The casting announcement is one of the most important for any anticipated film, but especially with Star Wars, where fans wanted to know who would play their favorite characters. With Episode I, the first Star Wars movie in sixteen years, the anticipation reached even higher levels than with past major blockbusters. In June 1995, Lucasfilm hired casting director Robin Gurland for Episode I. For most movies, casting directors are not hired years in advance of filming, but Episode I required special attention and a prolonged process of finding the most talented and capable actors. The casting decisions for a few of the roles, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Queen Amidala, impacted all three prequels because of the charactersi central roles in the entire trilogy. The actors and actresses who George Lucas and Gurland chose needed to be willing to sign a contract for all three Star Wars prequels. In an online chat at Talkcity.com in June 1999, Gurland said of the casting process, iItis a cooperative effort between the director and myself, as to which actors would work best for which roles.i

Besides the expected complexities involved in the process because of the weight of expectation and the duration of the roles, Gurland enjoyed many advantages as the casting director for Episode I. In the classic Star Wars Trilogy, Lucas chose mostly unknown actors, with the notable exception of Sir Alec Guinness as Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. For Episode I, Gurland said she iwas given the freedom to choose actors that were right for the roles, known or unknown.i

With three planned prequels to the Star Wars Trilogy, the casting announcements for the roles of Kenobi and the young queen were more important than those of any other characters. The young queen eventually becomes Luke and Leiais mother, as avid fans know. The unusual number of rumors traveling the Internet made determining who the actual cast members were in advance of the official announcements nearly impossible.

Immediately prior to Lucasfilmis public statements, however, the names mentioned in respectable media sources such as Mr. Show Biz, E! Online, and Variety proved accurate. On April 3, 1997, Variety announced that Liam Neeson had talked with Lucas and auditioned for the role of a respectable Jedi Master who is the primary character in Episode I. Variety also announced that Lucasfilm had cast Ewan McGregor as the young Kenobi. The coveted role of Kenobi outweighed the role of the more important prequel character, Anakin Skywalker, because Lucasfilm required two separate actors for Anakin. One actor plays him for Episode I as a younger boy while another serves as a more mature Anakin in Episodes II and III, which take place more than a decade after the first film. Despite the announcement from Variety, a Lucasfilm spokeswoman insisted, iAbsolutely no one has been cast in this film.i Nevertheless, the Variety announcement quickly proved correct.

On April 9, 1997, Variety announced that Portman would play the young queen in all three prequels. The trade paper conceded that Lucasfilm had not issued an official announcement, although once again the report was accurate. Portman joined the talented prequel cast, which continued to grow throughout April and May.

Just days later, on April 15, Variety stated that Lucasfilm had cast Samuel L. Jackson in a small role in the upcoming prequel. His schedule already seemed busy with The Negotiator (1998) and Jackie Brown (1997) in development, but insiders claimed Jackson had landed a part. Once again, Variety was correct and Samuel L. Jackson joined the prequel cast.

At the end of May 1997, insiders speculated that young Jake Lloyd had won the part of Anakin Skywalker. Their unofficial reports were accurate. At the age of eight, Jake Lloyd played nine-year old Anakin Skywalker, who becomes one of the most evil villains in film history. In an interview posted on the Official Star Wars Website on June 2, 1997, McCallum announced that Lucasfilm had nearly completed casting. He named Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson as the tentative lead actors, confirming reports published much earlier. He also announced Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine, Pernilla August as Anakinis mother, and Frank Oz as Yoda. With filming weeks away, and with casting having taken almost two years, Gurland and Lucas had finally shaped the cast for Episode I.

Among the talented main actors cast for Episode I, Irish actor Liam Neeson had the most experience. While Lucas had originally envisioned Neesonis character as a Jedi Master in his sixties, the role required the actor be able to participate in physically demanding scenes, so he chose a younger person for the role. Gurland considered nearly 30 actors for the part of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, but Neeson seemed the perfect choice with his dignified manner and wise appearance. Having received a Best Actor Oscar nomination at the 1994 Academy Awards for his brilliant performance as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielbergis powerful epic Schindleris List (1993), Neeson had the experience required to play a Jedi Master.

Natalie Portman claimed the role of the young queen, later revealed as Queen Amidala. At age sixteen, Portman already had significant acting experience. Her role in Luc Bessonis The Professional (1994) earned her acclaim at a young age. Although Portman played a queen who is younger than she, the ten-year time difference between Episodes I and II required an older actress. In addition to being an excellent performer, Portman is extremely intelligent, holding nearly a perfect grade point average in high school and attending Harvard after completing her secondary school education. Gurland met with more than 200 actresses for the part of Amidala.

Lucasfilm chose Jake Lloyd for the role of Anakin Skywalker from more than 3,000 potential child actors. When Gurland first met with Lloyd, his young age seemed to exclude him from the role, but two years later, Lloyd, then eight, seemed a great choice to play young Anakin. He made his acting debut in Unhook the Stars (1996) and also appeared in Jingle All the Way (1996) with Arnold Schwarzenegger during the same year. In addition, he has made numerous appearances in television commercials and on NBCis popular show ER.

The role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, perhaps the most important of the trilogy, went to actor Ewan McGregor, who typically detests big budget blockbusters, but could not resist being in the newest Star Wars movie. McGregor gained fame for his role in the popular independent film Trainspotting (1996). Although he became well-known for his lack of modesty on movie sets, his notorious indiscretions had no place in his role in Episode I. Lucas and Gurland realized that McGregor had the charm and acting talent to play young Kenobi throughout all three prequels, so although Lucasfilm considered more than 100 other actors, McGregor was their first choice. He even perfected his accent so it meshed with the way Alec Guinness spoke in the first Star Wars film.

Samuel L. Jacksonis casting has the most interesting story associated with it. While Gurland chose the rest of the cast from a pool of competent actors, Jackson actually requested to be part of the cast. While on numerous talk shows, and each time a reporter interviewed him, the actor hinted that he wanted to work with Lucas. Gurland heard that Jackson had expressed interest in being part of the cast and invited him to Skywalker Ranch, located just outside of San Francisco, California. Lucas had a small part for Jackson to play in the first prequel, but the director later revealed that the character would play a more significant role in the next episode. In an unusually minor role for an actor of his stature, Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu.

Ian McDiarmid reprised his role as Emperor Palpatine, although in Episode I he is only a senator who becomes the Supreme Chancellor by the end of the film. He found the experience of playing the same character again especially interesting because fifteen years had passed since he last played Palpatine, although the film takes place more than 35 years before the Star Wars film he worked on previously. Because of the extensive makeup used in Return of the Jedi, McDiarmid, just over fifty years of age when filming on Episode I began, could play a much younger senator in the prequel. McDiarmid earned a masters degree in social science before changing his emphasis and attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Dramatic Arts. He began a successful stage career in London and earned small roles in films such as Dragonslayer (1981) and Gorky Park (1983). Since playing the Emperor in the final chapter of the Star Wars Saga, McDiarmid had appeared in 1995is Oscar-winning Restoration and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine.

Another important person also returned to lend his services for Episode I. Frank Oz, who voiced Yoda in the previous films, also voiced the Jedi Master in the first prequel. He won four Emmy awards and worked with Jim Henson on the Muppets for many years bringing his classic characters to life. Many critics and film fans call Oz one of the greatest puppeteers of the twentieth century, but he is much more than just a puppet master. After his career with Henson, he turned to directing and has created an impressive portfolio of work including Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), Indian in the Cupboard (1995), and Bowfinger (1999). Despite his busy schedule, he still found time to bring Yoda to life in the first prequel.

Perhaps equal in importance to the return of Oz as Yoda was Anthony Daniels again providing the voice for C-3PO. Daniels not only voiced the character throughout the entire first trilogy of films produced, but he also wore the golden costume and performed all of the physical acting, including in the scorching deserts of Tunisia. Since the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983, Daniels had remained an active contributor to the Star Wars phenomenon. He wrote a column that appeared in each issue of the Star Wars Insider magazine, called the Wonder Column. Daniels became Lucasfilmis golden boy and also a fan favorite. Although he was not active on the set of Episode I, he provided his voice for the popular character, who appears in all six films in the saga.

Ahmed Best played Jar Jar Binks, who provides comic relief in Episode I, but is also an important character in the filmis plot. Gurland offered Best the part after she saw him perform on stage in the hit show Stomp. The show is unique because it features performers using common objects to create special song and dance routines. Best is primarily a musician, so Episode I was the first major motion picture in which he played a prominent role. Gurland chose Best because of his ability to use his body in a humorous way, which was useful for his character, who is actually entirely digital in the film. Despite the virtual nature of the Binks character, Best acted during every scene and Industrial Light & Magic used his body movements to guide the digital animation process. Best also voiced the character during post-production.

In Episode I, Hugh Quarshie played Captain Panaka, the chief of security for Queen Amidala. Quarshie, an actor in his forties at the time, appeared in The Dogs of War (1980), Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985), Highlander (1986), Nightbreed (1990), and many other films. He was born in Ghana, but has lived in England since he was three. In addition to his success in the film industry, Quarshie has appeared on numerous British television shows and was also part of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), where he performed such famous plays as Faust, Macbeth, and The Great White Hope. He also performed both Romeo and Juliet and Guys and Dolls on the German stage. Not only is he a talented actor, but he also co-directed a production of Othello, wrote the play called The Prisoner of Hendon, and produced a television show about the arts called Signals for Channel 4 in Britain.

Brian Blessed, an accomplished Shakespearean actor, provided his voice for Boss Nass, who is the leader of the Gungan race on the planet of Naboo in Episode I. A big Star Wars fan himself, Blessed was eager to be part of the ongoing phenomenon. He played Prince Vultan in 1980is Flash Gordon and Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing (1993). In addition to an acting career that has spanned more than 35 years, Blessed is an explorer and has undertaken three climbs up Mount Everest. Although he originally auditioned for the smaller role of Sio Bibble, both Lucas and Blessed realized he was not suited for the part. Nevertheless, his opportunity to become part of the phenomenon came when Lucas contacted him about the part of Nass, which Blessed eagerly accepted.

In perhaps the most enviable cameo appearance of the entire film, Ray Park played Darth Maul, the evil Sith Lord who confronts the two Jedi Knights, Jinn and Kenobi. A native of Scotland, Park has lived in London since he was just a toddler; he was in his mid-twenties. Park is an experienced martial artist and also has a background in gymnastics, which explains his incredible moves in Episode I. He is trained primarily in the Wu Shu style and philosophy of martial arts, but also in kick-boxing, Tae Kwon Do, and even fire-breathing. Landing the coveted role as Maul was somewhat of a coincidence for Park, who was rehearsing a fight scene with Episode Iis stunt coordinator, Nick Gillard, but later received a call from the movieis producer asking if he would be interested in playing the villain.

Park worked as a stunt double before appearing in the first prequel, which has massively boosted his career within a short period of time. Although he had a solid role as a stunt double in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation in 1996, he has gained more notable respect in the film industry recently. Since appearing in the prequel, he played the Headless Horseman in Tim Burtonis Sleepy Hollow, released in late 1999, and he also played the villain Toad in X-Men, which became a box office hit during the summer of 2000. X-Men also allowed audiences to see his true face and hear his real voice, instead of just marveling at his impressive physical skills.

Acclaimed actor Terence Stamp also appeared in Episode I, although his brief role as Supreme Chancellor Valorum did not grant him more than a few minutes of screen time. Stamp played General Zod in the first two Superman films and has acted in many other movies including Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), The Hit (1984), Wall Street (1987), The Sicilian (1987), Young Guns (1988), Alien Nation (1988), and The Limey (1999). He is also the author of three best-selling books. Stamp was born in the London district of Bow in 1939, where he maintained an optimistic outlook on life despite the frequent bombings during World War II.

Lucas and Gurland chose Swedish actress Pernilla August to play the role of Anakin Skywalkeris mother, Shmi. She became interested in acting as a young girl and pursued her dreams, not only becoming a successful stage actor, but also starring in many movies and working with director Ingmar Bergman. Unlike several of the cast members, she is not a long-time fan of the saga and admitted it is not quite as significant of a phenomenon in Sweden as it is in the United States. She first saw Star Wars one month before her screen test and only began to realize its impact on popular culture in the United States when she visited Denver, Colorado for the Star Wars Celebration in April and May 1999.

Although the Star Wars movies have always relied on lesser-known actors, they still feature talented professionals who portray the many characters populating the Star Wars galaxy. Unlike most directors, Lucas enjoys the freedom to choose only the most talented actors because he never has to worry about their public appeal or anonymity. After casting director Gurland, director Lucas, and producer McCallum assembled Episode Iis impressive cast, Lucasfilm was prepared to begin the long and arduous filming process.