We've Already Lost Too Many Star Wars Actors

General Jan Dodonna first appeared in "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." Though his role in the film was fleeting, his character played an important part in the plot — Dodonna formulated the Rebellion's plan to destroy the Death Star. He was also the first character to say the franchise's most famous line: "May the force be with you."

The legendary general was played by Scottish actor Alex McCrindle. While "Star Wars" was one of his greatest acting roles, McCrindle is better remembered for setting up the Scottish National Committee of Equity in 1953, according to The Herald. "While highly regarded as an actor, he will be remembered most for his constant battles on behalf of his fellow actors. It is Alex's passion that will be missed most," said one tribute to him.

McCrindle sadly died April 20, 1990, at the age of 78. However, like his co-star Peter Cushing, the actor's "Star Wars" legacy lived on through "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." While his character did return to the screen, though, it wasn't a result of CGI or unused footage. General Dodonna was recast and played by Ian McElhinney in the 2016 film.

British actor Sebastian Shaw had a brief but memorable role in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi," as the franchise's villain Darth Vader. Shaw appeared as the unmasked version of the character after taking over the role from David Prowse. Prowse had portrayed the character on-screen until that point, with James Earl Jones giving the villain a voice.

Shaw's role in the franchise came as a shock to many "Star Wars" actors and fans, who expected to see Prowse when Vader's mask was lifted. While some speculate it was because George Lucas fell out with Prowse, as detailed in The Sun, Shaw said he was cast for another reason. "They decided that they needed a very experienced actor to play that very difficult scene," he explained to Starlog magazine. What was required of him was particularly tough, according to the actor. "[The scene] wasn't easy to bring off ... incidentally, Mark [Hamill] nearly took my ears [off] with [the helmet]," he revealed.

Shaw largely disappeared from Hollywood after "Star Wars," but maintained a presence on British TV, according to his IMDb. He appeared in dramas like "Casualty," "Chelworth," and "Chimera," topping off an impressive career. He died on December 23, 1994, The Independent reported.

British actor Jack Purvis played multiple characters in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, as seen on his IMDb. He first appeared as Chief Jawa, leader of the Tatooine scavengers who sold R2-D2 and C-3PO to Luke Skywalker and his uncle Owen in " Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." He returned for the sequels, playing Chief Ugnaught in "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back" and Teebo the Ewok in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi."

Playing Teebo was Purvis' most notable role in the franchise, and it became a family affair when his daughter, Katie Purvis, also suited up as one of the "teddy bear character[s]," per her own IMDb. Katie was only a teenager when she got the role, and while she admitted she didn't appreciate the opportunity back then, she and her family are now grateful for the experience.

Purvis also had a close friendship and working relationship with his "Star Wars" co-star Kenny Baker, which dated back to Purvis' first small-screen role, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The pair continued to work together off-screen, reported The Guardian. "Jack and I were the only musical dwarf act in the business, so we always attracted good audiences," Baker told the publication. Their act was tragically cut short when a "freak accident" — where Purvis' car collapsed on top of him — left the actor a quadriplegic. He died just a few years later on November 11, 1997, at the age of 60.  

Sheila "Shelagh" Fraser was a prolific British actor who starred in a myriad of TV shows and was probably best known for her roles in the ITV dramas "A Family at War" and "The Professionals," per her IMDb. She also had a significant turn on the stage and — later in life — became a dramatist, after "she became fascinated by the challenges of radio drama," The Guardian wrote.  

In the mid-1970s, Fraser landed what would become her most global role when she joined the cast of "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope," as Luke Skywalker's aunt, Beru. Though her part in the film is short, Beru is undoubtedly an important character. As "The Princess Diaries" author Meg Cabot noted when discussing the essay she penned in "Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View" about Beru's importance, her murder shapes Luke's journey and character arc. Her death ultimately allows him to become the hero he was always meant to be. "The fact that she's not there anymore is what compels him to go with Ben Kenobi and, of course, save the princess and with her destroy the Death Star," Cabot said (per The Hollywood Reporter). The author even goes so far as to call Fraser's character "the most important" figure in "A New Hope." 

Fraser died on August 29, 2000, at the age of 79, The Guardian reported.

Scottish character actor Michael Sheard had an incredibly prolific career and had roles in numerous television shows, per his IMDb. Though perhaps best known for playing villains, like the Imperial Officer Admiral Ozzel in "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" as Adolf Hitler (a role he played four other times, according to the BBC), he also secured bit parts and small character arcs on many series throughout his decades-spanning career. Notably, he appeared six times in "Doctor Who," playing multiple characters alongside five different Doctors.

He was more than just an actor, though. Sheard also wrote a series of autobiographies throughout his life, chronicling the details of what it meant to work as an actor. He wanted to name his second book "Yes, Admiral Ozzel," but after writing to George Lucas for permission to use the name, Sheard received a letter from "one of his underlings" who deemed his request inappropriate, per Television Heaven. The letter essentially told him he could mention he was in the film, but he shouldn't make that fact the focus of his book. "I wrote back to this guy, and I said, 'Look, I was only on the film for a month, so how on earth could I fill a whole book about Star Wars?'" Sheard quipped. He eventually named the book "Yes, Admiral."

The actor died on August 31, 2005, from cancer-related complications, The Guardian reported. 

William "Bill" Hootkins is a familiar face that can be spotted in numerous blockbuster films. The actor starred in movies like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (where he played Major Eaton) and Michael Keaton's "Batman," (he secured the role of Eckhardt). He also had a supporting role in the fourth installment of Christopher Reeve's "Superman" franchise, as Harry Howler. The American-born actor moved to London shortly after graduating college, where he attended the London Academy of Dramatic Arts, and soon found himself often cast as Winston Churchill (per the Princeton Alumni Weekly). He also made a name for himself as Alfred Hitchcock in the West End, The Guardian reported. 

One of Hootkins' earliest roles was Jek Porkins aka Red Six, in "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." He portrayed one of the rebel pilots who helped Luke Skywalker blow up the Death Star. Unfortunately, the Princeton alum only had a small role in the franchise and his appearance was contained to a few scenes on the rebel base and inside his fighter jet before the character was killed off. "If I had known Star Wars would catch on like it did, I would have insisted on a character with continuity," quipped the actor (via Princeton Alumni Weekly).

Sadly, Hootkins died from pancreatic cancer on October 23, 2005, at only 57 years old, reported The Guardian. He was survived by his wife of three months, Carolyn Robb.

If you don't recognize the name Lawrence "Larry" Ward, you will certainly know the name of his "Star Wars" character: Jabba the Hutt. Although uncredited, Ward played the slug-like crime lord in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi," per his IMDb.

However, this wasn't actually Ward's first part in the franchise. He previously voiced the character Greedo (also uncredited) in the famous Cantina scene of "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." The character was physically portrayed by Paul Blake, who discussed the popularity of the character 40 years later with Empire. "I've never had a fan be aggressive about Greedo. They seem to like him for some reason." However, Blake joked he doesn't know why the character is still so popular. "He was the most inept assassin since the beginning of assassins." 

Ward's roles in "Star Wars" made up two of his few acting credits, though that small number of productions was probably by choice. He was actually a linguist who was enlisted for help designing some of the languages for the franchise by the films' sound designer, Ben Burtt, as seen in the book, "Encyclopedia of Fictional and Fantastic Languages." Most notably, they developed Huttese, basing it on Quechua, though Ward improvised much of the language while filming. The actor and linguist sadly died on October 15, 2007.

Scottish actor, director, and producer Christopher Malcolm played the rebel pilot Zev Senesca (Rogue Two) in "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back." He's the pilot who rescued Luke Skywalker and Han Solo on Hoth and later fought alongside the young Jedi during the Battle of Hoth. "At the time of filming it was a growing phenomenon so there was a knowledge that we were in something special," Malcolm told Jedi News in 2006 (via The Independent).

Outside of the "Star Wars" universe, Malcolm was known for playing Brad Majors in the original stage production of Richard O'Brien's "The Rocky Horror Show" in 1974, and he later became a co-producer on the musical for its West End revival. He enjoyed a fairly long career, securing parts in "Labyrinth" and "Highlander" as well, per his IMDb. 

Malcolm died from cancer-related complications on February 15, 2014, The Guardian confirmed, at just 67 years old. His daughter, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, broke the news on Twitter, writing in part that "the world lost a beautiful, brilliant man" that day. She also called her father her "hero" and shared that he "left peacefully and with dignity."

Brooklyn character actor Jason Wingreen is probably better known for roles other than the one he had in "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back." A hugely prolific television actor, as seen on his IMDb, Wingreen made a name for himself on shows like "All in the Family," "McMillan & Wife," and "Archie Bunker's Place." He continued working for almost 50 years, only retiring in the 1990s after appearing on the hit shows "Seinfeld" and "In the Heat of the Night," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Though Wingreen was probably recognized for his numerous television appearances, he also had some parts that he didn't receive credit for, like when he lent his voice to the fan-favorite villain Boba Fett in "The Empire Strikes Back." (Wingreen's voice would later be replaced by Temuera Morrison, who portrayed Jango Fett in the "Star Wars" prequels, the BBC reported). Admittedly, this voice role was much smaller than the actor had hoped for, having originally auditioned for the part of Jedi Master Yoda. "I think the actual work, aside from the hellos and goodbyes and all that, could have been no more than 10 minutes," he revealed (per The Hollywood Reporter). In fact, the role was so small that it didn't become widely known that he was the voice of the character until the early 2000s.

Sadly, Wingreen's son told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died on December 25, 2015, at the age of 95.

Like Jason Wingreen before him, actor Erik Bauersfeld originally auditioned to play the Jedi Master Yoda in "Star Wars." The American voice actor just missed out on the part, which went to Frank Oz, but he ended up scoring two roles in the franchise instead. Bauersfeld played Admiral Gial Ackbar and Bib Fortuna in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi." Ackbar may have only had a few minutes of screen time, but the character was responsible for delivering one of the film's most iconic lines. "It's a trap," yelled Ackbar, just in time to warn the Rebels about the Empire's attack.

Outside of his roles in "Return of the Jedi," Bauersfeld voiced characters in films like "Crimson Peak" and a variety of radio dramas, per his IMDb. This background helped him create Ackbar's voice without needing any direction. "I saw the face, and I knew what he would sound like," he explained in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Bauersfeld reprised his role from the 1983 film and played Ackbar again in "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens." The Hollywood Reporter confirmed this was the actor's last film role before he died on April 3, 2016, at age 93.

Carrie Fisher was known for starring in iconic films like "When Harry Met Sally" and "Scream 3," but to many, she was simply Princess Leia. She played the strong and powerful princess-turned-general in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and became a household name after the success of the films. However, she admitted she had a love-hate relationship with one of her most famous scenes. The actor often complained about the revealing gold bikini she was forced to wear, and said the scene was only redeemed for her because she got to kill Jabba the Hutt. "I really relished that because I hated wearing that outfit ... I couldn't wait to kill him," she told NPR.

Fisher reprised her role for the sequel trilogy and appeared in "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: Episode VIII —The Last Jedi." However, she died on December 27, 2016, before filming for the ninth movie had begun, People reported. She is survived by her daughter Billie Lourd, who played Lieutenant Connix in the films.

"Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker" was supposed to be "Leia's movie," Lourd revealed to Time. So, together with director J.J. Abrams, Lourd agreed to use a combination of CGI and previously unseen footage to complete the film and honor Fisher's legacy.

Peter Mayhew rose to fame playing the Wookie Chewbacca in "Star Wars." The British-American actor played the character in the original trilogy and also reprised the role for the prequel film, "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," and the first installment of the sequel trilogy, "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens," per his IMDb. And while Chewie was a pretty important character in "Star Wars," it's interesting to note that Mayhew never actually uttered a word as the character. "George [Lucas] told me right away it was going to be a mime character," the actor revealed to Rolling Stone in 2015.

Much of Mayhew's career focused on the character he loved to play, and the actor spent a lot of his time going to conventions and doing cameos. Returning to the franchise in 2015 was particularly special, and he admitted he "had goosebumps" when first saw the trailer, which included Chewie returning to the Millennium Falcon again. "It was a phenomenal experience. And I won't ever forget it," he told Rolling Stone.

Mayhew died on April 30, 2019, after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 74. His long-time co-star and friend Harrison Ford shared a tribute to the actor shortly afterward. "We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him," he said (per the BBC).

Any "Star Wars" fan will know the name David Prowse, as the British actor and bodybuilder played Darth Vader in the original trilogy. Though viewers don't get to see Prowse's face in the film, which is hidden behind Vader's signature mask, his impressive 6-foot-6-inch stature was one of his most notable features. And while fans loved him, Prowse didn't enjoy such a relationship with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. Rightly or wrongly, Prowse was unfortunately on the receiving end of Lucas' wrath while filming "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi." This tension allegedly resulted in Prowse's face not being used when Darth Vader was unmasked, with the role being given to Sebastian Shaw instead. Lucas also allegedly banned Prowse from any further "Star Wars" premieres.

Thankfully, Prowse was still able to take many happy memories away from his "Star Wars" days, which included a fond friendship with his co-stars, Kenny Baker and Peter Mayhew, as seen on Twitter. Prowse also remained committed to his "Star Wars" fans and attended as many conventions and events as possible, usually alongside Baker and Mayhew. In 2012, the actor told Rock Cellar Magazine just how grateful he was for the support of his fans. "Who would have thought this character, who is now regarded as the most famous villain of all time, would be received with so much love and affection. It's incredible."

Prowse sadly died on November 28, 2020, at the age of 85, the BBC confirmed.