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26 years later, The Thursday Murder Club star Celia Imrie has revealed that she was told off by Star Wars creator George Lucas for embellishing her female starfighter character in The Phantom Menace, and we have to agree with her.
"My yellow aeroplane was on a stand. So I was sort of, you know, like those fairground ones. I was being rocked around all over the place and did a lot of diving in my goggles and everything, and looked very fierce and got told off by George Lucas for wearing lipstick," said Imrie in an interview with BAFTA. "But since I was the only lady pilot, I thought why not?" Why not indeed.
The star played Dineé Ellberger, aka Bravo Five, in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and, as Imrie outlines, was the only female starfighter in the movie. Imrie says she landed the role after the movie's casting director saw her in a play. "The casting director was sitting in the audience in the matinee, took one look at me in my nightie and thought 'She'd make a marvellous Star Wars pilot,'" added the star.
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However, despite being involved in one of The Phantom Menace's most action-packed scenes, Imrie says she didn't really know what was going on. "As a Star Wars fighter pilot, I never knew who I shot, whether I won, or if I ever came back to Earth in a plane or not. I hadn't got a clue what the plot was," added Imrie. "I met my Bravo leader in New York recently and we reminisced about how we hadn't got a clue what the plot was all about. But who cares? I was in Star Wars!"
After appearing as Bravo Five, fighting against the Droid Control Ship over Naboo during its invasion, we never saw the starfighter again. However, Imrie says it still shocks people when they learn she was part of one of the most successful film series of all time. "This is one of the most popular parts that I can ever talk about, especially in America, and especially with young gentlemen who can't believe that I was Bravo Five in Star Wars," added Imrie.
I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.
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