How An Unassuming Lucasfilm Employee Ended Up Playing Jedi Aayla Secura In Star Wars
"Star Wars" is very unique even in and amongst other major franchises. One thing that stands out is that even minor characters with mere seconds of screen time can achieve some form of infamy in the greater pop culture consciousness. Boba Fett, played by actor Jeremy Bulloch, remains the best example of this. But Amy Allen experienced her own version of this phenomenon when she played the Twi'lek Jedi Master Aayla Secura in George Lucas' prequel trilogy.
Aayla appeared in both "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," though she traces her roots back to the pages of the "Star Wars" comics published by Dark Horse in the early 2000s, having appeared on the cover of "Star Wars" #33 in 2001 as part of the "Darkness" arc, for example. So, how did Allen come to bring the Jedi to life on the big screen? The actress explained to Tatooine Times in 2022 that it all began with her getting a job as a Production Assistant at Industrial Light & Magic.
"I went to San Francisco State and majored in Film. I sort of had it in my head that I wanted to work for George Lucas, but I didn't know how. My roommate who I grew up with in Los Angeles got a job in the ILM Art Department, and so that was my in. I went in for an interview, and I'll never forget it because I was very inexperienced ... They basically took a chance on me, and I just started learning the ropes as a Production Assistant. Eventually, I ended up on 'Attack of the Clones.'"
Given the incredible success of "The Phantom Menace," which helped create a new generation of "Star Wars" fans, getting to work on the sequel was undoubtedly a huge deal for Allen. Little did she know that would result in her being immortalized on screen as a member of the Jedi Order.
Amy Allen was in the right place at the right time
Lucas needed a lot of Jedi to fill out the climactic battle in "Attack of the Clones," which sees the Jedi Knights trying to face off against Dooku's army. This is where Allen's date with destiny came into play. As she explained:
"One day my Production Manager, who had just come back from Sydney, put a photocopy of a 'Star Wars' comic featuring Aayla Secura on my desk and said, 'Do you want to do this?' And of course I said yes! A couple of months prior to that I dressed up as a blue Twi'lek for a scene in the DVD version of 'The Phantom Menace,' so I had already done it, and of course I wanted to do it again. I didn't realize at the time that Aayla Secura would become this cool character."
Even though she didn't have much by way of dialogue, Aayla Secura's very distinctive look helped her stand out in the eyes of fans. She may have been one of many Jedi killed during the execution of Order 66 in "Revenge of the Sith," but that was far from the end for the character in the larger franchise.
Aayla has since returned in the animated show "The Clone Wars," which itself has become a wildly popular part of the franchise for the newer generation of fans who grew up on the prequels. And it's Allen, who just so happened to be in the right place at the right time, who gets the credit for bringing that character to life.