Kevin Smith didn’t know his role in The Force Awakens, telling everyone the wrong part

In a case of confusion in a galaxy far, far away, Kevin Smith recently revealed that he didn’t actually know which character he voiced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he was telling everyone the wrong part! During a career retrospective with Entertainment Weekly, the writer-director of cult classics like Clerks and Mallrats shared this hilarious story of mistaken identity.

It all started when J.J. Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens, offered Smith the chance to voice a stormtrooper. “J.J. was kind enough to let me do a voice for a stormtrooper,” Smith recalled. “And he had a bunch of lines written, so he was like, 'I don’t know which one you’re gonna be. Just say all 10 of these.’” Sounds simple enough, right? Except Smith had no idea which stormtrooper he’d actually end up playing when he finally saw the movie.

After watching the film, Smith mistakenly thought he voiced the iconic “Traitor!” stormtrooper who calls out John Boyega’s Finn, a former stormtrooper who switches sides to join the Resistance. “So for the first week The Force Awakens was out, I was telling everybody, 'I’m traitor, bitch!’” Smith recounted, laughing. “And they’re like, 'Are you kidding me!’” It wasn’t until Abrams himself reached out that Smith realized his error. “Then J.J. emailed me and said, ‘Stop saying you’re traitor, you’re not traitor.’”

It turns out that the “Traitor!” line was actually voiced by sound editor David Acord. Smith’s voice does appear in the same scene, though, during the attack on Maz Kanata’s castle. He’s the stormtrooper who shouts, “We have incoming at 28.6! Move!” It’s not quite as iconic as “Traitor!” but hey, a stormtrooper line is still a stormtrooper line!

In hindsight, it’s easy to see why Smith got confused. After all, voicing a stormtrooper in a Star Wars movie is a pretty epic achievement—one that most fans would be eager to brag about. But, as Smith learned, it’s probably best to check the credits first before claiming a role as your own. The whole mix-up adds another humorous anecdote to Smith’s long list of quirky Hollywood stories.

Besides his stormtrooper saga, Smith has plenty of other films to his name, from the breakout indie hit Clerks to cult favorites like Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. His latest film, The 4:30 Movie, is currently in theaters. It’s described as a love letter to the movies, set in 1986, and follows three teenage friends who sneak into movies at their local theater every Saturday. With a cast that includes Ken Jeong, Justin Long, and Adam Pally, it promises to be a nostalgic trip back to the days when catching a film at the local cinema was the ultimate weekend plan.

Kevin Smith’s story is a reminder that even in Hollywood, mix-ups happen to the best of us. His genuine excitement and enthusiasm about being part of the Star Wars universe just make this mishap all the more endearing. So, if you’re ever lucky enough to get a part in a Star Wars movie, take a note from Kevin Smith’s playbook: double-check who you’re actually playing.