50 Roles for 50 Actors: Dream casting the Star Wars saga

Dream casting the Star Wars saga: Hugh Laurie as Captain Lorth Needa

Here’s another one of these uptight Imperial officers the Star Wars movies like to throw at us. For whatever reason, high-ranking officials in the Empire are almost always British, hence why we’ve looked across the pond when casting most of them. Captain Lorth Needa, the officer who reported to Darth Vader for a brief time during The Empire Strikes Back, is no exception.

Unlike a couple of the other Imperial officers, Needa actually seems like a decent guy. He loses track of the Millennium Falcon while trying to track down Han, Luke, and Leia, but he doesn’t try to avoid blame. Instead, he announces that he will take full responsibility for the blunder and apologize to Lord Vader in person. Of course, Vader chokes him to death with the Force, but the thought was nice.

Even in his more abrasive roles, Hugh Laurie has a likable quality that will fit a character like Needa. He’s also practiced with the stiff upper lip, something Needa definitely employs as he marches off to offer his apologies to Vader. Finally, he has a long, angular face that roughly matches that of Michael Culver, the actor who originally played Needa. Laurie will slip this role on like a glove.

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