Where is the Cast of Star Wars Episodes 1, 2, and 3 Now?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the cast of the Star Wars saga couldn't go anywhere without being recognized. Of course, nothing good lasts forever... so we got to wondering, where is the cast of the Star Wars saga now? We decided to find out!
Now, we all know what happened to Natalie Portman (Oscar winner for Black Swan), Billy Dee Williams (Colt 45 and Dancing with the Stars, baby!), Liam Neeson (this man schooled Darth Vader AND Batman... I mean, how cool can you get?), Ewan MacGregor (getting his kit out every chance he gets -- the man is like Britney Spears getting out of cars on-screen!), James Earl Jones (you have to love his Sprint commercials with Malcolm McDowell!), Christopher Lee (who's in damn near everything -- and did you know he's a direct descendant of Charlemagne?), and Harrison Ford (living legend, sexiest man alive, and my husband-in-my-head, Calista Flockhart and her wine be damned). And, as we also know, there are some great actors from the films who are no longer with us (Peter Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin; Sir Alec Guinness, the original -- and still the best -- Obi-Wan Kenobi).
But what about the rest of the cast?
Jake Lloyd: As a youngster, he starred in Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Anakin Skywalker, the man who would be Darth Vader. His acting, admittedly, was wooden...but on the other hand, he was a kid, and he didn't have much of a script to work with in the first place. After The Phantom Menace, his career floundered a bit -- mostly because he couldn't take the criticism that was attached to his role. But, he did star in a few episodes of ER and The Pretender.
Mark Hamill: He starred in the role that would forever shape him -- Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars films ever made (and, according to rumor, he'll reprise the role in the upcoming Episode VII). These days, however, he's better known for his voice than his on-screen time: he's done a great deal of voiceover work, most notably as The Joker in the Batman animated series.
Anthony Daniels: As everyone's favorite persnickety droid, Anthony Daniels brought C3PO to life. And Lord knows he rode that role right into the sunset: he played C3PO in all of the Star Wars films to date, and will be reprising the role in Episode VII. Off-screen, he's served as a journalist, and a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University. On-screen, outside of Star Wars, he's worked on several British shows, including the acclaimed Prime Suspect.
Peter Mayhew: Standing over 7 feet tall, Peter Mayhew brought the Wookiee Chewbacca to life, and even though he never said a word, he was just as much a part of the Star Wars saga as his human counterparts. But Mayhew, who was an orderly in a British hospital before Star Wars made him a household name, subsequently had roles on Glee and the film, Terror. Like Mark Hamill, he also has done a lot of voiceover work.
Carrie Fisher: The daughter of Hollywood royalty (her father was Eddie Fisher, her mother is Debbie Reynolds), Carrie Fisher turned Princess Leia into an icon. But even though she faltered a bit with cocaine addiction, she's penned several best-selling books, successfully did a tour of her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, and is the go-to script doctor for many Hollywood writers. She's also the voice of Angela, Peter's boss, on Family Guy.
Hayden Christiansen: He played the role of the teenage Anakin Skywalker in Episodes II and III, and was lambasted for his portrayal of the world's most famous Sith Lord as a whiny, emo teenager. Since then, he's taken the indie route when it comes to films, with the exception of his roles in Jumper and Takers.
Kenny Baker: Reportedly, Baker and Daniels didn't get along during the filming of the original saga, and to this day, the duo refuse to be in the same room together when not in droid gear. But R2D2 remains an icon -- Baker, in fact, was the first actor from the original series to be definitively confirmed in Episode VII -- and Baker, for his part, has earned his keep as a comedian and a harmonica player in between Star Wars stints.
Warwick Davis: He portrayed the Ewok Wicket, and since went on to greater fame as the titular Willow and Leprachaun. He also starred, hilariously, in An Idiot Abroad, a series on The Science Channel. But most people today know him for his roles in Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Ian McDiarmid: The Scottish actor turned Senator/Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious into the biggest bastard in the galaxy. But Ian -- who, by all accounts, is a gentle gent off-camera -- is a classically trained actor, and parlayed his success into a series of successful runs on several BBC TV shows & films.
Dennis Lawson: Did you know that Wedge Antilles and Obi-Wan Kenobi are related? It's true! Dennis Lawson is Ewan MacGregor's maternal uncle. In fact, Ewan credits his uncle with being his inspiration to start acting! At any rate, one of the most famous co-Rebels in the galaxy has gone on to several successful West End (the British equivalent of NYC's Broadway) theatre productions, and he currently stars in the BBC series New Tricks.
Jeremy Bulloch: He was the ORIGINAL Boba Fett, and he had no idea that his small role in the woefully-forgotten Star Wars Holiday Special would turn him into a cult hero. But Bulloch has also gone on to other roles, such as those in the Doctor Who TV series and the James Bond films. He also played Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith.
David Prowse: He was the body behind Darth Vader (whereas James Earl Jones provided the voice). And no wonder: the former bodybuilder turned Vader into a hulking presence. Though we didn't see his face in the Star Wars films, Prowse did have somewhat of a career before Star Wars, with roles in A Clockwork Orange and Casino Royale. Unfortunately, Prowse did very little after Star Wars, and to add insult to injury, in 2010 he was permanently banned from attending Star Wars conventions by none other than George Lucas himself. Lucas claimed it was because Prowse "burned too many bridges." OUCH!
Frank Oz: Remember him, you will, as the voice of the greatest Jedi master of all time: Yoda! (He also did the puppetry for the little green guy in the original films.) Since his work on Star Wars, Oz has gone on to have a great and powerful career (see what I did there?): he's also known for creating and performing the characters of Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear on The Muppet Show and Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover on Sesame Street.