The galaxy far, far away is home to some of the most interesting and eclectic characters who have become pop-culture sensations in their own right. Characters such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo will forever be in the fans’ hearts. Despite this, one character was reportedly a nightmare to craft.
According to Richard Marquand, the director of Return of the Jedi, the robotic companion R2-D2 was extremely difficult to work with. However, Marquand had a rather understandable reason behind naming R2-D2 as the worst character in the franchise. Here is what Marquand had to say about his struggles with directing R2-D2.
Return of the Jedi Director Richard Marquand Called R2-D2 the Worst Star Wars Character
George Lucas directed the first Star Wars film before handing over the reins for the second and third installments of the original trilogy to other directors. Richard Marquand helmed Return of the Jedi, which concluded the original trilogy.
During an interview with Den of Geek, Marquand spoke about directing the concluding entry and revealed some of the challenges he faced while making it. At the time, the director pointed out the difficulties of crafting R2-D2’s scenes. He said:
R2-D2 was the worst. He’s a pain.
Marquand explained that when an actor performed the character in the suit things were easier. However, he still had to rely on the post-production process to extract the right performance from the robot.
You know you’re going for some kind of comedy thing, but you’re not quite sure exactly how it’s going to be.
Marquand made the above statement highlighting the challenges of directing R2-D2’s scenes.
Ultimately, Marquand noted that the mechanical devices operating the R2-D2 puppet did not always operate properly. As a result, the director joked that the robot was the most rude and ill-behaved actor he worked with. However, Marquand admitted he loved the character.
Richard Marquand and Carrie Fisher Did Not Get Along on Return of the Jedi
R2-D2 wasn’t the only one Richard Marquand did not get along with while working on Return of the Jedi. According to reports, Marquand and actress Carrie Fisher, who played Leia Organa had several altercations while filming the concluding installment of the original trilogy.
He yelled at me one day, and I burst into tears.
Fisher made the above comment (via The Daily Beast) recalling her unpleasant experience of working with Marquand on the movie.
The actress added that Marquand would often yell at her on the sets. However, on one occasion, she burst into tears, ruining her makeup, which took almost an hour to reapply.
As a result, Fisher’s comments confirm that she did not enjoy working with the director. Fisher sadly passed away in 2016 while Marquand died in 1987 from a stroke, just a few years after the release of Return of the Jedi. Nonetheless, the duo’s legacy lives on through their work in the space opera franchise.
Return of the Jedi is streaming on Disney+.
