How the divisive design of Admiral Ackbar caused controversy on the set of ‘Star Wars’
In the decades of the Star Wars franchise’s popularity, fans have started to appreciate almost each and every character, no matter how utterly irrelevant they might be. Sure, whilst Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Princess Leia might be the most beloved icons of the series, ask any passionate franchise fan, and they’ll speak passionately about the likes of Jek Porkins, Yaddle and even the mute gonk droids.
One of the many obscure characters who have found love in the Star Wars fandom is Admiral Ackbar, the brave commander of the Rebel Alliance who helped orchestrate several attacks on the evil Empire until his tragic demise in The Last Jedi. Indeed, many fans weren’t all that happy with his demise, believing he should’ve been given a more ceremonious death, with the film’s editor Bob Ducsay even comparing him to the British war hero Winston Churchill.
You can spot good ‘ol Ackbar from a mile-off too, with his distinctive salmon-coloured skin, webbed hands, high-domed head, and large fish-like eyes setting him aside from most of the more conventional heroes of the Star Wars universe. Deep down, of course, there is an actor in a full-body suit playing the role, with the rarely-named franchise hero Timothy D. Rose playing the icon.
Surprisingly though, there was a strong number of cast and crew members who were opposed to Ackbar’s design, believing that he looked too silly and ugly to appear in the movie, ridiculing the drama at hand. Remarkably it was the director of Return of the Jedi, Richard Marquand, who was the one to defend Ackbar’s looks, arguing that he should remain in the movie in order to represent the diversity of beauty.
Speaking about the concerns of the cast and crew concerning the design of Ackbar, Marquand said, “I think it’s good to tell kids that good people aren’t necessarily good-looking people and that bad people aren’t necessarily ugly people,” as stated in The Making of Return of the Jedi.
Thankfully, the choice to keep him in his iconic costume led Ackar to be considered one of the most beloved characters in the whole of the Star Wars universe, with “It’s a trap” being the rallying cry for the much-memed sci-fi icon.
Discussing the significance of his own character in an interview with Star Wars Insider, the franchise’s official magazine, Timothy D. Rose stated, “I think he ended up commanding the troops not so much because of my performance, but because of his look. He had a screen presence”.
Continuing, he adds, “He was originally just a background character. They created a whole series of characters, and they had these roles they needed filled. He ended up filling it because he just had the magic. He had the charisma”.
Thank you Richard Marquand, for keeping one of cinema’s most cherished side characters in Return of the Jedi in all his prosthetic glory. And thank you, Admiral Ackbar for your service.
