Our friends over at Binary Sunset have taken the opportunity to sit down with Mike Edmonds, the performer behind Logray and one of the team who brought Jabba the Hutt to life in Return of the Jedi.
BS: When Lucasfilm made the casting call to bring in all the Ewoks, were they giving out key roles during that casting call, or did they bring in lead Ewoks separately?
ME: No they were all cast together, all the Ewoks, and I previously did Empire Strikes Back where I played two of the Ugnaughts, alternating different costumes on different days. Robert Watts took a shine to me in what I was doing and when they cast for Return Of The Jedi he put me in the role of Logray, medicine man Ewok. I’ve since met up with Robert and Jeremy and we did a show on stage about Roberts life, and since I was asked to appear in that he must like me, and what I do.
BS: Watching Return Of The Jedi, Logray seems to have more pull than Chief Chirpa, why do you think that is?
ME: I don’t know, when we filmed we presume any voices or noises are put on afterwards, you know. I think Logray came out more powerful perhaps.
BS: You seem to be calling the shots.
ME: Yeah, but there was no battle to sort out who’s the best or anything like that.
