British actor Michael Culver died on March 13 at the age of 85. He was known to the general public for playing the role of Captain Needa in “The Empire Strikes Back”.
British actor Michael Culver died on March 13 at the age of 85. The Alliance Agents agency, which represented him, published this short message (via Deadline): “We are very saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver.”
Culver’s face was known to pop culture fans for having been that of Captain Needa, briefly in Darth Vader’s service, and strangled by him using the Force in The Empire Strikes Back:
In this fifth episode of Star Wars, Captain Needa is chasing the Millennium Falcon near the asteroid field on the planet Hoth, but the latter escapes him, with Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia, among others, on board. . Captain Needa takes responsibility for this failure against Vader, who strangles him with the Force, all with a well-intentioned sentence: “Apologies accepted, Captain Needa.”
For VF fans, Captain Needa was voiced at the time by French actor Daniel Russo.
Culver made his film debut as an extra in the James Bond films From Russia with Love and Operation Thunder (in two different roles). We also see him in the two versions (English and American) of the series Bowler Hat and Leather Boots, and after 26 episodes playing squires in the family series Black Prince, and many guest appearances, he gets a small role in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
He then returned to the small screen, and found a recurring role in the monastic investigation series Cadfael, led by Derek Jacobi. His last appearance dates back to 2016 in the film Servant’s Quarters by Paul Raschid, which was not released in France.