The Original Voice of Boba Fett Passed Away in 2016
Published Dec. 17 2020, 10:06 p.m. ET
The actors who find themselves a part of the massive Star Wars universe are always going to be a part of something epic. They'll have had a part in creating a world that's survived the test of time and has spanned generations. So many iconic characters have come through this franchise, and as we lose another member of the crew, we also honor the ones who have already left. A few years ago, we lost the original voice of Boba Fett, and now the original actor has passed away, too.
The original voice of Boba Fett was Jason Wingreen.
According to The New York Times, the original voice of Boba Fett was actor Jason Wingreen. He was most notably known for his role in All in the Family where he played the character of the bartender known as Harry.
He had been in the acting world for more than five decades, starting early in the 1940s performing on stage. Jason worked all the way through the mid 1990s and appeared in many classic films including Airplane! and had parts on iconic TV shows including Bonanza, Seinfeld, and Star Trek.
While Jason was memorable and incredible in those roles, the one he's likely most known for is the one he took on in Star Wars. Jason was the menacing voice of Boba Fett, the bounty hunter who was a clone and son of Jango Fett.
Jason took on the voice role in The Empire Strikes Back when he captured Han Solo after he was betrayed by Lando Calrissian. The character also made an appearance in Return of the Jedi, where he seemingly faced his demise, at least until The Mandalorian returned him to our screens.
According to Recode, Jason didn't get too much recognition for his role in playing Boba Fett. Perhaps it's because he wasn't a large character in the storyline, or it could be the fact that Jason didn't play the character alone. He didn't even get screen credit on The Empire Strikes Back.
"No screen credit, right. So how did it come that people suddenly discovered who I was?" he said in an interview with Classic History TV Blog in 2010. "My sister’s grandson was in a chatroom on the internet, and he happened to mention to some friends of his that his grandmother’s brother did the voice of Boba Fett."
"The word got around, because then I got a phone call from the editor of the [Star Wars] Insider magazine," he said. "He said, 'Is it true that you did the voice of Boba Fett?' I said, 'Yes, I did. That’s my voice up there. I have the contract, too.'"
Jason Wingreen passed away in the summer of 2016 at 95 years old.
The other original character for Boba Fett was the man in the suit, while Jason was the voice.
Jeremy Bulloch was the man inside the suit and the first actor to play Boba Fett, along with Jason as the voice. On Dec. 17, 2020, Daniel Logan, who played the younger version of Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones in 2002, shared that Jeremy had died at 75 years old.
"It brings me to tears to announce Jeremy Bulloch has past [sic] away," he wrote. "RIP Legend I'll never forget all you've taught me! I'll love you forever! Conventions won't be the same without you may the force be with you always," he shared along with a photo of himself and Jeremy.
Mark Hamill, who starred alongside Jeremy as Luke Skywalker, tweeted, "Jeremy Bulloch was the quintessential English gentleman. A fine actor, delightful company & so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him. I will deeply miss him & am so grateful to have known him."
Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando in the original and sequel trilogies, tweeted, "Today we lost the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. RIP Jeremy Bulloch."
