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The July 1987 issue of Starlog Magazine featured an interview with Sebastian Shaw. It also had some great never-before-seen photos of Shaw.

Part III:  Spectres of Star Wars
In addition to the scene between Anakin Skywalker and his son, Shaw also appeared in the movie's closing moments.  "George Lucas actually directed me, in my final bit -- Alec Guiness and I happy and beaming in that kind of shimmering Star Wars heaven. I look like me in that scene, I haven't got any of that awful makeup on.  Alec wasn't there -- it was all put together afterwards.  When we were filming that sequence, I didn't know why we were doing it, I thought it was for publicity or something, George just said, 'Look happy, smile.'

"I enjoyed the whole experience very much, " Shaw concludes of his brief visit to the Star Wars universe.  "When I went to see Return of the Jedi, I hadn't seen any of the rest of the film at all.  I knew the story, but I had never seen an Ewok before."

Born in 1905, Shaw trained at Britain's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his first appearance on the London stage in 1925, and on Broadway in 1929. Shaw's first film role was in 1931, and he appeared in more than 20 British movies before World War II. But even half a century later, Shaw notes that "Basically, making films hasn't changed all that much. The first movie I ever made was an early British talkie with a script by Michael Powell. It was a very famous old play which they adapted, called Caste.

"I like working in movies very much, I'm a great movie buff and I love going to watch movies.  My great god of all screen actors was Spencer Tracy. When I was making movies in a big way, I used to see his films and would feel very depressed.  I thought, 'Well, if he can do it like that so easily, what the hell am I doing, finding it so difficult?'  Of course, it was the result of his wonderful marvelous technique."

In recent years, Shaw has primarily concentrated on roles in classical plays in theater and television.  As well as writing several plays, a novel, and a book of poetry.  But Return of the Jedi, which has undoubtedly been seen by more people than any other performance in his career, has been especially memorable to the actor. "I was something of a movie star when I was young, before the great war, but I've never had so much fan mail as I've had from this film," he remarks.  "And mostly from kids -- 12, 13, 14-year olds.  It's very touching and very delightful, that one has been able to give them some kind of pleasure. Also, I've had responses from older ladies who have been enormously moved by Jedi, and didn't expect to be.  But it suddenly hit them, too.  The kids, of course, are mostly wanting to add me, or my signature or my picture or something, to their big Star Wars collections.

"Now I know that you can buy me in a shop," laughs Sebastian Shaw, referring to the Anakin Skywalker toy figure which a friend had brought to his attention.  "When more people come in to the store, I'm going to tell people, 'Why don't you go out and buy me?'"

Interview Part 1 - Interview Part 2 - Interview Part 3

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