The director of “Return of the Jedi” refused to change the appearance of one of “Star Wars” most legendary characters for a surprising reason…
Richard Marquand, to whom we owe Return of the Jedi (1983), is at the origin of the creation of one of the most appreciated secondary characters of the saga: the famous Admiral Ackbar, veteran Mon Calamari, who introduced us taught that not all heroes are necessarily beautiful.
Although Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Princess Leia are the icons of the first trilogy, if you ask any fan, they will surely recognize Admiral Ackbar, the courageous commander of the Rebel Alliance who helps to orchestrating several attacks against the evil Empire until his tragic disappearance in The Last Jedi – a disappearance which did not please many fans who would have wished for a more ceremonious death for this beloved character. The film’s editor, Bob Ducsay, even compared him to British war hero Winston Churchill.
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Admiral Ackbar is recognized by his salmon-colored skin and large fish eyes which distinguish him from most conventional heroes. Underneath a full suit, hid the late Timothy D. Rose.
However, a large number of cast and crew members objected to the character’s appearance, feeling that he looked too silly and ugly to appear in the film, and that this ridiculed the character’s appearance. drama of the last part of the trilogy. Richard Marquand however, defended his appearance, insisting he had to stay in the film to represent the diversity of beauty. He thus mentioned the subject in the documentary The Making of Return of the Jedi.
I think it’s good to tell children that good guys aren’t necessarily pretty and bad guys aren’t necessarily ugly.
Fortunately, the choice to keep him in his iconic costume has led to Ackbar being considered one of the most beloved characters in the entire star-studded universe. He was in fact ranked 16th in a 1998 list of the “Top 20 Star Wars Characters” in Star Wars Insider magazine, the official magazine of the franchise, and his legendary “It’s a trap !” has, for its part, entered pop culture.
Discussing the importance of his character in an interview with Star Wars Insider, Timothy D. Rose has also expressed himself on the subject.
“I think he ended up commanding the troops not so much because of my performance, but because of his appearance. He had screen presence. Originally, he was just a background character. They created a whole series of characters and filled the roles they needed. He ended up filling it because he just had magic. He had the charisma for it.”
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi can be seen streaming on Disney+.