Behind the Scenes of Return of the Jedi with Ken Coombs

I had only recently got myself an agent for working in films and television. Up till then, I had only worked in the theatre. It was only my third film when I was sent to an audition for a new film called “Revenge of The Jedi” (as it was called then) at Elstree Studios as either an Imperial Officer or a Storm Trooper. Luckily I got the job of an Imperial Officer. I didn’t know what it was about.

The first time going on to the set was certainly quite an experience. It was a very large sound stage (now called the George Lucas Stage) with many people—actors, crew, and technicians. It really was quite an eye-opener.

As I said, I was relatively new to the film business. The first film I worked on was “Eye of the Needle” starring Donald Sutherland the year before and a remake of “Ivanhoe” with James Mason. I was learning on the hoof as they say, so I very much did as I was told and made sure that I watched all that was happening around me. It was completely different from working in the theatre. Firstly, I had to go to the wardrobe department and get a costume that fit me. I’m just so glad that I wasn’t cast as a Storm Trooper. Their costumes were very uncomfortable to have to wear all day long. My costume, thank goodness, was very comfortable to wear. All this was something that was completely new to me. The others there were all very helpful. We were all placed in our positions by the Assistant Director and spent most of the time rehearsing the scene, with breaks for drinks and lunch. I remember on one of the takes after the lunch break the Imperial Officer next to me whispered that I still had my glasses on as the camera went past and I hurriedly took them off hoping no one would have seen them!

I had been to see the original “Star Wars” when it first came out and was very impressed, but hadn’t seen the follow-up “The Empire Strikes Back”, so when I got the call for “Revenge of the Jedi”, I didn’t know what I was getting involved in. It really only was later when it was released as “Return of The Jedi” and I went to see it on the big screen that I realized what I had done.

When I was filming, all that I saw was a very large set with many people. It wasn’t until I saw the finished film in a cinema with all the special effects and sound in place that it was a complete change. When I went to see the film after its release, I saw how much was added in special effects, making it such an impressive scene.

As I said, when I went to work on “Return of the Jedi” it was just another job. It wasn’t till much later, when I got involved in the Star Wars Conventions and ComicCons, that I realised how large the following was. I always enjoy meeting and talking with fans at conventions and have made many friends around the world because of it. I have been very lucky to go over to Japan for a convention and have done a number around Europe—Germany, Holland, France as well as in England. I was also lucky to go to Spain to the San Sebastian Film Festival with Dave Prowse to mark the 30th anniversary of Jedi, where they had a reproduction of our scene in miniature.

It certainly made people aware of what I had done and it kept me busy doing the shows all over. The last convention I attended was last year in London.

I have made numerous friends by meeting them at conventions and keeping in touch with them through Facebook mainly.

As well as “Star Wars” I was lucky to have appeared in a number of other high-profile films including “Batman” (with Michael Keaton & Jack Nicholson), “Superman IV” as a reporter with Christopher Reeve, as well as four James Bond films—”Octopussy”, “A View to a Kill”, “GoldenEye”, and “The Living Daylights”. I also appeared in a couple of episodes of “Space Precinct”, a series for TV over here. In all, I have worked on over 700 films, television programs, and commercials in my time. Recently, I appeared in an episode of “The Crown” and also “A Quiet Place 3”, which I don’t think has come out yet.