7 best celebrity cameos in Star Wars

Star Wars has become a pop culture phenomenon that has lasted several decades, bringing different generations and countless different perspectives under its vast universe. Having evolved from the original trilogy to the recent series, the caravan of Star Wars has been able to surprise its fans with unexpected cameos ranging from subtle nods to big-standing moments.

These cameos had various intents; some commemorated legacy characters, some tied stories together from various eras, and a few just imparted that perfect "Did that just happen?" feel.

Names going with faces from this side of the galaxy have always been ingrained in viewers' memories. Directors and writers have continued to come up with ingenious ways of integrating these cameos into the storyline as easter eggs for those in the know. Be it a quick view of a legendary Jedi, a voice from the past carried over by the Force itself, or an unannounced return, these cameos have become a major stitch in Star Wars's fabric.

Sometimes, they last for seconds, and at other times, their appearances extend to several scenes. The duration of cameo appearances varies, but so do their effects. From original trilogy legends stepping back into iconic roles to surprise reveals that sent social media into overdrive, these moments remind audiences why Star Wars continues to captivate viewers across the globe.

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Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, and 5 other cameos in Star Wars

1) George Lucas in Revenge of the Sith

Still from Revenge of The Sith (Image via Disney+)

The story of Star Wars wouldn’t be complete without mentioning its creator, George Lucas. While Lucas played a pivotal role behind the camera, he was never interested in appearing in the films himself. Instead, he gave small cameo roles to his children—Katie, Amanda, and Jett—across the prequel trilogy. However, during the filming of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas made a rare exception at his children’s request.

Just before the Opera House scene, as Anakin enters Palpatine’s private box, two blue-skinned Pantorans appear on the left side of the screen. Lucas himself is on the right, playing Chairman Notluwiski Papanoida, while Katie is beside him as his daughter, Chi Eekway. The cameo is brief, and an intended reference to Papanoida by Mace Windu was ultimately left on the cutting room floor.

Papanoida and his family later reappear in the animated series The Clone Wars episode Sphere of Influence.

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2) Simon Pegg in The Force Awakens

Still from The Force Awakens (Image via Disney+)

Simon Pegg, a well-known comedic actor who has consistently collaborated with director J.J. Abrams, entered the Star Wars universe in The Force Awakens as Unkar Plutt. Plutt is the intimidating junk dealer of Jakku who becomes the temporary owner of one of the most coveted items in the galaxy: the Millennium Falcon.

Pegg performed the physical acting for the character while under the extensive silicone costume and also gave Plutt his trademark deep voice. Since then, Unkar Plutt has appeared in other Star Wars fare, such as Star Wars Adventures comics and the LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga video game.

Pegg had a bigger role than just acting; his enthusiasm and knowledge of Star Wars directly impacted Abrams’ view of Plutt and encouraged a favoring of practical effects for the role that further cemented the visual style of the film. Pegg also co-wrote a deleted scene from the film involving his intimate knowledge of the Falcon's past; in that scene, Plutt activates the ship's famous homing beacon to lure Rey, but Chewbacca intervenes before anything comes of it.

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3) Rian Johnson In Rogue One

Rian Johnson on SXSW (Image via Disney+)

Occasionally, fun cameos by directors run both ways in the Star Wars galaxy. The Last Jedi and Rogue One share a surprising behind-the-scenes overlap with directors Rian Johnson and Gareth Edwards being friends, because their productions overlapped. While they were enjoying making a Star Wars movie, Edwards invited Johnson to make a cameo in Rogue One, and Johnson invited The Last Jedi producer Ram Bergman to accompany him.

During their appearance at Star Wars Celebration Europe, Johnson shared how they each had to decide their roles. Johnson explained they each chose roles that they were confident would be in the movie as Death Star technicians in the firing chamber who pull the levers to trigger the green laser blast to destroy Alderaan.

Their brief but memorable appearance is a visual reference to A New Hope, as both a rehash of an iconic moment in the saga but also a moment that meant a lot to these two filmmakers personally.

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4) Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Last Jedi

Still from The Last Jedi (Image via Disney+)

Rian Johnson had several cameos in The Last Jedi, including one for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt has been in all of Johnson's movies in one capacity or another, and he was featured in Johnson's directorial debut, Brick. In The Last Jedi, Gordon-Levitt voiced Slowen Lo, an Abednedo inhabitant of Canto Bight.

Slowen Lo "ratted out" Finn and Rose for illegally parking their ship on the beach, which ultimately led to them being taken away by authorities before they confronted the Master Codebreaker. While Gordon-Levitt voiced the character, it was actor Dee Tails who physically portrayed Slowen Lo.

Slowen Lo is also a clever nod to the Beastie Boys classic Slow and Low, and the naming convention for Abednedo characters was perpetuated in the Star Wars universe by a member of the costume department during production of The Force Awakens.

Another Abednedo character, Ello Asty, is named after the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty album, honoring director J.J. Abrams' love of the band. Several other Abednedo characters like Roodown and Ilco Munica also have Beastie Boys-inspired names.

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5) Justin Theroux in The Last Jedi

Still from The Last Jedi (Image via Disney+)

Justin Theroux appears in The Last Jedi as the Master Codebreaker, a tuxedoed, mustachioed high roller at Canto Casino who Finn and Rose approach for help infiltrating the First Order. Known for roles in The Leftovers, Running Point, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Theroux’s involvement in Star Wars started as a larger role.

Originally, the Codebreaker was to feature in a more extended scene inspired by To Catch a Thief, where Rose and Finn meet him in a cabaret to plan a jewel heist before being caught by authorities. Director Rian Johnson offered Theroux the part early on, but the scene was eventually cut down to a brief cameo. Theroux mentioned receiving a last-minute call to appear in the smaller role.

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6) Jason Sudeikis in The Mandalorian

Still from The Mandalorian (Image via Disney+)

In The Mandalorian, Jason Sudeikis appeared as a scout trooper with Adam Pally as his partner. They were in charge of Grogu for a short while, as directed by Moff Gideon. They acted as coworkers, debating what to do next in the scenes, even aiming blasters at nearby debris, which frequently went unnoticed. The mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes refers to Sudeikis as JS-1975, based on his initials and birth year, even though his character isn't named in the show's credits.

They punch Grogu inside a canvas bag in one particularly memorable scene. Online buzz was generated by that scene, and after it went viral, Sudeikis told Conan on his talk show that he had all but forgotten about it.

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7) Daniel Craig in The Force Awakens

Still from The Force Awakens (Image via Disney+)

Daniel Craig is best known as James Bond or even the smart-mouthed detective Benoit Blanc, but he delivers one of the biggest surprises in The Force Awakens. Craig is in disguise as a stormtrooper—a faceless, nameless soldier from the ranks of the First Order.

There is a tense interrogation with Kylo Ren, and during that interrogation, Rey uses her first successful Jedi Mind Trick on one of the stormtrooper guards, which is Craig. After a slight delay, he lowers his weapon under her influence.

While Craig's voice is marginally audible beneath the stormtrooper's electronic voice modulator, it is not the southern-tinged accent he later adopted for Benoit Blanc, as this Star Wars cameo was long before that character was conceived. Even though it is a fleeting moment, there is some additional joy for fans who know to listen closely for the moment.

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All the Star Wars films and TV shows can be streamed on Disney+.

Edited by Meenakshi Ajith