Star Wars infamous clumsy stormtrooper – aka Michael Leader – has died

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Fans of Star Wars (opens in new tab): A New Hope will no doubt remember a certain scene in which a clumsy stormtrooper bangs his head on a Death Star doorway, a moment which has since gone on to become one of the most infamous movie mistakes of all time. Sadly Michael Leader – who played said stormtrooper in addition to having small roles on shows like Doctor Who – passed away earlier this week. 

Our dear friend and colleague Michael Leader passed away on Monday. He will be greatly missed.#EastEnders pic.twitter.com/z42Ic1CbGDAugust 24, 2016

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Leader’s mistake became so iconic that not only did George Lucas add a line of dialogue in re-releases (“see to him”), Jango Fett – the genetic source of the Clone army – was later revealed to be just as graceless in Attack of the Clones: “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if that’s a trait that Jango has?’, Lucas noted on the DVD commentary. “When he puts his helmet on he can’t really see that well, so he’s constantly bumping his head – and that trait gets cloned into all the stormtroopers”.

There was even a homage to the moment in Star Wars Battlefront (see video below), so here’s hoping Leader’s legacy continues in future Star Wars films.

Images: Disney/Lucasfilm