Star Wars Original Trilogy Cast & Character Guide

Summary

• The original Star Wars trilogy catapulted its actors to fame and made them iconic figures in film history.
• Mark Hamill's portrayal of Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher's role as Leia Organa in Star Wars defined their careers.
• Harrison Ford's Han Solo and Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi are also significant characters that contributed to the success of the franchise.

The original Star Wars trilogy made icons out of every actor in its cast with unforgettable characters. When George Lucas wrote and directed the original Star Wars movie, there was no guarantee that it would be successful enough to spawn the sequels that he had planned. But it became an overnight sensation and a cultural phenomenon that continues to capture audiences’ imaginations to this day. Some Star Wars actors were already renowned movie stars when they appeared in a galaxy far, far away, like Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, whereas others were launched to stardom by the trilogy, like Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

Many actors from the Star Wars trilogy will forever be associated with their characters from the franchise, like Hamill with his role as Luke Skywalker or Anthony Daniels with C-3PO, while others went on to play equally iconic roles elsewhere, like Harrison Ford with Indiana Jones. Some characters required more than one actor to bring them to the screen, like Darth Vader, while others were puppets whose voices and body language were provided by skilled puppeteers, like Frank Oz with Yoda. Lucas found the perfect actor to bring each of these pulpy, archetypal characters of the original Star Wars trilogy to life.

Mark Hamill As Luke Skywalker

A Jedi, Like His Father Before Him

Luke Skywalker, the Force prodigy who leaves behind his humble beginnings on Tatooine to lead the Rebellion to victory, is played by Mark Hamill. Luke is the quintessential archetype of the traditional “hero’s journey.” Hamill has won three Saturn Awards for his role as Luke, which he later reprised in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Hamill is also a prolific voice actor who played Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Joker in many DC projects starting with Batman: The Animated Series.

Carrie Fisher As Leia Organa

More Than Just A Princess

Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan and one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance, is played by Carrie Fisher. Leia was one of the earliest trailblazing female action heroes. Fisher later played Leia in the sequel trilogy. She also appeared in The Blues Brothers, The ‘Burbs, and When Harry Met Sally. Fisher became a highly sought-after Hollywood script doctor who tightened up such scripts as Hook, Sister Act, and The Wedding Singer, as well as the Star Wars movies. As an author, she wrote the novel Postcards from the Edge and the memoir Wishful Drinking.

Harrison Ford As Han Solo

The Ultimate Scoundrel

Han Solo, the roguish smuggler who reluctantly joins the Rebel cause and becomes key to its victory over the Empire, is played by Harrison Ford, who later reprised his role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. After getting his break in the original Star Wars film, Ford became a prominent movie star. He went on to play such roles as Rick Deckard in the Blade Runner franchise, President James Marshall in Air Force One, and the eponymous archeologist-turned-adventurer in the Indiana Jones series. He has received the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Alec Guinness As Obi-Wan Kenobi

More Powerful Than You Can Ever Imagine

Obi-Wan Kenobi, a.k.a. Ben Kenobi, the wise Jedi-in-exile who starts Luke on his heroic path and continues to guide him as a Force ghost after being struck down by Darth Vader, is played by Alec Guinness. The prolific actor got his start in Ealing comedies like The Ladykillers and Kind Hearts and Coronets. He went on to appear in such classics as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Guinness received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his turn in Star Wars.

Peter Mayhew As Chewbacca

A Lasting Legacy

Chewbacca, Han’s Wookiee sidekick who helps him pilot the Millennium Falcon, is played by the very tall Peter Mayhew. The actor reprised the role in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and played Chewbacca one last time in Star Wars: The Force Awakens — sharing the part with Joonas Suotamo —before retiring from the franchise. He also played Chewbacca as a celebrity guest on episodes of Donny & Marie and The Muppet Show. Mayhew spent most of his acting career playing Chewbacca, but he played minor roles in Terror and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.

Billy Dee Williams As Lando Calrissian

Quite The Charmer

Lando Calrissian, Han’s old frenemy and the administrator of Cloud City, is played by Billy Dee Williams. After selling out Han to the Empire, Lando has a change of heart, joins the Rebels’ cause, and becomes a general. Williams later reprised his role as Lando in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Before playing Lando, Williams was best known for starring alongside Diana Ross in Mahogany and Lady Sings the Blues. He also played attorney Harvey Dent in 1989’s Batman and later voiced his villainous alter ego Two-Face in The Lego Batman Movie.

Anthony Daniels As C-3PO

He Always Knows The Odds

C-3PO, the finicky protocol droid who ends up in Luke’s possession by chance and goes along for the adventure, is played by Anthony Daniels. Daniels plays Threepio in every mainline Star Wars movie plus Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story, making him the only actor to appear in all theatrically released Star Wars movies. Daniels also provided the voice of Legolas in Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and played a pathologist in episodes of the Helen Mirren-led detective drama Prime Suspect.

Kenny Baker As R2-D2

A Brave Little Droid

R2-D2, the sardonic astromech droid who loyally serves Luke, is played by Kenny Baker. The "voice" of Artoo was created by sound designer Ben Burtt, but Baker is the performer inside the costume. Baker later reprised the role in the prequel trilogy and played Artoo one last time in Star Wars: The Force Awakens before he passed away in 2016, after which the part was taken over by Jimmy Vee. Baker played roles in other fantasy movies, like Time Bandits, Willow, Flash Gordon, and Labyrinth, and also appeared in prestige dramas like The Elephant Man and Amadeus.

David Prowse & James Earl Jones As Darth Vader

The Power Of The Dark Side

Darth Vader, the formidable Sith Lord who does the Emperor’s bidding and rules the galaxy with an iron fist, is played by two different actors. Bodybuilder David Prowse plays the character’s intimidating physical presence on-set, while distinguished actor James Earl Jones provides his booming voice. Prowse had previously played the writer Frank Alexander’s manservant, Julian, in A Clockwork Orange. He also trained Christopher Reeve for the role of Superman. Jones has played such iconic roles as King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America, Terence Mann in Field of Dreams, and Mufasa in The Lion King.

Frank Oz As Yoda

Judge Me By My Size, Do You?

Yoda, the aging Jedi master who trains Luke in the swamps of Dagobah, is played by Frank Oz, who did the puppeteering in addition to providing the character's voice. He later reprised the role in the prequel trilogy, which brought in CGI effects, and The Last Jedi, which went back to classic puppeteering. Oz was responsible for bringing many iconic Jim Henson characters to life, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Animal on The Muppet Show and Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster on Sesame Street. He’s also directed such movies as The Dark Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Star Wars Original Trilogy Supporting Cast & Characters

Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin: The commander of the Death Star and Vader’s right-hand man, Grand Moff Tarkin, is played by Peter Cushing. The actor became a horror icon with his performances as such characters as Baron Frankenstein and Doctor Van Helsing in Hammer horror productions.

Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles: X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles, a key figure in the Rebellion, is played by Denis Lawson. The actor later reprised the role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He is also known for playing John Jarndyce in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House and Gordon Urquhart in the movie Local Hero.

Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett: Ice-cool bounty hunter Boba Fett was played by Jeremy Bulloch. He later cameoed as Captain Colton in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Bulloch also played Q’s assistant, Smithers, in the James Bond movies and Edward of Wickham in the ITV series Robin of Sherwood.

Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine: Emperor Palpatine is played by Ian McDiarmid in Return of the Jedi — and the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back. He later reprised the role in the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and various Star Wars TV series. McDiarmid also played Dr. Thomas Lancaster in Sleepy Hollow and Sir George Goldie in The Lost City of Z.

Warwick Davis as Wicket W. Warrick: Wicket, the Ewok who befriends Leia in Return of the Jedi, is played by Warwick Davis in his movie debut. Davis later played various other Star Wars roles in projects ranging from Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace to Solo: A Star Wars Story, as well as playing the title role in Willow and Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter movies.