Alan Harris was one of the most decorated extras and stand-ins in all of Hollywood. He doubled for Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and for Terence Stamp as Supreme Chancellor Valorum in The Phantom Menace. He was a Stormtrooper in Return of the Jedi. He even modelled in the early screen tests for Boba Fett’s armour.
He was also, of course, Bossk, the Trandoshan bounty hunter, who was called to Darth Vader’s ship in The Empire Strikes Back, a character who has stood out as one of the most delightful minor appearances in the original trilogy. He just looks rad, y’know?
Now Harris, age 81, has passed away. As reported by IGN, the actor’s passing came to light yesterday and was confirmed in a statement by Harris’s appearance manager. In that statement, given to Syfy Wire, the actor had been dealing with undisclosed health problems, but “loved and lived every moment to the fullest.”
Harris, popular on the festival circuit late in his life, was one of the few to appear in every episode of the original Star Wars trilogy, and also had minor appearances in The Shining, Superman, and A Clockwork Orange. The character he originated, Bossk, would go on to appear in multiple other Star Wars properties in minor or cameo roles, most notably cartoon.