‘Star Wars’ stars then and now
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Lucasfilm Ltd.One of the most beloved "Star Wars" characters is also the one with the least screen time. Yoda was brought to life in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" by puppeteer/voice actor Frank Oz.
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Lucasfilm Ltd.Peter Mayhew was the man inside the suit when it came to playing the Wookiee Chewbacca.
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Courtesy Lucasfilm via CNNYou can't see them inside their droid costumes, but Anthony Daniels portrayed C-3PO and Kenny Baker played R2-D2.
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Lucasfilm Ltd.It took two people to bring Darth Vader to life. David Prowse wore the suit and acted on the sets, while James Earl Jones provided Vader's distinctive baritone.
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Public domain via Wikimedia Commons"Star Wars" creator George Lucas (seen here in 1986) wrote and directed the original "Star Wars," but stuck to writing and producing the other films in the original trilogy.
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Lucasfilm Ltd.Alec Guinness, who played the Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy, died of liver cancer at age 86 on Aug. 5, 2000.
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David James/Lucasfilm Ltd."The Last Jedi," which saw her character promoted to General Leia Organa, was one of Fisher's last roles. She's seen here on set with director Rian Johnson.
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Lucasfilm Ltd.Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) are seen here in a scene from 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back."
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Lucasfilm Ltd.Mark Hamill is seen here as Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars."
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Lucasfilm Ltd.Friday marks not only the premiere of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" but also the 42nd anniversary of the premiere of the original "Star Wars." To mark the day, join us for a look at the 1977 movie's stars then and now while also remembering those we have lost over the years.