14 times Star Wars actors worked together outside of the franchise

We’ve all seen actors who have appeared together time after time. It doesn’t just happen in superhero films. It’s happened in Star Wars too.

Star Wars has a habit of featuring familiar faces. Outside of Star Wars, many actors work together either before or after their time in the franchise. I’ve put together enough information to form a collection of actors who have appeared together before and after Star Wars.

Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson

Let’s begin with an easy one. Fans know them as pre-Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu, but did you know Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson worked together after Star Wars?

Three years after the release of Revenge of the Sith, Hayden Christensen starred as David Rice in the science-fiction action film, Jumper. His Star Wars prequel co-star Samuel L. Jackson starred in the same film as the antagonist Roland Cox.

Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and Ewan McGregor

Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman

Okay, Gary Oldman has never appeared in Star Wars, but he almost did. He was slated to play General Grievous but was recast with the sound mixer, Matt Wood. Anyway, Oldman worked for Natalie Portman before she was cast as Padmé Amidala in The Phantom Menace. We will include him here because he almost joined the franchise.

Portman was just a child when she starred in Léon: The Professional while Oldman played the antagonist.

Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen

They played star-crossed lovers in the prequel films, but Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith were not the last films Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen worked on.

The pair starred in a romantic-comedy anthology called New York, I Love You. However, they did not appear in the same segment. Christensen appeared in the first segment as a character named Ben. Portman was in the second segment as Rifka Malone. She also wrote and directed the eighth segment.

Justin Theroux and Felicity Jones

Despite not appearing the same Star Wars film, Justin Theroux who played Master Codebreaker in The Last Jedi and Felicity Jones who was Jyn Erso in Rogue One both appear in the film On the Basis of Sex.

Theroux plays Mel Wulf while Jones plays Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson

They were Padmé Amidala and Mace Windu in Star Wars, but Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson have both appeared the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they have never appeared together in the MCU.

Portman played Jane Foster, the love interest of Thor in the first two Thor films. Jackson has appeared in multiple MCU films as Nick Fury, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Peter Serafinowicz and Seth Green

Peter Serafinowicz was the original voice of Darth Maul before Sam Witwer took over the role during The Clone Wars and Rebels shows. Seth Green was the voice of techno-service droid Todo 360.

Serafinowicz and Green both had roles in Guardians of the Galaxy. Serafinowicz portrayed Garthan Saal. Green provided the voice of Howard the Duck.

Ian McDiarmid and Sebastian Shaw

This is more of an honorary mention as I couldn’t find whether Shaw and McDiarmid worked together before appearing in Return of the Jedi.

Ian McDiarmid is a veteran actor who has seen the likes of stage and screen. Hayden Christensen wasn’t the first actor to play Anakin. McDiarmid’s friend, Sebastian Shaw played an unmasked Vader.

Shaw was required to keep his role a total secret. Not even McDiarmid – who was also in the movie as Palpatine – knew. Only after the release of the film was Shaw allowed to talk about it.

Ian Abercrombie and Tim Curry

For any fan of The Clone Wars, this one is for you. From 2008 to 2012, Ian Abercrombie provided the voice for Chancellor Palpatine and his Sith alter ego, Darth Sidious. When Abercrombie died, he’d left work unfinished, leaving Lucasfilm to find a replacement. They found one in his Garfield: Tale of Two Kitties co-star, Tim Curry.

Curry is well known for his voice work and he provided the voice of Garfield’s doppelgänger, Prince XII in the film, which saw Abercrombie play the butler who tends to the cat’s every need. If you listen to Curry’s voice work for Palpatine, you can tell it’s so obviously him. Though, he tried hard to pick up where Abercrombie left the role.

Guy Henry and Natalie Portman

This one took me by surprise. After the release of Revenge of the Sith, Natalie starred as Evey Hammond opposite Lord of the Rings star, Hugo Weaving in V for Vendetta. However, it’s not the reference to Weaving we’re discussing. It’s that one of Portman’s co-stars in this film happened to be Guy Henry.

Now, the name Guy Henry sounds familiar, it’s because he was the replacement for the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin. Henry portrayed both the movement and voice for the Imperial in Rogue One.

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing

If you’re a fan of the old horror films of the early 20th Century, you might have known Count Dooku actor, the late Christopher Lee worked on multiple films with the late Peter Cushing who played Grand Moff Tarkin.

Cushing and Lee worked on the 1959 version of The Mummy together. A little fun fact is that they played enemies, but were great friends off-screen. When George Lucas was editing Revenge of the Sith, he tried to use footage of Peter Cushing from A New Hope. However, he couldn’t find the right footage.

This was to make it appear Lee and Cushing were in at least one Star Wars film together even if they don’t appear in the same scene. Instead, Lucas cast a guy that looked like Cushing.

Matt Lanter, Sam Witwer, and Steve Blum

Voice actors can often play several roles at one time. The Clone Wars and Rebels are a perfect example. Matt Lanter, Sam Witwer, and Steve Blum have all voiced characters in Rebels with Lanter and Witwer reprising their roles from The Clone Wars. In case you’ve forgotten, Lanter played Anakin Skywalker. Witwer played Maul. Blum played the ever loveable Zeb in Rebels.

Did you know the three of them voiced characters in the animated film, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis? Lanter takes the lead role as Arthur Curry better known as Aquaman. Witwer plays Curry’s half-brother, Orm while Blum provided the voice of Cyborg’s armor and Lex Luthor.

Vanessa Marshall, James Arnold Taylor, Grey Griffin, and Phil LaMarr

They’re famous voice actors, but Vanessa Marshall, James Arnold Taylor, Grey Griffin, and Phil LaMarr have all worked in Star Wars media. Marshall played Hera Syndulla in Rebels. Taylor has Obi-Wan Kenobi in the micro-series Clone Wars and in The Clone Wars. He’s also played Plo Koon and various other characters. Griffin provided the voice of Padmé in Clone Wars. LaMarr played Kit Fisto.

They also all provided voice work for the LEGO film based on The Flash. Taylor provided the voice of the titular character. Marshall provides the voice of Poison Ivy. Griffin played Wonder Woman while LaMarr provided the voice for Firestorm.

Jay Laga’aia and Rohan Nichol

For Australian Star Wars fans, this one is for you guys. You might recognize Jay Laga’aia and Rohan Nichol. Laga’aia is best remembered as Captain Typho. However, Nichol isn’t as well known. He appeared at the end of Revenge of the Sith as Raymus Antilles.

Antilles was the captain Vader killed in A New Hope. Antilles in Revenge of the Sith was 19 years younger. Laga’aia and Nichol are on this list because they worked on Australian soap, Home and Away. Laga’aia had a short stint on the show as Elijah Johnson while Nichol stars as Ben Astoni.

Next. Skywalker Parentage: Qui-Gon knew the truth of Luke and Leia. dark

Conclusion

There are loads of actors that have worked on other projects with other Star Wars actors. This is just a short list of the obvious ones. Hollywood is a big place, but it’s not big enough for all Star Wars actors to stay away from each other.

Are there other SW actors you’ve seen outside of Star Wars media that aren’t listed here? Tell us below!

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