Boba Fett's Original Actor Had One Issue With The Star Wars Special Editions
A fun piece of trivia: the "Star Wars" character Boba Fett, prior to his inclusion in "The Star Wars Holiday Special" — which didn't air until November 17, 1978 — made a live appearance in a parade in the San Anselmo County Fair the previous September. The parade may have been before the character had been given a name, and "Star Wars" fans were tantalized to see a new, mysterious figure walking down the street next to Darth Vader. It was the first appearance of Boba Fett.
The stoic, faceless, and largely mute character, because of his cool helmet, became a fan favorite over the years, and Boba Fett's importance has grown since 1978 to the point where he got his own TV series. Boba Fett has been played by many actors over the years. In "Empire" and in "Return of the Jedi," Jeremy Bulloch wore the suit, while Jason Wingreen played his voice. In "Holiday Special" and the animated series "Droids," he was voiced by Don Francks. It wouldn't be until 2002's "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" that Temuera Morrison would become associated with the role.
When the "Star Wars" Special Editions were released in 1997, Boba Fett was added to additional scenes of "Return of the Jedi," and was played by Don Bies and Nelson Hall, both of them droid operators at Industrial Light & Magic.
Bulloch, however, didn't like the additional "Jedi" scenes. In the May 2000 issue of Star Wars Insider Magazine, Bulloch went on record saying that the additional scenes tried to add more personality to Boba Fett, notably hinting that he had a romantic side or a sex life. Bulloch felt that Boba Fett was a stoic figure. The "party" moments were, he felt, out-of-character.
Jabba's Party Palace
The scenes in question take place early in "Return of the Jedi" when the film's protagonists infiltrate the palace of Jabba the Hutt to rescue their imprisoned friend Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Jabba is a wealthy criminal and spends his spare time throwing endless parties attended by myriad bizarre aliens. Boba Fett was the bounty hunter who brought the imprisoned Han Solo to Jabba, and it seems he was asked to hang around and attend the party. In the film's original cut, he merely stood around in the background, giving the impression that he didn't care about the party shenanigans.
In the Special Addition — currently the only cut widely available to the public — Fett appeared in the background of multiple additional shots, and could even be seen flirting with some of the women in attendance. Bulloch didn't like that. He said:
"They were trying to make him a ladies man. [...] If it had been me, I would have said, 'Can I perhaps grab her by the chin and push her away?' Because he becomes vulnerable. I don't think he would let his guard down. But I was really pleased with the re-release because they put Boba Fett in 'Star Wars' as well, just as a presence."
Bulloch is referring to several new scenes added to the original 1977 "Star Wars," wherein Jabba and Boba Fett can be seen around the Mos Eisley Cantina. Neither Boba Fett nor Jabba the Hutt appeared in the original cuts of the movie, although director George Lucas did once shoot a scene with Han Solo and Jabba having a conversation. Boba Fett, however, was a retroactive inclusion.
As of 2023, Morrison returned as the character in the TV series "The Book of Boba Fett."