R.I.P. Jason Wingreen — The Original Voice of Boba Fett in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
The man who originally voiced iconic Star Wars character Boba Fett in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back — Jason Wingreen — has died at the age of 95…
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Actor Jason Wingreen, who was the original voice actor for Boba Fett in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, has died at the age of 95. Wingreen, who had more than 200 film and television credits to his name, had this to say about what it was like, once Star Wars fans found out he was the voice of Boba Fett:
"“I’ve signed a lot of photos of Boba Fett. I was living a quiet, peaceful, unencumbered life until that news broke, and when the news came out in a Star Wars magazine, for which I’d done an interview, the letters just never stopped.”"
Wingreen’s voice was replaced in 2002, when Lucasfilm decided for continuity’s sake, the voice of Boba Fett should match that of New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison who portrayed Jango Fett (Boba’s father) in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It was revealed in that film that Boba Fett was an unaltered clone of Jango Fett who requested Boba and acted as his father.
Here’s the scenes from Empire, where Wingreen’s voice was used:
It’s hard to imagine Boba Fett sounding anything like Wingreen, as the Prequel Trilogy did a lot to cement the history of the famed bounty hunter. However, Wingreen will forever be a part of Star Wars history, as he did his part in the building of the cult-like following of a character that had very little screen-time, yet became one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe.
Rest in Peace, Jason Wingreen, make your soul take flight in Slave 1, and as the Mandalorian saying goes: Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum (I’m still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal).