It’s most actors’ dream to appear in a Star Wars movie. When an actor gets to wield a lightsaber or fly an X-wing or dress up as an oddball creature in a galaxy far, far away, it’s a sign that they’ve made it. From Harrison Ford to Carrie Fisher to Ewan McGregor, a bunch of actors have been shot to stardom by the Star Wars saga.
But not every role is as iconic or substantial as Han Solo or Leia Organa. Over the years, especially since Disney took over the franchise, a bunch of really talented actors have been squandered with minor, insignificant, underdeveloped characters.
Kelly Marie Tran
Rian Johnson introduced Kelly Marie Tran as one of the sequel trilogy’s most promising new characters in The Last Jedi. Rose Tico was characterized as a relatable everywoman with a low-ranking Resistance position, reeling from the sacrificial death of her sister.
Like Lando in the original trilogy, Rose was set up as the new addition in the second movie to become a fourth member of the core trio in the third. But then, in The Rise of Skywalker, Tran was basically relegated to a background role with just 76 seconds of screen time. The actor deserved a lot better, especially since her reduced role seemed to be a response to fan backlash from a toxic vocal minority.
Gwendoline Christie
Much like Boba Fett, Captain Phasma was introduced as a badass side villain. And much like Boba Fett, she was unceremoniously killed off before her potential was realized.
With her fan-favorite role as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, Gwendoline Christie more than proved her ability to play a complex, nuanced, interesting character across several years of storylines. But the Star Wars sequels robbed her of another chance to do that.
Benicio Del Toro
As seen in movies like The Last Jedi, he was given the dark, brooding, mysterious role of “DJ,” which stands for “Don’t .” This character is one-note and his arc is painfully predictable.
He telegraphs from the beginning that he’s disloyal and doesn’t have a stake in the war, and yet Finn and Rose are still surprised when he betrays them. It’s hardly even a betrayal, because he never gave any indication that he was on their side.
Terence Stamp
The great Terence Stamp of Priscilla and Superman II fame appeared as Chancellor Valorum in The Phantom Menace. He was supposed to reappear in Episode II, but Stamp dropped out because he didn’t like working with greenscreens on Episode I.
Stamp told The A.V. Club, “He may be a great visionary, [George] Lucas, and he may be great with toys and effects and stuff, but he doesn’t really strike me as someone who was really interested in acting.” It’s a shame, because Stamp is a fine actor.
John Boyega
John Boyega was supposedly given one of the lead roles in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, so he shouldn’t be on this list. But his character Finn was continually sidelined throughout the trilogy until he spent the final movie yelling Rey’s name.
The Force Awakens gave Finn a fascinating introduction as a Force-sensitive ex-Stormtrooper determined to bring down the First Order, but Episodes VIII and IX did nothing with these setups, opting instead to bombard him with new love interest after new love interest.
Rose Byrne
Before she was famous, Rose Byrne made her Hollywood debut with a tiny role in Attack of the Clones as Dormé, Pé’s most loyal aide.
Now that Bridesmaids have established Byrne as a bigger star and shown audiences her ability to convey heart, humor, and pathos, it’s a shame she didn’t play a more significant Star Wars role.
Billie Lourd
The Star Wars saga has always been a family enterprise. George Lucas gave a bunch of cameo appearances to his kids, and when Carrie Fisher signed on to reprise her role as Leia in the sequel trilogy, she secured a part for her daughter, Billie Lourd.
But the character Lourd played, Lieutenant Connix, was one of the smallest roles in the trilogy. She only has a couple of lines and they’re mostly dedicated to dull exposition. Lourd’s scene-stealing turn as Gigi in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart proved her to be one of the funniest, most lovable young performers out there. Maybe Connix can have a larger role in a Disney+ series.
Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis is the performance-capture whiz who brought Gollum, Caesar, and King Kong to life. His casting in the Star Wars sequel trilogy suggested that one of his iconic, emotionally engaging CG characters was coming to a galaxy far, far away.
But the role he was given was Supreme Leader Snoke, essentially a store-brand version of Emperor Palpatine who spent all of his scenes sitting in a chair. Rian Johnson wasn’t interested in the character, so he killed him off straight away.
Riz Ahmed
As demonstrated in his acclaimed dramatic performances in Nightcrawler, Riz Ahmed is one of the finest actors working today. He’s also got rarely utilized comedic abilities, as seen in the hysterical political satire Four Lions. He’s perfect for the Star Wars universe.
Unfortunately, his ing character in Rogue One, Bodhi Rook, is little more than an exposition mouthpiece to explain away Galen Erso’s needlessly convoluted sabotage of the Death Star plans.
Emilia Clarke
Having recently been cast in Marvel’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
It’s likely that Clarke was being primed for a larger role, since Solo ends with the cliffhanger reveal that she’s working for Darth Maul, but since the movie became Star Wars’ first box office bomb, it’ll probably never get a sequel.
