Bruce Sharman, production manager on A New Hope and production supervisor on The Empire Strikes Back, has passed away. Dying age 92 in August 2022, Sharman was a key component of the success of the first two entries in the original trilogy. He was involved in ‘selling’ certain concepts to George Lucas, and later auctioned off his own film memorabilia, giving the proceeds to his chosen charities.
Born 22nd December 1929 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Sharman served his National Service with the Royal Army Medical Corp and began contiributing to the Citizen’s Theater as an assistant stage manager, with the permission of his commanding oficer. That began a career that led to the Old Vic and a smattering of acting roles, which led to a half decade stint with World Wide Pictures directing commercial documentaries. A freelance career led to The Saint starring Roger Moore and a shift onto production management roles, the most prominent of which were Star Wars and Empire. He later worked with Jim Henson as an Assistant Producer on The Great Muppet caper after helping produce The Dark Crystal in 1982 and becoming a champion of animatronics in films.
Described as ‘a kind and generous man with a twinkle in his eye and a beautiful smile‘ his contributions to the Star Wars galaxy and the wider industry will not soon be forgotten.
