The adorable and fan-favorite humanoid squid (not to mention the iconic meme “It’s a trap!”), a secondary but important character in the Star Wars galaxy, Admiral Ackbar appeared on screen in 1983 in Return of the Jedi. Since then, he has been played by Timothy Rose, and his voice was by Eric Bauersfeld.
The two reprized their roles in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015. In 2017, Tom Cain voiced the character in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, following the death of Eric Bauersfeld.
He was also seen in the animated series The Clone Wars, not to mention the fact that he also appears in novels from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, through video games and comics. In short, a character that became iconic.
In Return of the Jedi, it is he, as the leader of the Rebel fleet, who coordinates forces with Lando Calrissian to win the final battle of Endor. The film ends with the destruction of the second Death Star and a galaxy-wide celebration of victory against the Empire.
Rose resisted the request of the film’s director, Richard Marquand, who wanted her character and her associates from the planet Mon Calamari to start dancing on the command ship. After all, Ewoks weren’t the only ones who could party.
The actor actually thought that Akbardi was celebrating it in a more sober, if not more solemn way. Therefore, as he explained, he refused to fulfill the director’s request During the interview in 2019 :
“I have visited less than 200 rooms Mobilized for Vietnam. I had very strong ideas about war then. I think it’s commendable , but this is not something to celebrate. There is a big difference. So in Akbar’s last scene, they put the camera on him… I was thinking about our dead people, their dead people, and the weight fell on my chair.
and He got really angry and he said, “Okay, we’ll do it again, and this time get up and dance.” I said, “If you want Akbar to dance, you can put someone else in the costume. You have my performance. And they left him.”
You can find a (very short) sequence Video below, around 02”29. Admittedly, it’s more elegant than dancing a caterpillar on a ship…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
