Special Guests | Autograph Guests | The Clone Wars Guests | Celebration Hosts
George Lucas
Jon Stewart
Jon McBride
Walter Cunningham
Seth Green
Matthew Senreich
Tom Root
Warwick Davis
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Mark Hamill
Carrie Fisher
Ben Burtt
Anthony Daniels
Jeremy Bulloch
Peter Mayhew
Daniel Logan
Jake Lloyd
Amy Allen
Dickey Beer
Jon Berg
Paul Blake
Caroline Blakiston
Richard Bonehill
John Coppinger
Dermot Crowley
Mike Edmonds
Nick Gillard
Julian Glover
Alan Harris
Frank Hensen
Gary Kurtz
Ian Liston
Jack McKenzie
John Morton
Christopher Muncke
Ray Park
Chris Parsons
Lorne Peterson
Toby Philpott
Mike Quinn
Tim Rose
George Roubicek
Orli Shoshan
Robert Watts
Matt Wood
Dee Bradley Bakeria
Ashley Eckstein
Dave Filoni
Tom Kane
Jaime King
Matt Lanter
Catherine Taber
James Arnold Taylor
Matthew Wood
Jay Laga’aia
David Collins
Pablo Hidalgo
Temuera Morrison
The original princess with an attitude, Carrie Fisher is slated to appear at Star Wars Celebration V during the show weekend of August 12-15 at the Orange County Convention Center. Fisher, who portrayed Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars™ trilogy, will be greeting fans and signing autographs in the Celebration Autograph Hall, managed by Official Pix, Lucasfilm’s licensee for authentic Star Wars photos and autographs. Fisher is also scheduled to appear on stage for an interview and a question and answer session.
An audience favorite for both her film and stage roles, Fisher was 19 years old when she became a cultural icon as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Her film career started when she was even younger, playing opposite Warren Beatty in Shampoo in 1975. She is the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. In addition to A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, Fisher has performed in numerous movies and television series, including The Blues Brothers, The Man with One Red Shoe, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Burbs, When Harry Met Sally, Austin Powers, Heartbreakers, Smallville, Family Guy and Fanboys, as well asin her own series of television specials, Conversations from the Edge with Carrie Fisher, and her live stage show, Wishful Drinking.
Though she is famous for her film, television and stage roles, Fisher devotes much of her time to writing. She has penned several novels, including the semi-autobiographical Postcards from the Edge, which was made into a successful movie starring Meryl Streep. Three additional best selling novels - Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, and The Best Awful - followed. Her new memoir, Wishful Drinking, is published by Simon & Schuster.
David Collins and Pablo Hidalgo, both of Lucasfilm, will share their unique perspectives as they host the Digital and Behind-the-Scenes stages at Star Wars Celebration V. Audiences can look forward to expert insights into the world of Star Wars as Collins and Hidalgo bring out the best in their guests, and find the untold stories waiting to be told.
Caption: In addition to his role as Audio Lead for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, David Collins performed the character of PROXY in the best-selling video game.
David Collins is returning to Celebration V, reprising his role as host of the Digital Stage at Celebration IV. An Audio Lead and Voice Director at LucasArts, Lucasfilm’s video game division, Collins has led the sound efforts on projects such as Battlefront II; Star Wars: Republic Commando; and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, in which he also performed the role of the loyal droid, PROXY.
Collins’ experience in acting, music, video games, and public relations, plus his life-long love of the Star Wars Saga make him a natural host for the Digital Stage, which will feature a huge variety of programming and entertainment. At Celebration IV he hosted shows that ranged from the show-stopping new look at Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, to belly dancing lessons with Slave Leia. His style is entertaining, relaxed, and informative, and Collins is always ready to make the most of whatever surprises might be in store.
Stunt performer and coordinator Dickey Beer played a number of roles in Return of the Jedi.
Dickey Beer will make a first-time Celebration appearance, and will be available in the Autograph Hall run by Official Pix, Lucasfilm’s licensee for official photographs and signatures.
Beer has a wealth of behind the scenes stories, including of the many roles he performed in Return of the Jedi. On the skiff in the Sarlacc pit scene alone he performed stunts for both the Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker characters, essentially fighting himself in one scene. Beer’s busy career in stunts, stunt coordination, and production includes roles in Terminator 3, Hancock, and Pineapple Express.
Actor, musician, and stage performer extraordinaire, Jay Laga’aia will host the Celebration Stage in the Chapin Theater at Star Wars Celebration V this coming August in Orlando.
Laga’aia delighted audiences as host at Celebrations III and IV, bringing out the best in both his guests and his audience, and occasionally picking up his guitar and entertaining all with his spectacular singing voice.
From August 12 through August 15, Laga’aia will welcome stars from the casts and crews of the Star Wars movie and television saga to the Celebration Stage. Star Wars fans attending Laga'aia’s shows will find him warm, engaging, vibrant, and always entertaining.
Fans know Laga'aia as Captain Typho, Padmé Amidala’s head of security in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. In addition to his Star Wars roles the actor has a distinguished and busy career, starring in numerous productions. He has recently appeared on the big screen in Daybreakers and Nim’s Island, and this summer, moviegoers will hear Laga’aia in the role of Twilight in the feature Guardians of Ga’hoole with Sam Neill and Geoffrey Rush.
Laga’aia has also worked extensively on television, with work ranging from a role on the popular Xena: Warrior Princess series to serving as the host of the long running children’s series, Play School. Other prominent television characters include Tommy in the series Water Rats (1995 – 1999), and the leading part of David Silesi in Screenworks Ltd. Street Legal (1998 -2003). In 2003 Laga’aia won the award for Best Actor in a Television Series for his work in Street Legal.
From 2003 to 2005 Laga'aia performed the role of Mufasa in The Lion King on stage in Sydney, Australia, a part that was an excellent showcase for his vocal talent. Other notable roles among his many stage performances include one of the two leads in Athol Fugard’s The Island, Wesley in Ladies Night, Judas and Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Eddie and Dr. Scott in The New Rocky Horror Picture Show. During Celebration IV, Jay treated kids of all ages by taking the stage in the Star Wars Family Room for an hour sing-along, accompanied by his guitar and his Captain Typho costume from the movies.
Jeremy Bulloch, the actor behind one of the most famous helmets of the Star Wars Saga, will appear at Star Wars Celebration V this August, greeting fans and signing in the Autograph Hall. Bulloch, always entertaining and personable, is scheduled to appear on stage for interview and question & answer time as well.
While he might be known best for his role as the bounty hunter Boba Fett — the fan-favorite character that is the “face” of Celebration V in the show’s logo — Bulloch has also had some face time of his own in the movies, portraying Captain Colton in Revenge of the Sith, and Lieutenant Sheckil in The Empire Strikes Back. He is well-loved by fans at his Star Wars appearances.
Outside of the galaxy far, far away, Bulloch’s extensive television and movie credits include roles in “Doctor Who,” “Robin of Sherwood,” and three James Bond movies.
Caption: With an unrivaled depth of Star Wars knowledge, Pablo Hidalgo comes uniquely equipped to find the hidden gems during the Behind-the-Scenes programs and panels
An expert on a variety of genre obsessions, from classic animation to shape-shifting robots, Pablo Hidalgo started writing about fantastic subject matters professionally in 1995 as a freelance author for roleplaying games. In 2000, he changed careers from a visual effects concept artist and digital compositor in Canada to a full-time Star Wars authority at Lucasfilm. Since then, he has overseen the development of websites, co-authored several books and developed a number of online comic books and strips.
He is currently managing editor for StarWars.com, overseeing daily publication of content as well as developing special online spin-off projects for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Hidalgo is a walking encyclopedia of Star Wars knowledge, and some of his guests on the Behind-the-Scenes Stage just might learn something new about their own area of expertise
A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Revenge of the Sith Not only did Mayhew create the favorite Wookiee hero onscreen for the original trilogy, he returned to the set for Revenge of the Sith. Like his onscreen character of Chewbacca, Mayhew has been a favorite in the Star Wars fan community through the years.
A New Hope A busy stage actor with performances worldwide, Blake can nevertheless claim that this unusual film performance was played opposite actor Harrison Ford.
The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi Since his appearances in two of the original Star Wars movies, Bonehill as traveled the world as a stuntman, fight director, and swordmaster in the movie and television industries.
Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace A visual effects artist whose career has spanned decades of popular movies, Coppinger is also a poet and sculptor.
Return of the Jedi Dermot Crowley’s acting career began in 1976, and he has been extremely busy with movies, television, and stage performing ever since.
Return of the Jedi Quinn started his puppeteering career in his teens, working with Jim Henson on The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal. He has worked as a character animator for Pixar as well.
Return of the Jedi As a puppeteer and animatronics designer, Rose helped perform characters Salacious Crumb and Sy Snootles in addition to Ackbar. His career encompasses numerous film and television productions.
Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith Shoshan was working in a modeling agency in Australia when she was cast as a Jedi Master for Episode II. She returned to reprise her role for Revenge of the Sith.
Star Wars creator George Lucas will make a special guest appearance at Star Wars Celebration V this August in Orlando. This will be the second Celebration appearance, and only the third Star Wars convention appearance for the writer/director, who last attended Celebration III in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2005.
Lucas will appear onstage on Saturday, August 14 in the Chapin Theater in the Orange County Convention Center alongside The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. No extra ticket is needed to attend this event; however, attendees will need wristbands – which will be given out first come, first served on Saturday morning. For details, visit our Main Event section.
Swordmaster and Stunt Coordinator Nick Gillard will share his stories of creating the exciting lightsaber scenes in Episodes I, II, and III. Gillard has been the master choreographer behind some of the most memorable moments of the prequels, including the “Duel of the Fates” battle between Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace, and Anakin Skywalker’s duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith.
Gillard created individual fighting styles for each of the Jedi in the films, even though some of these were “fictional” martial arts. He felt that each style used needed to have an authentic, real-life feel. Taking into account each character’s distinctive personality and position in the Jedi order helped Gillard fashion a fighting style best suited to each.
In addition to the Star Wars prequels, Gillard’s credits as stunt coordinator include the movies Dirty Pretty Things, Reign of Fire, Shaft, Sleepy Hollow, and Wanted, among many others.
At Celebration V, fans can catch an interview with Gillard, and hear behind-the-scenes stories on the work that goes into making memorable and believable fight scenes. They can also meet the stunt master in the Celebration Autograph Hall, run by Official Pix.
Ray Park, the actor and acclaimed martial artist who performed Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, became one of the iconic faces of the dark side for the Star Wars Saga. Park, who is a fan favorite whenever he appears, will be signing autographs, meeting fans, and is scheduled to appear on stage for an interview and question and answer session during the Celebration weekend.
Park has performed in X-Men, Sleepy Hollow,and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation in addition to Episode I. Recent credits include the character Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, a THX security guard in Fanboys, and Edgar in the 2009 and 2010 seasons of television’s Heroes.
The actor who portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, Lloyd was cast at the age of seven-and-a-half, having been watched closely by casting director Robin Gurland since she first spotted him as a five-year-old.
Boba Fett spans the entire Star Wars saga, and started with the character as a young man, portrayed in Attack of the Clones by television and film actor Logan. Recently, Logan reprised this iconic role, voicing the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.
Wood, the Supervising Sound Editor for the Star Wars prequels, created the voice for General Grievous for Episode III, and voices for other prequel characters as well. Always busy with his technical responsibilities for the film, Wood managed to find his voice – or rather helped the nefarious droid general find his voice.
A striking blue Twi’lek Jedi on the cover of a Dark Horse comic made an impression on writer/director George Lucas. So much so, that he requested that a fit female extra be found to play the part. Allen, who was a production assistant at ILM, was recruited for Episode II, and returned to reprise her role in Episode III.
Blackiston’s busy career began in the 1950s and has continued with dozens of television and film appearances in the U.K. and beyond.
The busy actor has appeared not only in The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but also voiced Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and played Triopas in Troy.
Hensen’s filmography is as varied and interesting as his many roles in Episode VI. In addition to acting roles he has been a stunt coordinator and fight coordinator, appearing recently in Sherlock Holmes as a stunt performer.
Liston’s character of Wes Janson has built a loyal following not only from his screen time, but also from the character’s role in a number of Star Wars novels and comics. Liston’s acting career spans several decades.
McKenzie, who played the deck Lieutenant on the Hoth Rebel Base, has appeared in a number of television series and movies, including the classics A Bridge Too Far and Gandhi.
The movie and television actor played the scanning crew leader and pilot in the first Star Wars movie. As an added trivia note for fans, Muncke also appeared with fellow Star Wars actors Anthony Forrest and Garrick Hagon in the 1977 James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me.
In addition to performing two iconic droid characters in The Empire Strikes Back, Parsons also performed in Return of the Jedi.
Philpott’s puppeteer and animatronic credits include Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, among many others.
This Austrian-born actor has had a storied acting career, spanning more than 50 years. Beginning in 1957 with The One That Got Away, Roubicek has performed agents, officers, soldiers, and kings.
Anthony Daniels, the actor who has performed as the golden droid C-3PO in all six movies of the Star Wars saga, will appear at Star Wars Celebration V this August at the Orange County Convention Center.
Daniels is slated to meet fans and sign autographs in the Celebration Autograph Hall, and is scheduled to appear on stage as well. The actor’s singular wit, entertaining style, and unique familiarity with the Star Wars movie universe will make his show one that fans will not want to miss.
Daniels has been part of the Star Wars saga since the beginning, after being cast by director George Lucas to play C-3PO in 1976. Realizing that he loved the character when he first read the script, then called The Adventures of Luke Starkiller, Daniels has since breathed endearing humanity and humor into the not-so-mechanical droid. He has the honor of speaking the first and last lines of the Saga, and is a continuing presence in the Star Wars entertainment universe.
Recently, the actor has been having a blast as the Narrator of Star Wars In Concert. No stranger to the concert stage, Daniels’ career started with the BBC Radio Drama Company in London. He went on to join the UK National Theatre at The Young Vic, touring abroad and performing in their London home. He was playing in Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead when Lucas asked to meet him.
In between that fateful first casting and his current role in Star Wars In Concert,Daniels has been involved in many Star Wars-related performances. He has performed in the movie radio dramatizations, tap-danced on The Muppet Show, promoted measles and polio vaccines, written and produced anti-smoking commercials, danced with Donny and Marie Osmond, taken part in the Oscar Ceremonies, befriended Big Bird on Sesame Street, become a breakfast cereal, and had his own cartoon series, Droids. Having become a gaming machine in Las Vegas, he also recently worked on the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the astounding remake of Disney's Star Tours ride.
Although the Star Wars saga has formed a major part of Daniels' career, he has interspersed those movies with a variety of television and stage appearances, ranging from sit-coms to more serious dramas and the world of cult horror movies. He was the voice of Legolas in the 1978animation, Lord Of The Rings but holds no grudge against Orlando Bloom who later got the film part.
Dressed as his golden alter ego Daniels conducted the London Symphony and the Boston Pops and, as himself, has hosted a series of symphony concerts in the UK, USA and Canada. After hosting its premiere in London’s 02 Arena, he narrated Star Wars In Concert on its inaugural North American and European tours. He has recently worked on science related projects with the Discovery Channel and the Boston Science Museum’s exhibition, Star Wars - Where Science Meet Imagination. He teaches at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center in Pittsburgh where he learns so much from the gifted young students.
Star Wars Celebration V presents The Main Event — a live, on-stage interview with Saga creator George Lucas hosted by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. The hour-long, candid conversation will spark a discourse sure to shed light on the storied history of the Star Wars Saga — from its past to its future, with insider insights about the many steps along the way. A self-proclaimed lover of Lucas’ “galaxy far, far away,” Stewart brings a fan sensibility to the interview, aiming to focus on areas of interest to the many diverse and devoted groups that have helped Star Wars endure for more than thirty years. In addition to the dialogue between Lucas and Stewart, fan questions can be submitted in The Main Event section.
Mike Edmonds appeared in both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, portraying an Ugnaught and the Ewok Logray, respectively. The actor’s career spans televisions, commercials, videos, stage productions and movies including The Dark Crystal, Time Bandits and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Though best known to worldwide audiences for his portrayal of bounty hunter Jango Fett in Episode II Attack of the Clones, New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison was already a well-known name in his own country before journeying to “a galaxy far, far away.” Starring in two of the country’s most popular soap operas – Close to Home and Shortland Street – Morrison broke onto the international scene with role of an abusive Māori husband in Once Were Warriors. The performance earned him the 1994 award for Best Male Performance in a Dramatic Role from the New Zealand Film and TV Awards. Reprising the role in the sequel – What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? – Morrison received the Best Actor Award.
In addition to the role of Jango Fett, Morrison appears throughout Episodes II and III as all of the troopers in the clone army. He has also performed roles in Green Lantern, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Barb Wire, Vertical Limit, Six Days Seven Nights and Couples Retreat.
Robert Watts began his career in 1967 as a location manager for the James Bond classic You Only Live Twice, and a year later worked as production manager on 2001: A Space Odyssey. But Watts didn't cross paths with George Lucas until he was hired to be the production supervisor for a soon-to-be blockbuster, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. He continued his role as production manager and got a taste for more responsibility as an associate producer for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and associate producer for Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
Watts continued to produce for such films as Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Alive.
Making his first U.S. autograph signing appearance, Alan Harris is scheduled to appear in the Celebration Autograph Hall daily. Harris, a British actor, performed the role of the bounty hunter Bossk in The Empire Strikes Back. He also was a body double for Terrance Stamp in The Phantom Menace.
John Morton portrayed Luke Skywalker’s gunner Dak Ralter during the battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Morton, who also appeared in A Bridge Too Far and Superman II, makes a rare Celebration appearance. Fans can look forward to meeting him in the Celebration Autograph Hall.
Ben Burtt, the sound designer and supervising sound editor of the Star Wars Saga, will attend Star Wars Celebration V this August. In addition to appearing on the stages to talk about his work in the movies and the industry, Burtt will make a first-ever appearance in the Celebration Autograph Hall, meeting fans and signing autographs each day of the show. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet one of the true icons of Star Wars and of the sound industry.
Burtt is an innovative legend in sound editing and design, and his work has been emulated by aspiring sound artists and editors for years. Fans at Celebration V can hear from Burtt on stage in special interview and question and answer sessions. He will also appear to discuss the upcoming book Star Wars: Sounds From a Galaxy Far, Far Away..., scheduled for release this fall. The book, which highlights his pioneering sounds for Star Wars, is written by J.W. Rinzler and published by Chornicle.
An accomplished filmmaker, Burtt has written, directed and served as film editor on a vast array of projects during the twenty years since Star Wars was originally released in 1977. He has worked with George Lucas on all four Indiana Jones movies and Willow. Burtt is a multiple academy award winner, with Oscars for A New Hope, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and nominations for many more.
Recently Burtt designed and edited the sound for Star Trek, and is widely applauded for designing the voices for WALL-E, including the voice for heart-stealing main character of that film.
Film and television actor, and seasoned Celebration host, Warwick Davis will attend Celebration V August 12-15, appearing on stage to share stories about his fascinating career, and entertain questions from the audience.
Davis has been well known to Star Wars fans since his career-starting performance as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, and in the television films Ewoks: Battle for Endor and Caravan of Courage. The young actor moved to a leading role soon after, portraying the title character in Willow. Warwick returned to the galaxy far far away in 1997 with several roles in The Phantom Menace.
Outside of the realms of Star Wars Davis has had scores of roles on stage, television, and the big screen. He is currently shooting a new comedy sitcom for the BBC with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant titled “Life’s Too Short.” Davis is in the core cast of the Harry Potter movies as Filius Flitwick and the Goblin bank teller, and portrayed Nikabrik in Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He is a cult favorite as the evil title character in six Leprechaun films. Davis appeared alongside David Bowie in Labyrinth, with Jamie Foxx in the multi-award-winning film Ray, and alongside Ricky Gervais in TV’s Extras.
He also plays 'Griphook' and 'Prof. Flitwick' in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In 1995 Davis established Willow Personal Management, "The Biggest Agency for Short Actors in the World."
For more on the talented actor and his many projects, go to http://www.warwickdavis.co.uk.
Producer Gary Kurtz will make a first-time appearance in the Celebration Autograph Hall at Star Wars Celebration V! Kurtz, who began his career with writer/director George Lucas as a co-producer on American Graffiti, produced A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.
In addition to his production duties on Empire, Kurtz shouldered some of the second-unit directing duties of the film. He produced and directed the animated fantasy movie The Dark Crystal, working with Muppet creator Jim Henson and with the creator and voice of Yoda, Frank Oz. Recently Kurtz produced the British television series Friends and Heroes.
Fans at Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles were treated to a first look at the Kurtz-produced ’77, a movie about a young, aspiring moviemaker who gets to go behind the scenes and see some of the making of the magic of the first Star Wars movie
Actor Mark Hamill, whose portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Saga has captured the imagination of generations of fans, will make his first United States Star Wars Celebration appearance this August 12-15 in Orlando, Florida.
Hamill, whose acting career has encompassed scores of appearances in movies and television shows as well as critically acclaimed appearances on Broadway, will help mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back along with scores of fans at the huge four-day festival at the Orange County Convention Center.
Fans can meet Hamill in person in the Celebration Autograph Hall, run by Official Pix, where he is scheduled to sign autographs Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of extending to additional days. The actor is also scheduled for a rare appearance on the Celebration Stage.
Hamill has starred in such films as Corvette Summer (1978), The Big Red One (1980), and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981). After the release of Return of the Jedi (1983), he turned his attention to theater. He starred in a number of plays, among them "Amadeus" and "The Elephant Man," before focusing on voice work. He has since lent his talents to countless animated productions, notably "Batman: The Animated Series." Star Wars fans were particularly delighted with his guest appearance on "The Simpsons."
Don't miss Mark Hamill at Star Wars Celebration V!
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, McBride became an astronaut in August 1979. His NASA assignments have included lead chase pilot for the maiden voyage of Columbia; software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for STS-5, STS-6, and STS-7; Flight Data File (FDF) Manager, and orbital rendezvous procedures development. McBride was pilot of STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 5, 1984, aboard the Orbiter Challenger. This was the first crew of seven. During their eight day mission, crew members deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, conducted scientific observations of the earth with the OSTA-3 pallet and Large Format Camera, and demonstrated potential satellite refueling with an EVA and associated hydrazine transfer. Mission duration was 197 hours and concluded with a landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 13, 1984. McBride was scheduled to fly next in March 1986, as the commander of STS 61-E crew. This flight was one of several deferred by NASA in the wake of the Challenger accident in January 1986. On July 30, 1987, McBride was assigned to NASA Headquarters to serve as Assistant Administrator for Congressional Relations, with responsibility for NASA’s relationship with Congress, and for providing coordination and direction to all Headquarters and Field Center communications with Congressional support organizations. He held this post from September 1987 through March 1989. In 1988 McBride was named to command the crew of the STS-35 (ASTRO-1) mission, scheduled for launch in March 1990. In May 1989, Captain McBride retired from NASA and the Navy in order to pursue a business career. He is currently a member of the Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Encounter team. He'll be speaking at Celebration at 12:30 PM on Thursday in the Digital Stage.
As a child, Jon Berg was captivated by the stop-motion animated classic Mighty Joe Young, which featured the talents of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen. His first job was at a California studio called Cascade Pictures, which produced television commercials. It was here that Berg first met his future Industrial Light & Magic co-workers Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett. Eventually Berg left Cascade to join ILM, where he worked as an animator, modelmaker, and visual effects artist for the three original movies. Most notably, Berg (with Tippett) animated the holographic chess sequence between R2-D2 and Chewbacca in A New Hope, and handled the modelmaking and stop-motion animation of the AT-AT walkers in The Empire Strikes Back. Berg also played a Bith band member as well as one of the two arguing Duros (Phil Tippett was the other) in the famous cantina scene.
In addition to the original trilogy and the prequels,Berg has worked on a variety of films including Gremlins, Dragonslayer, The Fly, Naked Lunch, 2010, Ghostbusters, and The Nightmare before Christmas.
Lorne Peterson is one of the original members of Industrial Light & Magic, having been hired by George Lucas to create the models for Star Wars. In 1978, Peterson was invited by Lucas to move to northern California to oversee the production of models for The Empire Strikes Back. Since that time, he has worked on most of Lucas' movies, as well as those of Steven Spielberg.
Aside from the work he has done for ILM, Peterson has done industrial design modelmaking for McDonaldland, JBL Speakers, Kikkoman, Yamaha Snowmobiles and the feature film The China Syndrome. Peterson was honored with an Academy Award and a British Academy Award for the special effects work in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Walter Cunningham, a member of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA, was the Lunar Module pilot on the first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, an 11-day Earth-orbit flight in October 1968. He worked as a scientist with the RAND Corporation before becoming an astronaut. He attended the Advanced Management Program, Harvard School of Business, in 1974. NASA selected him as an astronaut in October 1963, and on October 11, 1968, he, Commander Walter Schirra and Command Module pilot Donn Eisele were launched aboard Apollo 7. The 260-hour, 4 1/2-million-mile flight was a complete success and provided NASA with confidence to send the next Apollo crew, Apollo 8, into orbit around the moon. He is appearing in the Kennedy Space Center booth (341) from 1 to 3 PM on Saturday, meeting fans and speaking about space.
At the age of eight, Seth Green landed his first film, a co-starring role in Hotel New Hampshire with Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe. At 12, he was cast as the lead in Woody Allen's Radio Days. One of the rare children actors to transition to adult roles, Green has had major roles in a variety of films and television shows, including the Austin Powers movies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Italian Job, Party Monster, Greg the Bunny, Without a Paddle, Entourage, and, more recently, Old Dogs and the animated Mars Needs Moms.
With Matthew Senreich, Green created the Emmy-winning Robot Chicken, an irreverent stop-motion sketch comedy program that skewers pop culture for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim; he also contributes multiple voices to the show. The Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II special earned Green an Outstanding Voiceover Emmy nomination and the 2009 Annie Awards for writing and best animated TV show. Green won the 2008 Annie Award for directing the first Robot Chicken: Star Wars special and both specials were Emmy-nominated.
Green, Senreich, and Tom Root also executive produce Titan Maximum, their newest Adult Swim show. They are also creating/writing a new animated series for Fox. Green also voices Chris Griffin on Family Guy.
After a series of comic book-related internships, Matthew Senreich got a job as an editorial assistant at Wizard Entertainment. In only two years, Senreich became editor of ToyFare magazine, and a year later was promoted to editorial director of all Wizard publications. Senreich worked with Seth Green to develop a series of stop-motion animated shorts for SONY's www.screenblast.com. Based on these webisodes, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim purchased a full season commitment for Robot Chicken – so Senreich was Hollywood bound. The series won Emmys in 2006 and 2007 for Individual Achievement in Animation and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program from 2007-2009. It has also won several Annie Awards. Senreich and Robot Chicken co-head writer/co-producer Tom Root created a second series for Adult Swim called Titan Maximum, which immediately became one of Adult Swim's highest rated original series. Senreich is currently writing/producing/shooting an animated pilot presentation for Fox Television with Green and Root.
Tom Root is co-head writer and co-producer of Robot Chicken, as well as a frequent episode director and resurring voice talent. He was also writer and associate producer on Robot Chicken's predecessor, Sweet J Presents, a series of 12 animated episodes that ran on SONY Entertainment's www.screenblast.com. From 1997-2001, Root was a staff writer at Wizard Entertainment Group, where he wrote for Wizard: The Comics Magazine, ToyFare, InQuest Gamer, Anime Insider and Toy Wishes. ToyFare's "Twisted ToyFare Theatre," which Root co-wrote for 90 issues, has been collected into several trade paperbacks. As a freelance writer, Root has also authored PPV: Pay-Per-View, a three-issue comic book mini-series for Antarctic Press, as well as Writers on Comics Scriptwriting 2.
A diehard Star Wars fan, Dave Filoni realized a lifelong dream with the opportunity to work as Supervising Director on Lucasfilm Animation's Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Exploring the many war time tales and unknown stories that take place between Episodes II and III, Filoni has been able to help create all-new adventures within the Star Wars universe, working closely with master storyteller George Lucas. He joined Lucasfilm Animation fresh from another touchstone fantasy franchise -- Nickelodeon's animated Avatar: The Last Airbender, for which he served as director, helping to further articulate the complex and dynamic world of the highly popular series. Filoni began his animation career working as an assistant director for Film Roman' Emmy winning King of the Hill, created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, While with Film Roman, Filoni also served as assistant director for Mission Hill and the Oblongs, both of which ran on the WB. Form there, he moved to Walt Disney Television Animation, where he contributed in various capacities to series such as Teamo Supremo, Kim Possible, Dave the Barbarian and Lilo & Stitch.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in Orlando, Florida, Ashley Eckstein grew up a true blue Disney kid with an extensive Alice in Wonderland collection. She fell in love with acting at an early age and started her career doing theater, before landing a role in a television show for SeaWorld called Shamu TV. Eckstein moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time, and her first appearance on JAG set the stage for a promising career. She was soon cast as Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch in the White House. Since then, she has appeared in Blue Collar TV, Phil of the Future, Drake and Josh, That's So Raven, Alice Upside Down and Sydney White. She won the role of Ahsoka Tano, the feisty young Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, with her acting skills and a voice close to her normal one. A longtime science fiction enthusiast, Eckstein recognized a need and a desire for merchandise created especially for female sci-fi fans. She has now partnered with The Araca Group to launch Her Universe, a new clothing line featuring fashionable feminine products for fangirls. Eckstein will moderate several fashion shows at Celebration V and greet fans at the Her Universe booth.
With the shattering discovery that real-life princesses were born into their nobility, Georgia native Catherine Taber determined at an early age that she would pursue the next best thing: acting A self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, Taber's role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the realization of her childhood dreams of royalty, albeit a far away galaxy. She made her feature film debut in the coming-of-age dramedy The Girl's Room. Taber began voice acting in 2003 when she was cast as Mission Vao in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Other credits -- both in front of the camera and behind the microphone -- include Just Like Heaven, Conrad Bloom, Union Square, Avatar: The Game, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Final Fantasy XII, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Taber also created Games for Soldiers (www.gamesforsoldiers.com), a program that accepts donations of video games and comic books to be sent to the American military deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Taber will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
James Arnold Taylor's versatile vocal range has given him success in every facet of the voice-over industry, with lead roles in animated films such as TMNT, The Animatrix, Hellboy: Blood & Iron and Atlantis: Milo's Return. On TV, Taylor stars in Johnny Test, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Drawn Together and the Spectacular Spider-Man. Taylor brings the perfect mix of patience and concern as he watches his friend and one-time Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, fight in The Clone Wars. Some of Taylor's most celebrated work has been in video games including the Final Fantasy series, the Ratchet & Clank series, and the Syphon Filter series. He has done countless other voices in games such as Shrek, Spider-Man, Speed Racer, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. A unique aspect of Taylor's work is voice-doubling. When celebrities are not available to do their post-production dialogue recording, Taylor seamlessly fills in, most notable for A-list actors such as David Spade, Michael J. Fox, Billy Bob Thornton, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp. But few honors can surpass that of Taylor giving the voice to cartoon icon Fred Flintsone. Yabbba dabba doo! Taylor will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
Over the past two decades, Dee Bradley Baker has built an extraordinary career with his amazing vocal range, his knack for dialects and for creating realistic animal, alien and monster sounds. His voice work is featured in countless projects, including SpongeBob Squarepants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Codename: Kids Next Door, zombies in the remake of Dawn of the Dead, creatures in the Halo, Spore, and the Gears of War video games, as well as Disney's Phineas and Ferb television series and featured voice roles in theatrical features such as The Last Airbender, Happy Feet, Space Jam and G-Force. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, portraying all the clones has led to such classics as "Rookies," a Season One episode that was almost entirely voiced by Baker. His recent work also includes the voice of Klaus on American Dad, the super alien creatures from Cartoon Network's runaway hit series Ben 10: Alien Force and roles in the Spectacular Spider-Man and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Baker will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
It is somehow fitting that the tallest actor in the group plays the shortest character, Jedi Master Yoda. Tom Kane's tremendous vocal range has led to a busy career that includes movie trailers, commercials, network TV promo spots, video games and animation. He has had major roles in The Powerpuff Girls, Robot Chicken, Kim Possible, The Avengers, Foster's Home, Iron Man, The Wild Thornberrys, Wolverine and the X-Men and many more. Kane has been part of nearly every Star Wars video game ever made, as well as games based on Star Trek, The X-Men, Batman, The Avengers, and The Lord of the Rings. Kane also is proficient at voice-doubling. He has recorded dialogue for such A-list actors as Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. Kane also was the live announcer for three AFI Lifetime Achievement Award telecasts, as well as the 78th and 80th Academy Award Telecasts. Kane will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
Jaime King began her career as a fashion model, gracing the covers of international fashion magazines and later landing advertising campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani, Calvin Klein, Victoria's Secret, Revlon and Jay-Z's Rocawear. Her feature film roles include Pearl Harbor, Blow, Slackers, Two for the Money, White Chicks, Sin City, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, The Spirit, My Bloody Valentine 3D and the Star Wars-themed Fanboys, whose director -- Kyle Neman -- she recently married. King also soon will appear in The Pardon, and in the remake of Charles Kaufman's cult classic, Mother's Day. Television roles include MTV'S House of Style, Kitchen Confidential, The Class, Gary Unmarried and My Generation. King can soon be seen hosting Scream Queens 2, a reality program in search of the next great scream queen, who will be featured in one of the wildly popular Saw films. She also provides regular voice work for a variety of characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- most notably ruthless bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Jaime is also an ambassador for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer, a charitable program established by media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders who have been affected by cancer. King will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
The Supervision Sound Editor for Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as the Star Wars live-action prequels, Matthew Wood has been instrumental in creating the distinctive soundscape of the ever-expanding galaxy. Already busy with his technical responsibilities, Wood nonetheless managed to find his voice -- or rather helped General Grievous find his voice -- for the role of the nefarious droid army commander in Revenge of the Sith. He continues performing as Grievous (and other assorted roles) in the ongoing adventures of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Given that so many of the creatures, vehicles and aliens of Star Wars don't exist in our galaxy, much of Wood's job requires that he design and develop the right and layered Star Wars sounds from scratch -- in addition to maintaining his own performance as one of the galaxy's most diabolical villains. Wood was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing in 2008 for There Will Be Blood and in 2009 for WALL-E. He has won several Golden Reel Awards from the Motion Picture Sound Editors organization. Wood will be signing in the Autograph Hall.
Born in northeastern Ohio and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Matt Lanter spent much of his time playing baseball, football and golf. His love for baseball led him to a position as a batboy with the Atlanta Braves. However, it was while he was at the University of Georgia that he fell in love with acting. Lanter began his career with Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius and has had several guest appearances on Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Big Love and Monk. He has also had recurring roles on some of televion's most popular shows including Heroes, Shark and Commander in Chief. He is probably most recognized, however, for his role as Liam Court on 90210. Lanter has also starred in multiple films, such as Disaster Movie, Wargames 2: The Dead Code, Sorority Row and the Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream. He also made his theater debut opposite Laurence Fishburne in Alfred Uhry's Without Walls at The Mark Taper Forum. For Star Wars: The Clone Wars he has mastered the role of the brash hero whose dark fate we all know. Lanter will be signing in the Autograph Hall.