Page 57 - Star Wars Insider #195

GOING GREEN
05 06
Since the original round of
filming, makeup artists Rick Baker
and Rob Bottin had found a way
to further articulate Greedo’s head
and make it more expressive, with a
moving mouth and antenna. “That
mask was really interesting,” the
actress recalls. “But I didn’t do his
voice because he wasn’t supposed
to be female. They had a weird,
alien voice planned for him.”
However, once on set, it wasn’t
all plain sailing. Filming her scenes
with just a small crew, the FX team
and George Lucas, the actor found
herself challenged in a way she had
never expected when she ran into
difficulties in the suit.
“Mr. Lucas actually helped
me when I had trouble,” she
reveals. “Something happened
while I was wearing the Greedo
suit. The mask was ever so tight
around my neck and throat, and it
was hard to breathe. They wanted
me to do the dialogue and, at
the same time, breathe through a
straw. At one point, there wasn’t
enough air coming through and
I started gasping for breath and
making gestures. George Lucas saw
what was happening and sent a
prop man over to get me an oxygen
tank. For a moment there, I was in
04 George Lucas
adds gloop
to Greedo’s
snout during
reshoots.
05 The original
Greedo mask
and hands.
06 The lenses
were the
final element
of the Greedo
makeup to
be applied.
07 Greedo is
prepared
for the
camera
on the
Mos Eisley
Cantina set.
07
real trouble. There’s a famous shot “I liked Greedo. He
of George with me in the Greedo
mask, but you can see I’m wearing was misunderstood!”
pink pumps!” De Aragon laughs
as she recalls, “George liked the Maria De Aragon
hand gestures I was making when I
was in trouble, so he had me keep
doing them!” the world, say to me, ‘I had your
Despite the brevity of her tenure action figure!’ It is incredible to
on the film, the actress looks back think that you’re immortalised in
on her Star Wars moment with plastic forever,” laughs Paul Blake,
great fondness. “It was fun,” she who shares De Aragon’s fondness
says with a smile. “I have a Greedo for the character. “I’ve been very
action figure in my house, and it’s lucky. I’ve had a great career, been
a nice reminder of my Star Wars in many plays in the West End,
experience. I liked Greedo. He was worked all over the world, but on
misunderstood!” my tombstone it will read ‘Here lies
“Everybody I meet, all over Greedo. He shot first,’ but on the
the United States and around back it will say ‘Or did he..?’
STAR WARS INSIDER / 57