The last two films in the main Star Wars series have made a habit of including actors in hidden roles. Star Wars: The Force Awakens famously had Daniel Craig as a Stormtrooper, along with Simon Pegg as the junker Unkar Plutt on Rey’s home planet of Jakku. Star Wars: The Last Jedi tried to keep the Stormtrooper tradition going with Tom Hardy, Prince William and Prince Harry, though their scene was ultimately cut from the film.
However, a new cameo for The Force Awakens was revealed on May 4 in celebration of Star Wars Day, and yes, it does feature another Stormtrooper. Ben Schwartz, who contributed to the voice of BB-8 along with Bill Hader, was among the many actors to put on the white and black armor of the First Order soldiers.
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On this beautiful #MayThe4thBeWithYou I feel like I can finally reveal that I played a Storm Trooper in @starwars The Force Awakens. It was an incredible honor and years later, I’m still smiling from the experience but please do not tell BB8. pic.twitter.com/CAd6aV14sX
— Ben Schwartz (@rejectedjokes) May 4, 2018
“On this beautiful #MayThe4thBeWithYou I feel like I can finally reveal that I played a Storm Trooper in @starwars The Force Awakens,” Schwartz said in a Twitter post. “It was an incredible honor and years later, I’m still smiling from the experience but please do not tell BB8.”
Of course, if you’re going to make a secret appearance in a Star Wars film, a Stormtrooper makes for the perfect role. In many cases, you never have to speak, and your identity is hidden under a large white helmet. As time goes on, more and more actors will step forward to let us know how they played a part in Episode VII and Episode VIII.
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Available now digitally and on Blu-ray and DVD, writer/director Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Benicio Del Toro as ‘DJ’, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, and the late Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.
Episode IX is set to arrive in theaters on December 20, 2019. The movie will star Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren and Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron.