Now that the Star Wars galaxy is alive, well, and reborn on the Cartoon Network with the animated Clone Wars, a whole new generation of Star Wars geeks will grow up with the franchise. Although it’ll be far, far away in the future when we see another live action Star Wars movie hit big screen, with a planned live action TV series on the way, fans will never forget the legacy left behind by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen.
In the past three decades since Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope hit theaters, the original cast and prequel actors have given hundreds, if not thousands of interviews. As we cruised the net in search of nostalgic goodness from the galaxy, here are "Ten Star Wars Interview Clips, Past and Present" that we came across.
Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) - 2005
17 days prior to the release of Revenge of the Sith, Hayden Christensen sat down with ABC’s Charles Gibson a day after he finally saw the film. Gibson grills Hayden on the fact that he wasn’t born when the first Star Wars film hit theaters in 1977 and then delves into the first time Christensen put on the Darth Vader suit on the set. After a commercial break, choreographer Nick Gillard joins Christensen for an impromptu lightsaber duel before grabbing a fan out of the crowd.
Ewan McGregor (Young Obi Wan Kenobi) - 2007
In 2007 Ewan McGregor sat down at the UK’s Top Gear for an interview where he shared his thoughts on filming and which Star Wars film he likes best. To some fans, McGregor’s thoughts on the franchise will be shocking. What might be even more shocking is McGregor’s lack of recollection of a famous planet. It’s clear that after making the three prequels, McGregor doesn’t want to be defined by his role of Obi Wan Kenobi. What Star Wars films does Ewan McGregor hold dear to his heart? Click below to find out.
Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) - 2002
When Samuel L. Jackson made an appearance on Inside the Actor’s Studio with James Lipton to talk about his time on Attack of the Clones, all well and good with the head of the Jedi Council until a fan took to the mic. After talking about working with George Lucas and stepping into the shoes of Mace Windu, Jackson was on the receiving end of a Mace Windu action figure from a fan who threw it to him from the audience. If you haven’t seen it, check out the hilarious exchange at the end when the box gets signed.
James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader) - 2004
For the documentary Empire of Dreams, James Earl Jones filmed a segment surrounding the voice of Darth Vader and what George Lucas was looking for since David Prowse was already cast as the physical representation of Vader. Although much of this clip focuses on the gap between casting David Prowse and James Earl and what was needed for the role, Jones revealed who George Lucas had in mind for Darth Vader prior to his signing and what the director ended up with in the end.
Anthony Daniels (C3PO) - 197?
After the success of Star Wars, Anthony Daniels was thrust into the limelight given the popularity of his character C3PO and the droid’s relationship with R2-D2. Off screen it’s no secret that Daniels didn’t get along with R2 actor Kenny Baker despite creating one of the best on-screen buddy duos in the history of cinema. This interview clip by Bob Wilkins is obviously post-Star Wars release where Anthony Daniels talks about meeting George Lucas in London, landing the role of C3PO, and how he fit into the golden suit while filming. Check out what Daniels looked like back in the day.
Kenny Baker (R2-D2) - 2005
Here’s an offbeat interview at a convention somewhere that Kenny Baker, the man inside R2-D2 for all six Star Wars films, did with the gang at StupidSciFi.com where the guys hit him up about continuity, a love interest for R2-D2, and his favorite Star Wars memory. In case you don’t know, as Kenny points out, he’s the silver one in all of the Star Wars movies.
Frank Oz (Yoda) - 197?
Ever wonder what voice actor Frank Oz sounds like off-screen? Well, almost the same as Yoda sounds like on screen. It’s amazing how many popular film and television characters Frank Oz has voiced over the years but arguably the most popular of all is Yoda. Although Oz doesn’t talk about Star Wars specifically, he does share thoughts on why it’s nice not to be recognized on the street and why it’s depressing at the same time. Close your eyes when you listen to the clip.
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) - 2008
In 2008, British TV gatecrasher Justin Lee Collins devised a plan to reunite the original cast of Star Wars in the same way that VH-1 tried to reunite New Kids on the Block and former all-girl metal band Vixen. Did it work out? Sort of, as Collins managed to sneak attack his way into interviews with a lot of the original cast. One interview that Collins amazingly managed to get was with Carrie Fisher, who dished the dirt on a ton of Star Wars secrets, including the competition between Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill plus she gives him a guided tour of her house and a look at a lot of her own Star Wars memorabilia. Be sure to check out Princess Leia’s top... or lack thereof.
Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford (Luke Skywalker and Han Solo) - 1980
During one of their stops on the press tour for Empire Strikes back, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford turned up at NBC studios to talk to then today Show host Jane Pauley about the upcoming release. Surprisingly, Hamill and Ford mention plans for the prequel films while trying to explain to Pauley that their roles take place in the latter trilogy, with one more Star Wars left to go. The word "prequel" wasn’t quite as common in 1980 as it is today and you can see that Jane Pauley is completely confused how all of the Star Wars films fit together.
Seth MacFarlane Interviews George Lucas - 2007
When Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane created the episode "Blue Harvest", based on the original security code name for the Return of the Jedi, it became one of the most hilarious Star Wars spoofs in recent memory. After getting an official endorsement from LucasFilm, Seth MacFarlane sat down with George Lucas to talk about the Star Wars universe where he learned that the creator of the Empire was actually a fan of Family Guy. What does Lucas do for fun? What’s his favorite movie? Is there a connection between THX 1138 and Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope? Check out the interview that also appears on the Family Guy: Blue Harvest DVD.
-- Larson Hill
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