Plenty of big names in Hollywood became big names thanks in no small part to the Star Wars saga. The original trilogy elevated the profiles of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. The prequel trilogy did wonders for Ewan McGregor’s career. And, more recently, the sequel trilogy endeared Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver to theatergoers the world over. But then there are the big name, A-list (well, future A-list, in most cases) actors who have far smaller roles in the galaxy far, far away. Those are the types of A-listers that follow, those whose roles could more or less be described as blink and you’ll miss it. Or, in some situations, put your fingers in your ears and you’ll miss it.
But we’re only looking at actors, so no Princes Harry and William, who filmed a scene as Stormtroopers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi that ultimately ended up on the cutting room floor. Speaking of deleted scenes, they didn’t count. It had to be a cameo or bit role that actually ended up in the film. To that point, Tom Hardy, who was right there alongside Harry and William, also did not count.
7) Keira Knightley in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
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Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley definitely do look a good bit alike, and while they’re different talents, it’s not impossible for the cinema layman to get them confused when they’re sharing the screen. In other words, she was the perfect choice for Prince Amidala’s decoy in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. And, while plenty of people can probably tell it’s Knightley she is wearing makeup whenever we see her, so technically she’s a performer hiding in Star Wars.
But, if you want a choice from The Phantom Menace that is even more blink and you’ll miss it, the movie has some other big names for you. For instance, there’s Dominic West as a Naboo palace guard and Sally Hawkins as a spectator of the parade that closes out the film. And, while not an actor, per se, you can also spot Sofia Coppola as Saché, another one of Amidala’s handmaidens. Lastly, if you look just to the left of Ralph Brown’s Ric Olié on the far right of that above picture, you’ll see Richard Armitage, who later played Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy.
6) Simon Pegg in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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Considering he’s wearing a massive, very hot-looking costume and disguising his voice, you’d be fully forgiven for not knowing Unkar Plutt is, in fact, played by Star Trek and Shaun of the Dead‘s Simon Pegg. It makes sense, considering he’s a professed fan of the IP and had a working relationship with direct J.J. Abrams.
Also providing their voices to Star Wars: The Force Awakens were Bill Hader and Sonic the Hedgehog‘s Ben Schwartz, who made BB-8’s sounds. Then there’s James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, who voiced a Stormtrooper tasked with guarding Rey (fortunately, he’s a very easily manipulated Stormtrooper).
5) Treat Williams in The Empire Strikes Back
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The late Treat Williams was a delight in movies and TV shows like Once Upon a Time in America, Deep Rising, and Chicago Fire. But, before all of those projects, he had a bit role in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and it was all because he was visiting his pal Carrie Fisher on set.
Granted, you can’t really tell who he is. He doesn’t have any lines after all. But there is a shot of a Rebel soldier looking through some goggles, and he is wearing the same uniform Williams is wearing in set photos with Fisher. Someone you can spot, however, is Pixar mainstay and Cliff Clavin himself, John Ratzenberger. He, too, plays a (mustachioed) Rebel soldier on Hoth.
4) Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt worked with Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson on the Knives Out auteur’s directorial debut, Brick. Then, they collaborated on Looper in 2012.
Five years later the duo worked together once more in a Johnson’s biggest project yet, but it was nonetheless a fairly small role for Gordon-Levitt. He plays Slowen Lo, an alien on Canto Bight who tells Finn and Rose they can’t park their shuttle on the beach.
3) Jason Sudeikis in Star Wars: The Mandalorian
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Even if you don’t recognize the voices of the two Stormtroopers who have captured Grogu on behalf of Moff Gideon, you get the sense their voiced by comedians. Not only is their mundane, “another day at work” dialogue pretty funny, but the way they spout it out really sells the humor.
That assumption is correct, as JS-1975 is voiced by Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night Live veteran and star of We’re the Millers. By his side is AP-1982, who is voiced by The Mindy Project‘s Adam Pally.
2) Karl Urban in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
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We’re coming up on the end of The Boys, but there will still be plenty of demand for Karl Urban on the big and small screen. Even when he’s playing a nefarious pirate in the underrated The Bluff he’s charming as can be.
And, thanks to his friendship with his Star Trek director J.J. Abrams, Urban got to check off a bucket list item by having a role in a Star Wars movie. That would be Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, where Urban voiced a stormtrooper passed by the Knights of Ren as they walk in a hallway.
1) Rose Byrne in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
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Before she was showing her brilliance in comedic roles and dramatic parts alike, Rose Byrne was a small part of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Like with Keira Knightley, Byrne’s character is connected to Padme. Specifically, she plays Dormé, one of the Senator’s handmaidens who is around mostly towards the beginning of the movie.
This was very early in Byrne’s career. She was about a decade shy of stealing scenes in Bridesmaids and about 25 years shy of delivering a stunning lead performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
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