America” (1988).

Frank Oz - Master Yoda

A well-known actor and director of puppet theater in America. Thanks to this specialization, he got into the Lucas franchise to help him “revive” his friend and mentor Luke Skywalker, the wisest grand master of the Jedi Order. Oz began voicing and “voicing” Yoda with the second movie of the trilogy, “Star Wars. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), where, in fact, he appears for the first time. During his career, Frank has voiced many characters in the series “Sesame Street”, and also gave voice to Pixar cartoons - “Puzzle” and “Puzzle 2”.