We won’t teach you anything by telling you that when it was released in 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope redefined sci-fi cinema and had a profound impact on the industry and popular culture. Since become theEpisode IV, the first film released in the saga still holds secrets today. One of them is also particularly surprising since it nevertheless corresponds to one of the most cult scenes of the film.
A blunder as cult as the film
If the postlogy Star Wars significantly lowered the overall quality of the saga according to a large part of the fans, the franchise created by George Lucas and then taken over by Disney remains a pillar of the cinema industry, even today. Still, nothing will match the popularity of the original trilogy, whose the first part, A new hopewas released 45 years ago.
This one is full of characters, replicas and scenes, each one more cult than the other. From the very first appearance of Darth Vader, to discovering the characters of Han Solo and Chewbacca in a cantina, to the duel between Obi-Wan and his former student, there is something for everyone. But a seemingly innocuous scene also marked the spirits: the one where stormtroopers rush to try to get their hands on Luke and company in the Death Star… And where one of them bangs his head against a door frame.
A gaffe extremely known for its ridiculous side and yet preserved in the final assembly. And for good reason, the scene had already been shot several times and it was apparently the best. This is indeed what was explained a few years ago the – presumed – interpreter of the clumsy Stormtrooper, Laurie Goode. Or was it more like Martyn Reid? Or of Michael leader? Excuse us, we’re getting a bit lost: it must be said that no less than three actors have claimed this role since the release of the film!
The good, the bad and the ugly
Agatha Christie better watch out: this is an investigation that has never been resolved with certainty in the space of 45 years. From what we know, it was actor Laurie Goode who was hiding under the Stormtrooper’s helmet. Then 31 years old, he would have been forced to play the famous scene as he was about to go to the toilet, having had stomach pains for a few days. In short, we’ll spare you the details (which we don’t want to know), but it turns out thatafter the fourth take, the man couldn’t take it anymore and, distracted, would have hit his head during the filming. Having heard no one exclaim « Cut! », he told himself that he was simply out of sight. It was only afterwards that he would have discovered that his blunder had been retained in the final cut. Finally, according to him.
Two other men indeed claim this role. First, Martyn Reid, preview in the series Amnesia (2004). It even appeared in the documentary The Empire Strikes Door in 2019, in which real investigations – and interviews – are carried out in an attempt to discover the truth about it, to plead his case.
Something that Michael Leader refused to do when it was offered to him. Aged 39 at the time of filmingA new hope, he unfortunately died in 2016 and can therefore no longer give his version of the facts. Like the other two actors, it seems that Leader was really certain to be the interpreter of the Stormtrooper. For all of them, the questioning of their word would have been difficult to live with, and we understand this perfectly.
Even today, no member of the team who worked on Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope does not seem to remember the name of the actor who really played the most famous Stormtrooper in the saga, leaving the field open to fans to speculate at will on the subject!