Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Cast & Characters Guide
The Star Wars prequel trilogy, beginning with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, served to expand the already-rich Star Wars saga about 20 years after the original movie’s release. The new trilogy introduced audiences to an amazing assortment of characters. It also served to depict what the galaxy was like before the fall of the Jedi and the subsequent rise of the Empire during the Galactic Republic era.
The Phantom Menace takes place several decades before the events of A New Hope in the Star Wars timeline. This opened the door to creating many new characters as well as exploring the youth of several characters who had already existed in the original trilogy. Notably, the movie follows the Jedi’s discovery of a young Anakin Skywalker, unaware that the boy will one day become the fearsome Darth Vader.
Ewan McGregor As Obi-Wan Kenobi
Born March 31, 1971
Ewan McGregor was born in Perth, Penshire in Scotland and raised in Crieff. Though The Phantom Menace was the first blockbuster movie to feature him in a lead role, Ewan McGregor made a name for himself after starring in the musical Moulin Rouge! in 2001. His uncle, Denis Lawson, is also an actor and appeared in the original Star Wars trilogy, portraying the
Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles.
Before he was Luke Skywalker’s mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi was the Jedi who trained his father. The Phantom Menace introduces Obi-Wan as a young Padawan learner, but he is still quite a force to be reckoned with, echoing the mighty warrior that audiences familiar with the original trilogy know he will soon become. Obi-Wan is initially skeptical of Anakin’s importance, but dutifully steps up to train him at the request of his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
Liam Neeson As Qui-Gon Jinn
Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and rose to fame after starring in the Oscar-winning movie Schindler’s List. He originally had no plans to pursue acting, but joined an Irish acting company in 1976. He was discovered by director John Boorman two years later when he was performing the classics at Dublin’s Abbey Theater. Neeson eventually became known for his action roles after starring in the action-thriller Taken.
Jake Lloyd As Anakin Skywalker
Jake Lloyd made a splash as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s on-screen son in Jingle All The Way, just a few years before landing the crucial role of Star Wars’ Anakin Skywalker. His childlike sense of glee highlighted an incredibly human aspect of one of cinema’s most feared villains, something that set the entire trilogy up as a true tragedy. Unfortunately, the initial harsh critical reception of the movie paired with Lloyd’s mental health struggles led him to walk away from acting soon after.
When Anakin is introduced, he and his mother are living as slaves on Tatooine. The boy’s tender relationship with his mother foreshadows the struggles he will one day have with letting things go. Though the Jedi are reluctant to take him in, Anakin’s natural connection to the Force is palpable, and Qui-Gon believes him to be the subject of an ancient Jedi prophecy that speaks of someone who will balance the Force once and for all.
Natalie Portman As Queen Padmé Amidala
Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and was the first person born in the 1980s to win an Academy Award. She won her Oscar for Black Swan, but her breakout role came at the age of 12 as Matilda in Léon: The Professional. She prioritized her education alongside her acting career, and attended Harvard University at the same time that she was working on the Star Wars prequels.
Portman portrays Padmé Amidala, the kind and determined handmaiden who is revealed to actually be the young queen of the planet Naboo. This movie sets her character up as an eventual love interest for Anakin, which will ultimately play a huge role in his fall to the dark side. Luke and Leia’s mother is a rather mysterious figure in the original trilogy, and Padmé’s presence as such an important character in The Phantom Menace does a lot to explore this new side of their heritage.
Ian McDiarmid As Senator Palpatine
Ian McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie, Scotland, where he pursued a degree in psychology until he shifted his focus to acting. He is best known for his role as the treacherous Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. He worked as a prestigious theatre director for over a decade, restoring the renowned Almeida Theater and earning the London Evening Standard Award in 1998.
