Star Wars creator George Lucas begged McGregor and Neeson to stop making lightsaber noises during shoots
Any respectable Star Wars fans will have had imaginary lightsaber battles with their friends, right?
For us, having imaginary lightsaber battles with friends is likely an activity from our childhoods, but when it comes to Star Wars stars Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jin) and Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it’s something they couldn’t stop doing on set.
Both Hollywood stars made their silver screen debut in the series with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. During the filming of The Phantom Menace, which starred one of the best-ever villains, Darth Maul, director George Lucas was reportedly annoyed by having to repeatedly tell both Neeson and McGregor to stop making pretend lightsaber noises during filming.
As reported by our friends at UNILAD, Liam Neeson was a guest on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast and revealed that: “The first time we actually had to use the lightsaber to start a little fight, we both automatically [made the noises]. George said, ‘Let’s cut there.
Boys, we can add that in later.’”Instead, both Neeson and McGregor had to keep their gobs shut and resist making their own sound effects to avoid the wrath of an agitated Lucas. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if noises were still being made ever-so-slightly under their breath.
Neeson also shared his views on the current state of the series. “There’s so many movies and spin-offs now, I think it’s diluting the whole thing.” To be honest, I am a big Star Wars fan and it’s hard to disagree with Mr. Neeson. After all, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. That being said, I’ll still be there pre-booking my tickets for any Star Wars movie that hits the silver screen.
In related news, an actor from the video game Star Wars: Force Unleashed has teased a live-action return, and fans say that the Ahsoka TV series is the best Star Wars instalment since the OG trilogy.