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Wait, what's this? You thought that was the end. Well so did I, but today is monumental in a few ways:

1) It's my birthday!

2) Mister Christiansimpson has been invited back to stand-in for his namesake, Hayden Christensen, for the sole half-day pick-ups taking place today only

3) I then discover that George Lucas started writing the first Star Wars film 32 years earlier in January 1973 (the very month, and possibly day, I was born - it is my birthday and Star Wars' birthday too)

4) My birthday is the last ever day of filming on a Star Wars movie, ever -- Star Wars movies are no more after this

Quite a birthday as I'm sure you can imagine!

So here I am, some 5 months after speculating we might be back in January, and I'm back... in January. Only this time we're at Elstree Film Studios. If that rings a bell to any of you, you're right, that's where Star Wars began 28 years ago (there's a nice history of the studios at www.elstreefilmtv.com). But what's strange is we're not on the new 'George Lucas Stage'. I'm soon to find out why. Stay tuned...

Last night I got myself into the Star Wars frame of mind - partly for professional reasons (I like to prepare for any character I am going to play any even tiny part in bringing to the big screen, like, ohh I don't know, Darth Vader for instance ) and partly for nostalgic reasons - by doing things that remind me of - among other things - why it was so special to me as a child, and what a big part of my life it has played. So, I download an old text adventure game that I used to play for a Commodore 64 emulator, called 'Darth Vader' and play it to completion (with a little help from a walkthrough guide), all done with the Star Wars soundtrack playing in the background.

Just for good measure on this monumental day, this morning, on the hour drive to the studios, I play an audio version of a Star Wars book Heir To The Empire in the car, complete with Star Wars music and sound effects, and before I know it, I'm pulling up to the legendary studios where part of every Star Wars movie ever made has been filmed, along with other classics such as the Indiana Jones trilogy.

Surprisingly, security just let me drive straight in without taking even a name. Damn! I want to tell them what we're doing there. I want to tell everyone! 'Palpatine's guards' tell me to park up by the Lucas stage, which I reluctantly do Alongside the Lucas stage is the Big Brother house, where Celebrity Big Brother 2005 ended not a week before. Security in there is tight however and there is no way you can go inside the BB house. I'm sure that's all backwards isn't it?

I walk down to the cantina, have breakfast, and there bump into my friend Chantelle who stands in for Natalie Portman. Then another familiar face, Jennie the camera assistant... then another, Cecilia the boom operator from Italy... then another... and I walk into the table area and Duncan Blackman (the ILM Matchmover) gets up to give me a really friendly greeting. People have travelled from all corners of the globe for just 5 hours of filming -- it's bizarre but really shows the dedication and love of Star Wars that I share with them all. I ask Cecilia if she's come here from Italy? "Too right!", is the proud response. This is Star Wars after all.

And there's the nicest guy in showbiz, Mr Rick McCallum [the Producer/man responsible for everything/Lucas's right-hand man] sitting with Duncan. I say an unassuming 'hi guys' to him and his colleague, and friendly as ever he shakes my hand enthusiastically, asks, "How's it all going for ya!?", to which I reply, "It's great to be back". Well that basically gets my day off to a fab start!

And onto set. I sign the confidentiality papers, and accidentally put by date of borth 31-Jan-1973 instead of 2005, so used to writing it on forms I am.

First up Chantelle is hardly used for Natalie's two and only scenes (which are on first as she has to catch a flight at 14:00 back to the USA). Natalie's brother appears to be accompanying today, unless she has a new boyfriend to show off to Hayden, hehe! If he is a boyfriend not brother, he looks remarkably like Natalie, the narcissus What do you mean I sound jealous? :P

First I say hi to other people, like Pablo Hildago, the great guy from starwars.com who tells me they're e-mailing me some questions for an interview. And Jonathan who is writing the novelization says hi as well and tells me the book's all done and he hopes to show George some of it today.

Then George himself appears and tells us that this very stage, Stage 8 at Elstree Studios London, is where Star Wars began filming in the UK 28 years ago! In fact I think he said 28 years ago today. I later remember that film was released on 31 January 1977 and rereleased on 31 January 1997 so there is obviously something symbolic to Lucas (and my Mum) about this day. I try not to read any more into it than that

"I began writing Star Wars in January 1973 - eight hours a day, five days a week, from then until March 1976, when we began shooting." - George Lucas

Anyway, that's why we're not in the Lucas stage. Superstitious as he is (he still writes the scripts with a pencil in the same folder he used in the 70s for A New Hope) he quite rightly wants to finish up when it all began. I feel truly privileged to be present to share it and play my very small part. He doesn't sound sad, nor nostalgic, but I wonder if perhaps he is holding back those emotions from us. How could it not be emotional - it must be. Hell, I feel it!

He then goes on to say that a lot of the Millennium Falcon cockpit stuff was done on this very stage, Harrison Ford was in the prop over there, etc. This is truly sacred ground.

My sister sends me a text saying, "Happy Birthday, you daft-ada! x". Takes me ages to realise she means Darth Vader. Hmm, maybe I'll have lunch in Pizza the Hutt? Ahahah.

But then suddenly, I hear Star Wars music, and it's loud. It's the trailer for Revenge of the Sith! At this point, nobody else has seen it, it's unfinished, it hasn't been released to cinemas, yet by some sort of magic I get to watch it for my birthday -- well, me and the other 25 people now crowding round the plasma screen whose birthday it isn't. No fair It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, especially the sight of the Wookies, and Darth Vader myself AHEM I mean himself(!) Other crew, even people from the USA, stand there literally shaking their heads in awe -- nice to be in a room of like-minded people.

Natalie's shots involve some new dialogue as Padme lays semi-conscious on the ship. The lines are spoken by Natalie very sadly - it could be quite a moving moment in the movie.

Interestingly Ewan isn't in today, which is strange as of all the actors he's the most local to London. But it shows you how they will make this scene work. He has a pretty good double in, who is filmed only from behind, and you will notice he "does not answer" in the script. George will use his usual tricks and take footage from another shot of Obi-Wan looking sad and paste it into this new dialogue scene. So now you know when you see it that it isn't Ewan leaning over the bed shot of Padme on the ship.

And all too soon, Natalie is done having spent 10 hours on a plane for 5 words of laying-down dialogue, and Rick announces, "That's Natalie's final shots!", and everyone claps. She has a friendly goodbye chat and hug with George. Sadly she forgets to give me a hug and kiss as she is in a rush (ahahah I wish!)

This is Nick Gillard's (stunt co-ordinator for the trilogy) cue to nick the bed (geddit?) Padmé was just laying on. Actually to be fair, he does ask the prop guy first who says it's fine. Nick scoops up the various sections of the padded ensemble and laughs to himself as he turns to leave. "Where you goin' with that?!", I ask. "Taking it home!", he says. "What you gonna do with it?", I enquire. He says he doesn't know, but hey, it's a bed. He tells me they made it over just for this day, as the one from last year was also 'discarded', and it cost £6,000. "Give me a piece!!", I plea. "No!", he responds playfully as he leaves the studio. Well I can't argue with a master swordsman can I. Keep an eye on eBay though

Then we move on to the final 6 shots -- all of Anakin. Right then, IT'S MY TURN TO PLAY! The 6 shots are as follows:

First I'm told by Giles, the Director of Photography, to lie on the floor in a VERY uncomfortable pose. Oh the glamour! It's to match a scene where Anakin landed badly and looks up to see OB1 being thrown equally nastily. I lie there for literally 25 minutes supporting myself by one arm, with my other elbow digging into the ground and my hips twisted. Yoga never hurt this much! (I said Yoga not Yoda.) But reminding myself where I am soon eases the pain. Who needs Anadin® when you're Anakin.

We spend quite some time getting my facial expression and head position just right. Try it at home folks!:

Hayden walks onto the soundstage and I start to get up. He spots me, smiles, walks over and says "Hey", and then I see a dark Vaderesque robotic gloved arm moving down towards me. Argh! But don't worry, it's only Anakin Skywalker offering me a hand to help me up, and to shake. He pulls me up and I pat him on the arm and say, "Good to see you, thanks. So this is it hey? Last day!". He responds, nodding, "Yeh this is it, last day", and then I hear George say mutter something over my shoulder about the 'first day' whilst he potters around and adjusts a light! Mr DIY! I show Hayden where his marks are - where to take his eyeline, where to put his left arm, but I feel it best not to tell him there's a mark for where his bottom should go! Luckily he lies in the right place anyway so there's no need. Phew, say no more. Ahem.

Then he shoots the scene with lots of grunting as he struggles to get up to continue the fight. Next up is a simple three-quarter shot - Anakin stands facing 3/4 towards camera - and I simply have to look moody. "Tilt your chin down but look up", is the order of the day from the cameraman. Try it yourself at home now!:

Put your chin down to your chest as far as it can go
Raise JUST your eyes as far up as you can looking at the imaginary camera
Well done - you now look really evil

And we're very nearly done But wait, for this next scene Sue Wood (Assistant Director) approaches me with a script and asks...

I can hardly believe this...

She asks if I'd mind playing Palpatine's part whilst they shoot the scene with Anakin, as Ian McDiarmid isn't in! Yes, she ASKS if I'd MIND! Hellooo???! What planet is she on -- not Coruscant that's for certain. I said, "of course not", and take my script and my position beside the camera. I hear George in the background say, "We need someone to read the lines to Hayden", and Sue says perhaps triumphantly, "It's all right, Christian's doing it"! Yeh, it's all right George! ALL RIGHT!

Then Hayden arrives, asks a similar question, gets told it's me again, is down with that, and off we go. I'm not nervous, it's absolutely the best feeling in the world. Then I look at my script and realise, this is the pivotal scene -- Anakin has just turned to the Dark Side. Mace has just been murdered by Palpatine. And I'm Darth Sidious/Palpatine. And when George Lucas edits it back at Skywalker Ranch, they'll have my voice to guide where to place Ian McDiarmid's. Ben Burtt's gonna hear me, with Lucas there, hell they'll probably even mention me in passing. Yup, I am Sidious for this monumental day. How the tables have turned Hayden, first I was merely his apprentice stand-in, now I AM THE MASTER!

No, seriously, he actually looks at me and calls me 'Master' in this scene. And we get to repeat that 10 times! Sorry, still can't believe it as I type these words.

I contemplate doing my best Sidious impersonation complete with menacing whine and slight rhotacism, and extremely tempting though it is, I instead go for the more professional angle rather than play it for laughs and totally put Hayden off! I therefore do my own voice with a few subtle Sidious intonations. And so I read...

George comes over and gives Hayden so direction, then comes over and directs me!

George: "Where's that line... yeah there, where he says 'along with all the senators', you can make it a little more menacing when you say 'senators', because his girlfriend [Padmé] is one of the senators so really he's saying they're gonna kill her ... so make it a little more dark ...".

"More eevil", I retort.

"Yeah, evil", he says and goes back to the monitors to watch.

Okay, so I think I mentioned this is my birthday. It's Star Wars' movie death day. This is the pivotal moment of the entire saga, when Anakin falls to the dark side. This is perhaps the most long-awaited movie and movie-moment of all time. And crucially this is the last ever dialogue scene ever to be recorded on celluloid for a Star Wars film... ever... after 28 years. Who is in that historic movie-making moment?! :I Who is the scene between?! Whose voices are recorded on tape?! Which two artistes have just been directed by Mr Lucas? I'll give you a clue... the two and only people have 'Chris' in their name. I can't believe I'm writing this. Pinch me?

We do about 10 takes of this and I'm proud to say I didn't fluff a single line. As we go on, Hayden and I find more of a balance, I get more menacing, and Hayden's looks back at me react and respond by becoming more disgusted with Sidious, and perhaps himself, during the takes. I time various looks for when Hayden looks at me, and I start to fall into the roll, and nod to him and lower my head in a masterly manner when he says "I agree", as if Sidious is accepting his word. It's very hard to hold Hayden's stare, as I know I'm not Sidious, and he knows it so I don't want to make it too hard for him to imagine I'm Ian MacDiarmid. One time I decide to look at him the whole time though, kind of to see what happens, kind of to give him something different to play off for variety, and kind of to savour the moment! Here is what happens, as Hayden says:

"I agree. The Council's first move will be against the.. Council..."

D'oh! I hold myself responsible and don't do it again! Then Anakin has just finished saying a very menacing "I understand, Master", and someone's radio goes off yelling, "ARE THEY STILL ROLLING IN THERE?!", and Hayden continues in the same menacing tone and expression, "Yes, we are". Nice, there's one for the out-takes!

It's apparently just what the Doctor (Lucas) ordered as he seems very happy with our work and we move on to the last shot. The - last - shot.

Whilst they set up the scene (which involves a lot of vacuuming of the carpet by Hoover-girl Marie (as I call her), and placing blue rectangular blocks on the blue carpet) I sit back in a chair and just savour the moment again, like I did once back on Episode I. At that time I was sitting on the top of the Theed Plaza steps that lead up to the Naboo Royal Palace - it was a beautiful British summer's day, I was dressed as Lt. Gavyn Sykes in my full pilot costume, and was on top of the world (in more than one way), looking down at Naboo itself. There was a lot to savour there.

This is it, I remind myself, and you're here... and you just did a scene with Anakin Skywalker, and oh, George Lucas directed you. At this point I can't stop laughing visibly and shaking my head. I cover my mouth so I don't look too mad, but boy I just can't contain my happiness I hope I am sharing some of it with you.

This last shot is 'just' a different angle of Anakin on the lava river, as he lands badly, gets up and runs off camera. For this I do the run a couple of times, but strangely the camera is about 15ft right above my head, looking straight down. I start on 'Action' by dropping down onto the floor, then jumping up over a blue obstacle. As I run, the camera drops to just behind me and then follows me on an extending crane, FAST! So they tell me to be careful and drop then move quick as the camera is coming towards my head. I believe I survived to tell the tale.

But before Hayden shoots, he comes over to me and says:

"Hey, thanks for reading the lines, you did great!"
"Thanks! No worries", I reply beaming and pat him on the arm saying, "I know it wasn't very Palpatine-ish".
"No, it was perfectly done", he replies.

The camera guys make a few mods, "As we did it in the rehearsal with Christian", one of them says out loud to another (which still makes me smile and reminds me they're making a Star Wars movie here and I am a cog in the big machine). Then Hayden does about 6 takes and George says:

"That's it! ... Rick, that's the end, after 28 years", he sounds a little emotional and Rick is actually stuck for words.
Rick says after a long pause, "I don't think there's anything more we can say other than 'Lunch'!".

It is a muted celebration. There are no speeches, no champagne, no party, just a polite and respectful round of applause before we all chat to each other. There's also a photo opportunity as Hayden, Rick, and George pose for snaps in various combinations.

The Assistant Director thanks me for all my help and we exchange a mutually respectful smile and handshake. I chat with a few people, about what a historic day it is, and everyone is so genuinely pleased to have been here. Lucas sets seem always to have the nicest atmosphere and 'feel' about them. And then off to lunch - yup, it's been a short day, but adventure filled. And after lunch I make a point of saying goodbye to everyone (whilst trying not to disturb those still eating). 'How they get so big eating food of this type' Last up is the lovely Marie (props girl, or Hoover-girl), she's the one who handles the lightsabres! She says we should keep in touch, and I definitely plan to, even suggesting a Star Wars reunion.

Sitting with her are Rick McCallum and Hayden, and I say to Rick a big thanks for the opportunity. "Hey, thanks for all your help, thanks for reading the lines", he says. Nice that he appreciated my work I shake his hand, remembering that I have him to thank for my credit in Episode I too.

Then I turn to Hayden who says, "Thanks for everything man".
"It was my pleasure", I say back to my counterpart, turn to walk away, and wave them farewell.

My first ever filming job began 7.5 years ago on the first chronological Star Wars movie, Episode I, and now here I am leaving my last filming job to date, on the last Star Wars movie ever made. There is some meaning to all of this beyond just chance and coincidence, I am sure of it.

"The Force ... surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
- Obi-Wan Kenobi

And so, a saga of my life drifts away as I walk back to my car. I start the engine[s Chewie], the Star Wars theme comes on, and so I slowly drive back down, past Stage 8, past the history that is now this story too, and out of Elstree Studios for the last time...

The End

Addendum: Wait! On my way home in the car, I get a surprise call from Sue Wood, Assistant Director. "Christian, Rick [McCallum] just asked me to thank you for all your hard work today"! Well could it end any more perfectly? The Producer of major motion picture asking the Assistant Director to personally thank me? No I'm not dreaming, this is real. Dumbstruck for a second I say, "Ohhhh... that is so sweet of him, I'd have done it for nothing, please... pass on my thanks to him". She says she will, but I'll be sure to drop him a line to say the same too... and maybe ask if the live action TV series has a place in it for a certain Lt. Sykes

THE END.


[Thank you for reading my insight into the making of a Star Wars movie. Your comments mean a lot to me, so please let me know what you thought. I will try my best to also answer any questions (I like a challenge!).]