50 Star Wars secrets that will blow your mind
By Josh Hill
4. Gary Oldman Had To Drop Out As General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith
There were a slew of things that George Lucas wanted to do with what would be his final Star Wars film ever. Having Steven Spielberg direct the film was among the ideas rumored to be kicked around, but the Oscar-winning director’s affiliation with the Directors Guild of America prevented him from being eligible to direct an non-union independent feature (yes, because Lucas isn’t a DGA member, all of his Star Wars movies are considered “independent” in technical terms).
This whole thing about Lucas not being a DGA member came back to bite him again when he courted Gary Oldman to be the villain General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith. One version of the story goes that Oldman didn’t want to violate his standing with the Screen Actors Guild, which prohibited him from working on non-union films.
Matthew Wood, who ended up voicing General Grievous in the film, insists that Oldman was never up for the role but simply auditioned as a favor to the producers.
Next: 3. Terrance Stamp Stomped Out On George Lucas