The past several years have sadly seen key members of the Star Wars family pass away. In 2019, beloved Chewbacca portrayer Peter Mayhew died at 74 and, just weeks ago, fans said goodbye to the iconic voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, who passed at 93. Now, another key contributor to George Lucas’ sci-fi saga has died as well. That person is Robert Watts, who served as a production manager and producer on the franchise and other major films. With that, Luke Mark Hamill, penned a sweet tribute to Watts after his death at 86.
A representative for Robert Watts confirmed to THR that he passed away in his sleep at his home in East Sussex, England on Monday, September 30. Fans took to social media around that time to pay tribute to the beloved filmmaker and his body of work. Days later, Mark Hamill took to Instagram to share some sweet photos of Watts, including one behind-the-scenes snapshot that appears to be from one of their ventures into the galaxy far, far away. As great as those pics were, it was Hamill’s sentimental message that was really touching:
I met Robert Watts on the very first day I reported to the studio for [Star Wars] & we became instant, lifelong friends. He was a deeply gifted filmmaker & had a long, remarkable career. I loved him dearly & am so sorry he’s no longer with us. I’ll never stop missing him. 💔
To say the late producer helped craft some of the most influential films in the history of cinema would be an understatement. Before collaborating with George Lucas, Mr. Watts worked as a production manager on films like Bud Yorkin’s mystery romp Inspector Cluseau and Stanley Kubrick’s iconic science fiction feature, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which both released in 1968. Watts also served as a location manager on one of the 007 movies – Lewis Gilbert's 1967 flick You Only Live Twice.
George Lucas Turned 80, And Mark Hamill Posted A Touching Tribute To The Star Wars Creator
The Alive producer rose to prominence, though, as a production manager on 1977’s Star Wars, serving as a driving force amid the film’s notably troubled production. Following the film’s success, Watts held the position of associate/co-producer on the sequels – The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. After the original trilogy ended, the Papillon production manager went on to serve in producing capacities on the first three Indiana Jones movies. Who Framed Roger Rabbit and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West were also among his credits.
I’m not surprised at all that Mark Hamill took the time to pay tribute to Robert Watts, considering he’s proven to have no problem giving someone their flowers. Earlier this year, Hamill praised comedian Bob Newhart after his passing, and paid tribute to James Earl Jones with a lovely message. Aside from memoralizing fellow stars, the retired Joker voice actor also speaks highly of co-stars during discussions. This past summer, for instance, Hamill praised Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess Leia in the first SW movie.
As important as Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford and their cast members’ contributions to the Star Wars movies were, one can’t understate the importance of the work done by the crew. That’s why Robert Watts’ work should be greatly appreciated by fans of all generations, and I’d wager that it’ll surely be enjoyed for years to come.
On that note, you can stream the original three Star Wars films now using a Disney+ subscription.
