The Scottish Stars of a Galaxy Far Far Away
Today is International Star Wars Day, May 4th, May the 4th be with you. Scotland has a rich connection to the big screen with many famous movies shot right here on our doorstep. From Harry Potter to James Bond, every movie fan will have caught at least a glimpse of Scotland from their sofa.
You might think that Star Wars with its alien planets and light saber battles bares no connection to Scotland but in fact rumour has it that parts of the new Star Wars trilogy have been filmed in the Highlands. We will have to wait until 2023 to see if we can spot some familiar locations transported to a galaxy far far away.
In the meantime, we have learned that this famous film and now TV presence actually has many connections to Scotland.
The most obvious to some may be the familiar face Ewan MacGregor who recently reprised his role of Obi Wan Kenobi in the new Star Wars TV series which is currently being filmed. MacGregor is from Perthshire in Scotland. He started off as a stagehand in a local theatre before heading to the city to study his craft.
He is not the only member of his family to star in this franchise however. His uncle Denis Lawson started as a rebel fighter pilot in the original trilogy. Alongside him was his class mate from drama school Ian McDiarmid. A Scotsman from Carnoustie in Angus, he played Emperor Palpatine throughout the original trilogy. He then reprised the role in Rise of the Sith in 2019. McDiarmid’s portrayal earned him a spot on CNN’s list of the top 10 British Villains.
A Scotsman also portrayed Darth Maul, another Star Wars villain. Ray Park a Glaswegian actor first starred in the franchise in 1999, in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace. He has since also reprised the role in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
It’s not just villains that we provide the Star Wars universe however, David Tennant, well known for his portrayal of Doctor Who, also provided his voice. The actor from Bathgate nearby to Edinburgh voiced an ancient droid in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. He won an Emmy award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Programme for that role. Edinburgh illustrator Tanya Roberts also provided the artwork for the Clone Wars comics.
All in all, for a small country, Scottish artists have played many important roles within the Star Wars Universe. We look forward to seeing how our beautiful landscapes are transformed to fit their universe too and hope it brings even more Star Wars fans on holiday to Scotland.
Our friendly office coo found himself thinking about this a little too much the other afternoon. He wondered what it would be like to go on holiday to the Star Wars Universe. You can find out about his day dream adventures below:
