British actor Jeremy Bulloch, who first wore the Mandalorian armor as bounty hunter Boba Fett in 1980’s Empire Strikes Back, has passed away at the age of 75.
News of his death was shared on Thursday by Daniel Logan, the actor who played young Boba Fett in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Our heartfelt tribute to Jeremy Bulloch, the original actor to play #BobaFett on screen, who has passed away: https://t.co/9SNbflElpr ? pic.twitter.com/bTlFrdUHHH
“I’ll never forget all you’ve taught me,” Logan wrote on Instagram. “Conventions won’t be the same without you. May the Force be with you always.”
Born in 1945, Bulloch got his start in British television, appearing in Doctor Who and Robin of Sherwood. He also had parts in several James Bond Movies, including ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and ‘Octopussy.’
In 1980, he appeared in ‘Empire Strikes Back’ as a bounty hunter later named Boba Fett, as well as Lieutenant Sheckil, an Imperial officer. He reprised the role of Fett in 1983’s ‘Return of the Jedi.’
Rest in Peace to Jeremy Bulloch, the man who brought Boba Fett to life in the Original Trilogy. ❤️? pic.twitter.com/pZkGB4PkVq
Bulloch was a fixture of the Star Wars convention circuit in the years that followed. His 2004 memoir ‘Flying Solo: Tales of a Bounty Hunter’ looked back on both his acting career and the convention world, before he retired in 2018. His last Star Wars role was a cameo in the 2005 prequel ‘Revenge of the Sith.’
Though he had only four lines of dialogue in ‘Empire’ – voiced by another actor and later overdubbed by yet another – Boba Fett became a fan favorite, to the surprise of Star Wars creator George Lucas. Despite apparently perishing in ‘Jedi,’ the bounty hunter eventually made an appearance in The Mandalorian, the newest Star Wars franchise by Disney.
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