How Star Wars Found Its First Boba Fett Actor Out Of 'Pure Luck'
Boba Fett is, inarguably, one of the most beloved characters in "Star Wars" history. That's no small thing, given that the franchise also includes half a dozen (or more) pop culture icons. Perplexingly, the fan-favorite bounty hunter had very little screen time in the original trilogy and didn't have a solo project until "The Book of Boba Fett" arrived in 2022. For years, it was one of the finest examples of "less is more" ever committed to film. The man under the helmet was Jeremy Bulloch, and the actor will forever be tied to that role. And, as it just so happens, Bulloch kind of just lucked his way into the role.
Bulloch did a Reddit AMA back in 2014. At one point, a fan asked the actor how the role of Boba Fett was pitched to him. Indeed, the actor appeared as Fett in "The Empire Strikes Back," but it's not as though George Lucas thought of him for the part. It all came down to matters of coincidence and convenience.
"It wasn't pitched. It was a role where my half-brother was the associate producer. He said, 'I know you're in the theater right now, could you maybe work a couple of days on the film?' But that's how it happened...it was pure luck. Luckily the outfit fit perfectly. The helmet fit. The boots were a size 10, and I'm a size 10. When I met George Lucas, he said, 'Welcome aboard Jeremy. It's not a big role.' But it ended up being a bigger role than we all expected."
One of the most recognizable roles in one of the biggest franchises in history came down to being someone's half-brother and fitting into a costume. "It was great luck and I fit into the outfit and boots," Bulloch added. "You can't go back or forward[,] it was just meant to be."
'I can think about that for years to come'
Boba Fett's on-screen journey is an interesting one, to say the least. He first appeared in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," which aired only once because it was so bad. But Fett's inclusion in an animated short within that special has long been viewed as a highlight. The bounty hunter then appeared in "Empire" as part of a collection of bounty hunters assembled by Darth Vader to capture Han Solo, Leia, and the rest of the Rebels hiding out on the Millennium Falcon. He appears in just a couple of scenes, but the impact was palpable. Bulloch was the on-set actor in the suit, with Jason Wingreen originally providing the limited dialogue.
However, Temuera Morrison played Jango Fett in "Attack of the Clones." Since Boba Fett was a clone of his father, Morrison later re-dubbed the dialogue for "The Empire Strikes Back." It was also Morrison who donned the helmet and jetpack for "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett." But Bulloch is the man who had the honor of imprinting his initial take on the character. Without him, who knows if Boba Fett would have become what he became? Speaking further during the Reddit AMA, Bulloch ruminated a bit on his journey and where this character fits into the whole thing.
"It has become a large piece of my life. I started acting at 12, mainly because I failed every test in school — I was more on the sports side. Suddenly, at the age of 12, I went to drama school and I carried on and had a very good career. I'm still working now. It's just extraordinary. It's probably when they re-released the film in 1997 when the character became well known to people and they thought, 'Who's this guy?' Whenever I go somewhere people ask, 'Are you the guy who plays Boba Fett?' I've had some nice roles to play but having played Boba Fett...I can think about that for years to come."