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“Star Wars” is full of surprise cameos, from fan-favorite characters to niche pieces of Legends lore. However, the coolest cameos are the ones you’re least likely to notice. With the massive success of “Star Wars,” it has become an honor and even a tradition to sneak fun celebrity cameos into the films and shows, but thanks to the many fantastical elements within George Lucas’ original creation, almost all of them are completely unrecognizable. Whether it be under hours of prosthetic makeup or underneath the helmet of a stormtrooper, one of your favorite actors may have made an appearance in a Star War right under your nose.
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Today, all will be revealed as we uncover the best celebrity cameos this franchise has to offer. For this list, we are only including cameos from folks who haven’t previously played a major role in the franchise, so live-action cameos from “Star Wars” alums like Ahmed Best or Anthony Daniels are a no-go. In addition, we’re doing our best to spotlight cameos from folks who were already well-known at the time, so folks like Keira Knightley from “The Phantom Menace” don’t qualify. That said, there are still plenty of cameos left to include, so here are the 12 best celebrity cameos in the “Star Wars” franchise.
George Lucas as Notluwiski Papanoida in Revenge of the Sith
It only makes sense that we begin where “Star Wars” itself began: George Lucas. Despite being the father of the franchise, Lucas was never interested in being in the films himself, instead opting to cast his children — Katie, Amanda, and Jett — in small cameo parts across all three prequel films. However, at their behest, he made an exception while shooting his final “Star Wars” film, “Revenge of the Sith.”
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Right before the scene at the Opera House, as Anakin makes his way into Palpatine’s box, you can see two blue figures standing toward the left. On the right is Lucas, portraying Pantoran Chairman Notluwiski Papanoida (on the left is Katie, fittingly portraying Papanoida’s daughter, Chi Eekway). It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, though Papanoida was originally set to be referenced in a line from Mace Windu that was eventually cut from the final film.
Papanoida and his family also appear in an episode of “The Clone Wars” entitled “Sphere of Influence,” where we meet his two other children, Che Amanwe (voiced by Meredith Salanger) and Ion (voiced by Seth Green), both based on Amanda and Jett respectively. Though Lucas does not voice his character, Papanoida’s voice actor, Corey Burton, based the character’s voice on another famous director, Orson Welles. Papanoida is also portrayed as a devoted father willing to do anything to protect his children, likely in homage to Lucas himself.
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Simon Pegg as Unkar Plutt in The Force Awakens
Comedy legend Simon Pegg had collaborated with director J.J. Abrams numerous times by 2015, from the “Mission: Impossible” movies to the “Star Trek” reboot franchise. When it came time for Abrams to direct “The Force Awakens,” he called on Pegg to appear as Unkar Plutt, Jakku’s hard-nosed junk boss and then-owner of the Millennium Falcon. Plutt has since gone on to have life in additional “Star Wars” media, including the “Star Wars Adventures” comic series and the “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” video game.
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Though you wouldn’t know it based on the character’s deep voice and massive silicone costume, Pegg both voiced and performed Plutt on set. Not only did Pegg’s enthusiasm convince Abrams to lean more into practical effects for Plutt, and subsequently the rest of the film, but his “Star Wars” knowledge even earned him an additional scene. Convinced Plutt would have access to the Falcon’s homing beacon from “A New Hope,” Pegg co-wrote a now-deleted scene that portrays Plutt catching up to Rey (Daisy Ridley) and demanding she return the ship. Lucky for her, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) quickly comes to her aid and rips Plutt’s arm out. It’s one of the many moments that has Vanessa Armstrong of Syfy (somewhat facetiously) deeming Plutt “the most important ‘Star Wars’ character of all time.”
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Gareth Edwards as Rebel Trooper and Resistance Trooper in Rogue One and The Last Jedi
Two cameos for the price of one! Since George Lucas, other notable “Star Wars” directors have appeared in their own films, including “Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards. It’s another not-so-obvious appearance, but you can catch him toward the end of the film as the Rebel Trooper who releases the Tantive IV out of the hangar bay during Darth Vader’s brutal massacre, allowing the Death Star plans to escape with the Rebellion. We see you, Gareth, giving yourself the hero moment.
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While Edwards was developing “Rogue One,” Rian Johnson was also developing “The Last Jedi” and wound up playing a helpful role in the film’s initial stages. The two became close collaborators, and as production on their films overlapped, Johnson invited Edwards to portray a Resistance Trooper during the Battle of Crait. He is seen in a much clearer close-up this time around, armed next to fellow soldier Sharp (played by and named after key second assistant director Matthew Sharp) during the moment he licks the ground from a red boot print and simply says, “Salt.”
Neither character is given any sort of depth, however, one observant Reddit user theorized the two could be the same character across the “Star Wars” timeline, with some commenters counter-theorizing they could be father and son. Neither idea was likely intentional, but it does make for a potentially exciting Legends story.
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Rian Johnson as a Death Star Technician in Rogue One
Fun director cameos can be a two-way street. Just as “The Last Jedi” shares a surprising connection to “Rogue One,” so too does “Rogue One” share a surprising connection to “The Last Jedi.” Seeing as the two became friendly during development on each of their films, it only made sense that Edwards would return the favor of inviting Johnson to cameo in “Rogue One.”
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During a panel at Star Wars Celebration Europe, Johnson spoke about the careful consideration behind his choice of cameo, which he got to do alongside “The Last Jedi” producer Ram Bergman. “We chose wisely,” he said (via Yahoo! News UK). “We chose the two dudes that we knew would be in the movie. They can’t cut us out because we’re the two dudes in the firing chamber on the Death Star who pull the levers.”
As behind-the-scenes photos confirm, Johnson and Bergman are indeed the two Death Star technicians who stand mere inches away from the station’s green laser blast, an image that fans first witnessed in “A New Hope” during the destruction of Alderaan. It only makes sense that a diehard fan like Johnson would choose to be involved in recreating one of the franchise’s most historic moments. Honestly? We’re not mad about it. Haters gonna hate, but none of them can say they were on the Death Star.
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Edgar Wright as a Resistance Trooper in The Last Jedi
Our stroll down director’s lane continues with fan-favorite Edgar Wright. The man behind such cult classic films as “Shaun of the Dead” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” has made it no secret that he loves the original trilogy, yet his strong disdain for the prequels has led him to believe that he isn’t in contention to direct a “Star Wars” film anytime soon. So, if you can’t get behind the camera, you might as well get in front of it, if only for just a second.
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A little under two hours into “The Last Jedi,” Wright can be seen in the background as a Resistance Trooper watching Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), and their crew deliberate while hunkered inside a mine shaft during the Battle of Crait. Funnily enough, Wright’s cameo comes not too long before Gareth Edwards’ cameo during the same sequence.
Though Wright is a bit hazy to make out, it lines up perfectly with pictures the director himself posted to X (formerly — and forever in our hearts — known as Twitter) and Instagram, confirming not only his own cameo but that his brother Oscar, close collaborator Joe Cornish, and assistant Leo Thompson were invited to cameo alongside him as fellow Resistance members. “Thanks to [Rian Johnson] for making it happen,” he wrote.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Slowen Lo in The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson threw several other fun cameos into “The Last Jedi,” none more essential than that of close collaborator Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor was the star of Johnson’s directorial debut, “Brick,” and has since appeared in all of his films, either as an actual character or in a cameo appearance. He briefly appears as a bar patron in “The Brothers Bloom,” in voice roles across both “Knives Out” films, and, surely enough, voices an alien in “The Last Jedi.”
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JGL’s character is Slowen Lo, an Abednedo resident on Canto Bight who rats out Finn and Rose for parking their ship illegally on the beach. His snitching gets them caught by authorities just as they are about to confront the Master Codebreaker (more on him in a moment). Though Lo’s southern drawl comes from Gordon-Levitt’s voice work, the physical character was portrayed on set by actor Dee Tails.
Slowen Lo’s name is a play on the Beastie Boys song “Slow and Low.” This follows in a tradition established by a member of the costume department on “The Force Awakens,” who named another Abednedo character, Ello Asty, after a Beastie Boys song, “Hello Nasty,” because director J.J. Abrams was a fan of the group. Every Abednedo character has since been named in reference to the Beastie Boys, including Roodown (“Root Down”) and Ilco Munica (“Ill Communication”).
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Justin Theroux as Master Codebreaker in The Last Jedi
Continuing with “The Last Jedi,” we have a cameo from Justin Theroux. Most folks will recognize him as the star of the beloved television series “The Leftovers,” as well as his recent roles in projects like “Running Point” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” However, “Star Wars” fans know him as Master Codebreaker, the tuxedoed and mustachioed high roller at Canto Casino who Finn and Rose believe can help them infiltrate the First Order.
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Theroux’s role as the Codebreaker was initially intended to be much lengthier. Inspired by the film “To Catch a Thief,” Rose and Finn were to meet the Codebreaker in a cabaret and agree to assist in a jewel heist, only to still be caught by authorities. Johnson had offered Theroux the role in these early stages, however, the scene was eventually cut down. “I’d sort of forgotten about it,” Theroux explained to CinemaBlend, “and then he called me last minute and said, ‘Hey, it’s really essentially a cameo, and sort of a punchline.”
Theroux came in just a day before filming to work out the costume, which included a custom white tux by tailor Lewis Westing and a thin mustache inspired by character actor Dabney Coleman. Theroux also confirmed his character’s romantic history with Maz Kanata (Lupita N’yongo). “That happened,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “She’s a bobcat!”
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John Williams as Oma Tres in Rise of Skywalker
“The Rise of Skywalker” was a real mixed bag of a movie, but it did give us a few nifty “Star Wars” cameos, including perhaps the greatest of all time. If there’s one human who is second to George Lucas in cultural impact associated with the franchise, it’s composer John Williams. He is behind the score for every installment in the Skywalker Saga and his themes are as culturally ubiquitous as the films themselves. It only made sense to honor Williams with an appearance on screen and director J.J. Abrams and crew went all out.
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Williams portrays Oma Tres (a clever anagram of the word “maestro”), a bartender that our heroes pass by in Kijimi City outside of Babu Frik’s workshop. Williams was initially bashful to agree to the cameo, but he was convinced by his wife. “‘Oh, you have to,'” he recalls her saying in one of the film’s featurettes (via Z3TO on YouTube). “‘That’s more important than doing the score of the film!'”
The cameo is just a simple shot of Williams cleaning a glass, yet the level of detail is surprisingly extensive, as the production team surrounded Williams with 51 unique objects on set, each representing one of the 51 Academy Award nominations Williams had received for films from across his career. Some of the highlights include dog tags for “Saving Private Ryan,” an iron for “Home Alone,” and even a whip for “Indiana Jones.”
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Jodie Comer as Rey’s Mother (Miramir)
Say what you will about the choices made regarding Rey’s backstory (it has since become a meme for a reason), but one net positive to come out of it was seeing acclaimed actress Jodie Comer enter the “Star Wars” universe. From her incredible run in “Killing Eve” to beautiful turns in “The Last Duel” and “The Bikeriders,” Comer’s talents elevate “The Rise of Skywalker” to a significant degree, even with little screen time. Comer portrays Rey’s mother through flashbacks, in which it is revealed she and her husband, knowing she was Force-sensitive, left Rey on Jakku to keep her hidden from the Sith. Shortley after, they are killed by Ochi, a Sith assassin.
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Rey’s mother went unnamed in “The Rise of Skywalker” and was only first officially identified in Adam Christopher’s 2022 novel “Shadow of the Sith,” in which she is named Miramir. In an interview with CNET, Christopher explained the character was named after Miramar, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand where they shot portions of “The Lord of the Rings.” “I wanted a kind of fantasy name…I just typed [Miramar] in, switched some of the letters and I was like ‘Well hang on — that sounds really cool.’ It had a kind of magical quality, it sounds almost Elven.” It’s not exactly rocket science, yet it somehow feels more thought-out than most of what we get in “Rise of Skywalker,” so we’ll take it.
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Jason Sudeikis as JS-1975
Not every great “Star Wars” cameo comes from the movies. Well, most of them do, but Jason Sudeikis’ comedic appearance on “The Mandalorian” ranks as one of the franchise’s best. Sudeikis appears as a scout trooper who, alongside fellow comedian and partner scout trooper Adam Pally, gains possession of Grogu under the command of Moff Gideon. What follows is a collection of scenes that comes about as close to a workplace comedy as the Empire is ever going to get, complete with airing grievances, bickering over their hostage, and even shooting (and missing) blaster potshots at nearby debris, making for a hilariously satirical breath of fresh air amidst a typically stone-faced series. Though Sudeikis’ character is unnamed in the series’ credits, the game “Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes” dubs the trooper JS-1975, a combination of the actor’s initials and birth year.
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One of the episode’s more incredulous moments features both Sudeikis and Pally punching Grogu inside a canvas bag, prompting an unserious backlash online. Sudeikis recalled on CONAN that, despite the role being “a dream come true,” he kinda forgotten about that scene before it went viral. “I did that thing months [before it aired],” he explained. “Then they rolled those episodes out … and Olivia [Wilde, Sudeikis’ then-wife] comes in with her phone and she goes, ‘Hey, you’re trending on Twitter” … Immediately, I was like, ‘Wait, why?’ … I was being cancelled in real time,” he joked.
Michael Giacchino as FN-3181
Few composers have contributed to the musical landscape of “Star Wars” outside of John Williams. The closest person who has come to even approaching his brilliance is Michael Giacchino — already acclaimed for his work on the scores for everything from “Up” and “Inside Out” to the “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible” films — and his score for “Rogue One.” Giacchino is one of film’s most talented working composers in his own right, so we’re glad to see he got his own “Star Wars” cameo. Giacchino appears in “The Force Awakens,” directed by his long-time collaborator J.J. Abrams. He portrays FN-3181 (the basis of his number is unknown), the stormtrooper who apprehends Poe Dameron for Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) during the film’s early attack on Tanuul.
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It may be a small role, but Giacchino holds the rare distinction of reprising his “Star Wars” character outside of the canon. Though still under the House of Mouse, FN-3181 appears in the film “Ralph Breaks the Internet” to represent a galaxy far, far away on the world wide web. He gets a few additional lines (including the excellent, “That’s unauthorized clickbait!”), meets Vanellope von Schweetz, and even gets his own Wilhelm scream! That’s an honor in and of itself, right there! Giacchino confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he indeed returned to voice FN-3181 in the film. “Thanks [director Rich Moore] for inviting me along!”
Daniel Craig, Stephen Colbert, Karl Urban, Ed Sheeran, and more were stormtroopers
We would be hard-pressed to do a breakdown of “Star Wars” celebrity cameos without taking some time to acknowledge the many stars who have donned stormtrooper armor.
Daniel Craig, Kevin Smith, and BB-8 voice inspiration Ben Schwartz all appeared in “The Force Awakens,” while Karl Urban, Dhani Harrison, Ed Sheeran, and Stephen Colbert appear as troopers in “The Rise of Skywalker.” “The Last Jedi” was set to have Tom Hardy and Princes Harry and William (yes, the Royal ones) appear as troopers, yet they were all cut from the final film. That said, Hardy’s scene does appear on the Blu-Ray, so his time as a trooper was not for nothing! There are even stormtrooper cameos that were planned but never came to be, like Tom Hanks in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
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The beauty of trooper cameos is that, in truth, anyone could be a stormtrooper. Your favorite celebrity could one day don the helmet, so start manifesting now. The “Star Wars” franchise may be in need of saving, but we have no doubt there will be plenty more opportunities for celebrities to cameo in a galaxy far, far away in the future.
