Star Wars' Original Boba Fett Actor Would Have Changed Just One Thing About The Armor
The world's many Starwoids will likely be able to tell you that Boba Fett's costume was originally conceived as the armor for an elite squad of Empire Stormtroopers that were to be called Super Troopers, an army that was to be featured in the 1980 "Star Wars" sequel "The Empire Strikes Back." The documentary film "Under the Helmet" has early test footage of the Super Trooper armor, and it was originally meant to be flat white. It turns out, sadly, that "Empire" didn't have the budget to build the 100 Super Trooper suits they wanted, so the prototype suit was painted maroon and olive and given to the bounty hunter character Boba Fett. The suit was worn by actor Jeremy Bulloch.
Boba Fett didn't have much of a character, but his suit and helmet were so cool that he developed a weirdly passionate legion of fans. In the years between the 1983 release of "Return of the Jedi" and the release of the film's Special Edition in 1997, Boba Fett moved from being a minor, ancillary figure into being one of the key characters in the "Star Wars" saga. In the Special Edition, Boba Fett was granted more screen time. All because that helmet looked awesome and the costume was badass.
Perhaps a little too badass, as it turns out. In a 2017 interview with StarWars.com, Bulloch noted that the helmet was hard to see out of and that wearing it, naturally, made turning his head difficult. Additionally, the Boba Fett body armor is segmented, with segments of hard plastic affixed to what looks like a baggy canvas bodysuit. Bullock noted that armor segments, if they're not properly fitted to both a bent knee and a straightened leg, then thigh trauma is imminent.
Boba Fett's injured thighs
Bulloch was asked if he could easily see through the T-shaped visor in the Boba Fett helmet, and he said:
"Not brilliantly, but when you have to wear it, you have to wear it. The thing is to pretend. You pretend what you're doing, it's a pretend scene, but of course, it's a real scene. You just have to get on with it. And it was tough ... but not for me because I'm Boba Fett."
In short, Bulloch had to do some real acting. He also noted that, because of the way films were being shot back in 1980 and 1983, there wasn't a lot of time to make sure supporting players were comfortable. As such, he had to suffer through a lot. The costume may have looked cool, but Bulloch's legs bore the brunt of it. One might note that Boba Fett doesn't engage in any action sequences that require him to jump around or roll on the floor. This was fortunate, as the costume would have pinched the dickens out of the actor's legs. Bulloch continued:
"[T]here's nothing you could do. You can't sort of say, 'Can I have a sort of cushion here by me knee here because I hurt?' If you start moaning like that you should be doing some other film. [...] If I had the chance, I'd re-make the knees and the legs, which would be the worst part ... it was cutting into your thighs and your knees."
In 2002's "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones," it was established that Boba Fett was a clone who would grow up to look like actor Temuera Morrison, an actor who has been playing the character ever since. One would hope the knee armor has improved.