Star Wars has plenty of cameos by famous people and by people who became famous due to Star Wars – you just need to know where to look. Movies in the franchise are full of cameo moments by people related to the films in some way.
Whether they were the son of a certain director, a certain director himself, an actor famous for wearing a golden suit, or a short dude known for his role as Wicket in Return of the Jedi, there's been plenty of fun had amongst the casting of many faces in the films.
Here's the list of cameo spots in Star Wars, but bear in mind that it's not all-inclusive – it features only the cameos of fairly well-known persons. There are many cameos by production staff and friends of the Lucas realm that are not included.
Prequel trilogy cameo appearances:
The Phantom Menace
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| Davis on the right of Watto as Weazel. |
- Warwick Davis, who is famous for playing Wicket, made a turn as Weazel. He's actually appeared in Star Wars many times.
- Soundman Ben Burt turned up as a nobleman.
- Francis Ford Coppola's daughter Sofia turned up as one of Padmé's aides. Sofia went on to win an Academy Award for her script for Lost in Translation.
Attack of the Clones
- Think back to Attack of Clones where Obi-Wan and Anakin chase Padmé's would-be assassin to the bar. After Obi-Wan strikes with his lightsaber a white-haired man is shown. This is none other than Anthony Daniels, the actor who plays C-3PO. Oh my!
- Ahmed Best is in the same scene, but it's best not to mention that too loudly in case the Jar Jar haters are listening.
- Anthony Daniels did a cameo as a character called Dannl Faytonni.
Revenge of the Sith
- George Lucas famously turned up dressed in blue.
- Jeremy Bulloch, who is the very popular original Boba Fett actor, did a lovely cameo as Jeremoch Colton, the captain of the Sundered Heart.
- Jett “son of George” Lucas has a small but cool role as a young Padawan who attempts to get to Bail Organa but is killed by the Stormtroopers.
A New Hope
- This was the first movie, so there was not a real tendency to cast people in the know by way of self-referential cameos. Except for one. Joe Johnston donned a Stormtrooper costume for a couple of scenes. Johnston, of course, was responsible for designing the Tie Fighter and other spaceships for the movie and for working on Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back. He went on to become a fairly good director in his own right – most notably for Captain America: The First Avenger.
The Empire Strikes Back
- Ralph McQuarrie, the famed designer of the look of the Star Wars universe, has a brief cameo in The Empire Strikes Back during the Hoff base events at the start of the movie.
- That chap to which Han Solo retorts “Then I'll see you in Hell!” just before he heads out into the dark night to find a certain missing Jedi? That's Cliff Clavin from Cheers, AKA John Ratzenberger. Hey, Norm!
- While Jeremy Bulloch is known for playing Boba Fett, he had a small role as an Imperial Officer in The Empire Strikes Back – he's the one escorting Leia once she has been captured by Darth Vader. Whether this counts as a cameo or he was just filling in isn't clear, because he still wasn't “famous” when the movie was released.
Return of the Jedi
- The movie's director Richard Marquand had a go piloting an AT-AT walker in Return of the Jedi.
- Marquand also did the voice of the robot EV-9D9 on Jabba's sail barge – he's the one who gives R2-D2 and C-3PO their jobs.
Sequel trilogy cameo appearances:
The Force Awakens
The list is too long to go here, so check the cameo list here! It features Daniel Craig from the James Bond franchise.
The Last Jedi
- Gary Barlow, the singer-songwriter from Take That, donned the white and black Stormtrooper gear, as did Bane actor Tom Hardy, but both only made the cutting room floor.
- Rogue One's director Gareth Edwards has a small cameo as one of the Rebels fighting in the trench on Crait. He has R1 written on his tunic.
- Adrian “Ade” Edmondson, of Bottom and The Young Ones fame, has an extended cameo as a First Order Officer.
- Joseph Gordon Levitt does the voice of the alien that turns in Finn and Rose at the Canto Bight Casino. Levitt has appeared in several movies directed by Rian Johnson, so there's no surprise there. The character was called Slowen Lo.
- Justin Theroux plays the Master Code Breaker that Finn and Poe are sent by Maz Kanata to meet.
- Star Wars veteran Warwick Davis plays Wodibin – his 9th appearance in Star Wars. He actually filmed a second part as Kedpin Shoklop, though this did not make the final cut.
The Rise of Skywalker
- The bartender that rolls his eyes? None other than John Williams, the composer of all nine of the saga movies' soundtracks.
- Singer Ed Sheeran got to play a Stormtrooper.
Anthology movie cameo appearances:
Rogue One
- Warwick Davis plays Weeteef Cyubee.
- Jimmy Smits plays Bail Organna.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Paul Rose Jr has worked as TV News Producer, Forensic Analyst, and Train Conductor, among many other things. He’s the former TV Editor for InfuzeMag and owns more books, DVDs, and comics than most people have seen in their lifetimes. When he’s not writing or editing on Wealth of Geeks, he exercises his creative muscle writing screenplays and acting in film and television in Los Angeles, CA.