The Star Wars universe is vast. Between trilogies, spin-offs, and countless stormtroopers in every piece of canon content, it’s easy to forget who’s under all those helmets. Over the decades, the franchise has become a who’s who of cameos and pre-fame appearances.
Here are six actors you may have forgotten are part of the Star Wars universe (number five is my favorite!)
1. Keira Knightley – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Before she broke out with Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean, Keira Knightley played Sabé, Queen Amidala’s decoy handmaiden in The Phantom Menace. Thanks to Natalie Portman and Knightley’s striking resemblance, even Knightley’s own mother had trouble telling them apart on screen. Knightley famously forgot her Star Wars role, so don’t worry if you did, too.
2. Daniel Craig – The Force Awakens (2015)
Yes, James Bond is technically in Star Wars. Daniel Craig has a cameo as the Stormtrooper Rey mind-tricks in The Force Awakens. You know, when she says, “You will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.” That was Craig, credited only as JB-007 (a nod to his status as the iconic secret agent). If you listen closely, the trooper’s voice is still recognizably Craig's.
3. Sofia Coppola – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Another secret handmaiden! Director Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter, Sofia, played Saché, another of Queen Amidala’s attendants. While her role is largely in the background, she appears in several scenes on Naboo and Coruscant. Sofia had already acted in The Godfather Part III and would go on to become an acclaimed director in her own right with films like Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.
4. Benicio del Toro – The Last Jedi (2017)
Benicio del Toro had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo as DJ, the shady codebreaker who betrays Finn and Rose on Canto Bight. His single scene, in which he delivers the heart-wrenching line, “You’re not the hero—nor the villain—you’re the bystander," hits harder knowing it’s cinematic legend del Toro under that hat.
5. John Ratzenberger – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Yes, Cliff from Cheers showed up in the galaxy far, far away. Before he was Pixar’s good luck charm, John Ratzenberger appeared as Rebel Major Derlin in The Empire Strikes Back, helping coordinate defenses during the Battle of Hoth. It’s a quick moment in the movie, but it makes for excellent trivia night fodder and proves Star Wars cameos were fun long before the prequels made them cool.
6. Lin-Manuel Miranda – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Even the Hamilton creator had his moment in the Star Wars galaxy. Lin-Manuel Miranda has become synonymous with Disney in recent years, scoring everything from the live-action Little Mermaid to Mary Poppins Returns to Encanto to Moana 2. He also helped compose some of the music for The Force Awakens, and popped up briefly as a Resistance fighter in Rise of Skywalker. If you blinked, go back and pause the victory scene. He's there.
From future Oscar winners in background roles to A-listers slipping under a Stormtrooper helmet, Star Wars has always had a knack for unexpected casting. It’s a great excuse to rewatch every movie with a closer eye!
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