Star Wars’ ‘Uncle Owen’ dies at 89
As a big Star Wars fan, this is a sad bit of news to pass along. Phil Brown, who played Owen Lars in Star Wars, has died at age 89.
A few years ago I read about his unusual story of moving to London to avoid accusations of being a Communist in the U.S. in the 1950s. The article does a nice job of summing up how he fled and got the role that made him famous to generations of Star Wars geeks.
He moved his family to London in the 1950s after being blacklisted during the communist scare in the United States. A longtime progressive, Brown always denied being a Communist.
In London, he found work on stage and in such films as “Tropic of Cancer” (1970) and “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” (1977).
In the mid-1970s, George Lucas was filming interior scenes for “Star Wars” at a London sound stage and needed an actor with a strong American accent.
Brown got the role, then spent a month or so in Tunisia filming a handful of scenes.
He returned to California in the early 1990s, quickly discovering that the role had made him a celebrity. He became a popular figure at science fiction conventions.
It’s sad to see him pass, but hey, look on the bright side — at least his nephew didn’t come home to find him grilling in the front yard.
February 13th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
You mean, the next semester before the harvest??
February 13th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
He’d better have those units in the South Ridge repaired by midday, or there’ll be hell to pay.