The world of beloved genre fiction lost a talented journeyman earlier this week when Paul Grant passed away at the age of 56. After collapsing in front of London’s St Pancras railway station on March 16, the late actor and stuntman was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead just four days later last Monday.
Grant was no stranger to the big screen, having loaned his talents for such films as George Lucas’ high-fantasy romp Willow, the Tom Cruise-led dark fantasy Legend, the David Bowie musical fantasy Labyrinth, 1987’s The Dead, which was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 60th Academy Awards, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in which he portrayed a goblin.
But most notably, Grant was a member of the Star Wars family, and had a hand in sculpting the first wave of what’s now a multi-generational legion of fans.
Who did Paul Grant play in Star Wars?
Grant portrayed an Ewok, a member of an alien race native to the Forest Moon of Endor, in Return of the Jedi. He, along with a platoon of fellow battle-ready teddy bears, played an enormous role in the Empire’s defeat, serving as reinforcements for Han Solo’s strike team, allowing them to fight back against Imperial forces and ultimately grant Han and co. entry into the Death Star shield generator on Endor, eliminating a key defense of the Empire’s superweapon.
So the next time you plug in for an original trilogy binge, keep an eye out for that rousing entrance by the Ewoks; for all we know, Grant may just have been the Ewok who dealt the most giggle-worthy blow to the Empire, and for that, we thank him.