Star Wars: What Admiral Ackbar Looks Like In Real Life
"Return of the Jedi" not only ended the original "Star Wars" trilogy on the highest of high notes, but it also birthed one of the franchise's most memorable moments with the uttering of the now iconic line, "It's a trap!" Speaking this famous phrase into existence was none other than the skilled military leader Admiral Ackbar, whose expertise saved the Rebel Alliance from falling into a vicious counterattack setup laid out by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Bringing the beloved character to life was the responsibility of two equally admirable actors.
Performing the meaningfully designed character on set was Tim Rose. Rose's solid physique and 5' 11" height imbued Ackbar with an aura of authority and leadership. Rose's physical performance was further complimented by the voice work of actor Erik Bauersfeld, who also provided the voice of majordomo Bib Fortuna in the film. The performers reprised the part in 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
While Rose embodied Ackbar once more for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," the character's voice was handed to performer Tom Kane following the death of Bauersfeld in April 2016. Kane was no stranger to the galaxy far. far away, however, as he had previously provided voices in numerous pieces of "Star Wars" media, even voicing Ackbar in the 2011 Disney Parks attraction "Star Tours – The Adventures Continue."
Rose wasn't happy with Ackbar's fate in The Last Jedi
Just as Admiral Ackbar is seen as an esteemed individual in the world of "Star Wars," performer Tim Rose's puppetry career is held in similarly high regard. His many credits include such titles as "The Muppet Show," "The Great Muppet Caper, "The Dark Crystal," "Return to Oz," "Howard the Duck," and "The Muppet Christmas Carol." He has also worked as a designer and puppeteer on the "Star Wars" standalone films "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
Undeniably, his first "Star Wars" role remains his most fondly remembered. And while returning to the part over three decades later for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was a dream come true for Rose, the actor was less than satisfied with his character's outcome. Speaking with Cinemablend, Rose shared that, after much of Ackbar's material was cut from "Awakens," he had high hopes for its 2017 follow-up.
"So in 'The Last Jedi,' I was quite looking forward to maybe them giving him something more juicy," Rose said. "We were only given the script on the day when we were shooting that piece of script, so each day I would come to work going, 'Is today the day when Ackbar gets something a bit more involving?' And I looked at my script and I went, 'Oh, Ackbar's going out of the window. Well, that's that then!'" Ackbar's untimely demise in "The Last Jedi" may have been frustrating for Rose to experience, but it's done little to put a dent in the honorable reputation of his iconic "Star Wars" persona, with the actor continuing to make regular appearances at comic cons and fan events.