Here's What Star Wars Characters Look Like Out of Costume
You definitely wouldn't recognize the actor in the Darth Vader costume if you passed him in a galaxy far, far away.
The Star Wars franchise has always worked to create a completely surreal universe filled with some spectacularly unusual characters, and some of the most memorable villains of all time. To do that, they've used everything from expert puppeteering skills, actors in elaborate makeup and costumes and some motion capture for CGI. It looks so believable that you might forget there's an actual person inside R2D2 or that hairy Chewbacca suit. So while Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill all became recognizable household names and stars after the original trilogy, that didn't happen for the multitude of actors in costumes that rounded out the movies.
And Star Wars productions are still hiding people in plain sight, even in the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, the lead of the show, Pedro Pascal, has his actual face obscured for 99 percent of his screen time. This movie magic has allowed for some fun cameos, like Daniel Craig sneaking in as a stormtrooper in The Force Awakens. We've decided to unmask some of these famous characters so you can see what's underneath all that Wookiee fur and clone armor.
Padmé Amidala
Ruler of Naboo, and mother to Luke and Leia, Padmé was featured in the prequel movies, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and and Revenge of the Sith. During the course of those movies she wore the most outrageously over-the-top wardrobe that was fit for a queen.
Natalie Portman
The Black Swan actress played the iconic Amidala in the prequel movies, though in some of the wild costumes and headpieces you'll spot Kiera Knightley, who played Padmé's handmaiden Sabé and dressed as the queen as a decoy.
Darth Maul
The Sith warrior made an impression on screen with his double-sided lightsaber and his martial arts moves in The Phantom Menace.
Ray Park
The character of Darth Maul was voiced by Peter Serafinowicz in The Phantom Menace, but the person in the costume with the makeup and performing the tricky stuntwork was all Ray Park.
Jar Jar Binks
This goofy Gungan first appeared in the prequels and gets a lot of flack for being one of the most annoying and hated characters in the Star Wars realm.
Ahmed Best
Talk about a glow up! While Jar Jar is a CGI character, they used motion capture of Best for the role, along with his voice.
Boba Fett
The bounty hunter made his debut in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and then appeared in the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi... and now is featured in Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
Jeremy Bulloch
Bulloch donned the green armor for the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, though Fett's voice was provided by Jason Wingreen. Fett is played by actor Temuera Morrison on the small screen in The Mandalorian.
Palpatine
No matter if you call him Emperor Palpatine or Darth Sidious, this villain was one of the most terrifying and downright creepy characters in all of the Star Wars universe.
Ian McDiarmid
McDiarmid portrayed Palpatine for most of his appearances in the original trilogy as well as the prequels. The traditional stage actor also voiced the villain in the animated series, Star Wars Rebels.
Yoda
Before the Baby Yoda craze, Master Yoda was a Jedi icon who spoke in confusing out of sequence prose to train young Luke Skywalker.
Frank Oz
While Yoda was a puppet and not a person in costume (sorry, to disappoint), the voice and puppet master work was all performed by Frank Oz. Oz was also the original puppeteer for a host of Muppet faves like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Cookie Monster and Grover.
Wicket
This furry little Ewok joined the rebels for the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi.
Warwick Davis
In addition to his turn as Wicket, '80s kids will recognize Davis from Willow and the Leprechaun movies. But the younger generations will know him as Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films.
Darth Vader
Pulled to the dark side, Darth Vader is the ultimate big bad for the original trilogy... though he does get a little bit of a redemption when he saves his son Luke. The deep robotic breathing and voice, are just part of what make him one of the best villains ever.
David Prowse
Most people know that legendary actor James Earl Jones is responsible for voicing Darth Vader and uttering the iconic line, "I am your father." But the person wielding the lightsaber and stalking his way around the Death Star with his cape flowing was actor David Prowse in full costume. Prowse was a bodybuilder and had a notable role in A Clockwork Orange.
R2D2
The adorable astromech droid, sometimes called Artoo, carries key information and is a loyal companion to Leia and appears in most of the films.
Kenny Baker
It might surprise you to find out that originally, the blue and white droid wasn't controlled by remote or by using an actual droid, but that there was someone inside that robot costume. For the original trilogy that someone was Kenny Baker, an actor from movies like Willow, Labrinyth and Time Bandits. Actor Jimmy Vee replaced Baker for The Last Jedi.
C-3PO
Threepio is a protocol droid built by a young Anakin Skywalker... who later went on to become Darth Vader. But while his original creator turned to the dark side, C-3PO has been a loyal rebel supporter and has been featured almost all of the Star Wars films.
Anthony Daniels
For the entire duration of the Star Wars franchise, Daniels has been the one sporting that famous gold plated robotic suit and providing the stiff and quirky voice of C-3PO. And even though Threepio didn't appear in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Daniels had a small cameo in a different role, which makes him the only actor to have appeared in all 11 theatrical movies.
Angel Madison is a shopping editor at Hearst Magazines with over 25 years of editorial experience. She writes about parenting, toys, plus-size fashion, sneakers, and more for brands like Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Prevention, and Esquire. Before her time at Hearst, Angel worked as a parenting editor for New Jersey Family and covered entertainment for NBC Universal, AOL, and TV Guide. When she’s not testing the latest footwear trends, adding to her collection of over 100 LEGO sets, or scouting for the hottest new toys, you can find Angel walking long distances (either in the woods or in New York City) and spending time with her daughter.
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