Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Photos From The Original Star Wars Trilogy

#1 Rather than hire thousands of extras, Star Wars utilized matte paintings that create an illusion of a real environment.

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#2 Carrie Fisher poses with a Gamorrean guard, one of Jabba the Hutt’s lackeys, on the set of Return Of The Jedi.

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#3 The suit used for C-3PO was notoriously clunky, which made movement and communication incredibly difficult for actor Anthony Daniels. Here, Harrison Ford helps up his immobile colleague.

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#4 Harrison Ford, taking a break from trying to fix that pesky hyperdrive.

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#5 Kenny Baker enjoys a sandwich while still in costume as R2D2.

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#6 We’re pretty sure this scene didn’t make the cut.

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#7 A young Warwick Davis bewitches Carrie Fisher on the set of Return Of The Jedi.

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#8 Filming the title sequence for The Empire Strikes Back.

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#9 The original concept art for C3PO and R2D2.

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#10 Kenny Baker, a 3 foot 8 inch actor, played R2D2 throughout the original Star Wars trilogy.

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#11 George Lucas stands among the many miniature creations of the Star Wars universe.

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#12 Cast members celebrate Alec Guinness’ birthday on the Tunisian set of A New Hope.

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#13 The actors behind Chewbacca and R2D2 take a break onset.

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#14 Carrie Fisher and her body double get some sun in between shots.

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#15 At 12 years old, Warwick Davis was the youngest cast member for Return Of The Jedi, where he played the Ewok Wicket.

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#16 The Millennium Falcon, looking slightly less high-tech than usual.

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#17 A rare shot of a Tusken Raider without his mask.

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#18 Extras from A New Hope’s Mos Eisley Cantina scene pose for a photograph.

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#19 A classic walk’n’talk shot, decades before The West Wing made it a cliche.

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#20 Boba Fett, looking slightly less threatening without the helmet.

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#21 An intimate moment between director and star.

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#22 “Excuse me Mr. Lucas, that was my turkey club.”

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#23 Kenny Baker enjoys a breath of fresh air.

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#24 The disappointing real-life lightsabers.

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#25 Carrie Fisher takes a break from all that running around.

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#26 Carrie Fisher hides behind Warwick Davis, who played the ewok Wicket W. Warrick in Return Of The Jedi.

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#27 At least we have proof that Carrie Fisher shot first.

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#28 Billy Dee Williams enjoys a coffee between takes.

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#29 Years later, this scene in which Han most definitely shot first would be subject to the most controversial re-edit in movie history. #49

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#30 A Bantha during filming of the original Star Wars. Instead of creating a CGI bantha, an elephant was dressed in a costume of fur and fake horns.

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#31 Behind the scenes of the iconic “I am your father” scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

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#32 Inspired by Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal in history, AT-ATs were filmed using stop-motion animation that produced their mechanical gait.

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#33 Despite freezing temperatures during filming in Norway, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill enjoy a laugh.

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#34 Although Dagobah appears to be an Amazonian landscape, these scenes were captured entirely in a London studio.Although Dagobah appears to be an Amazonian landscape, these scenes were captured entirely in a London studio.

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#35 Luke Skywalker’s epic fall was, in reality, broken by a pile of mattresses.

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#36 Princess Leia fails to take her captors seriously.

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#37 Carrie Fisher enjoys a nap during filming of The Empire Strikes Back.

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#38 A costume designer puts the finishing touches on Darth Vader’s outfit.

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#39 A behind the scenes look at one of Return Of The Jedi’s climactic battles.

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#40 Mark Hamill endures a less than comfortable position while filming the scene in which he is held captive by a Wampa, during the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back.

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#41 Director Irvin Kershner poses with some of the bad guys from The Empire Strikes Back.

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#42 Princess Leia’s gold bikini became a nerd fantasy staple following its appearance in Return Of The Jedi.

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#43 An unoccupied shot of the carbonite freezing machine.

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#44 George Lucas gives some direction to Anthony Daniels.

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#45 George Lucas has a quick pow wow with his stars between takes on The Empire Strikes Back.

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#46 Behind the scenes of Luke’s first meeting with the droids.

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#47 Anthony Daniels struggles to not be cooked in his suit by the unforgiving sun.

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#48 Princess Leia, delighted to be rescued from the exploding sail barge.

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#49 The cast and crew take a moment in the bushes.

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#50 Another revealing shot of Luke and Vader’s epic battle in The Empire Strikes Back.

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#51 Yoda and Mark Hamill get a visit from the Muppets while shooting The Empire Strikes Back.

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#52 The main cast of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope pose for a photo in the Millennium Falcon.

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#53 George Lucas reviews Ewoks before Return Of The Jedi.

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#54 A set manager meticulously plans a scene with AT-ATs for Return Of The Jedi.

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#55 Filming Jawa’s for Return of the Jedi.

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#56 Carrie Fisher taking a nap.

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#57 Anthony Daniels gets into his C-3PO costume.

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#58 George Lucas poses for a picture with R2D2 during filming of A New Hope.

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#59 Chewbacca gets his hair brushed before filming of The Empire Strikes Back.

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#60 The cast goof off between takes.

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#61 The actors inside the R2D2 and C-3PO costumes—Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels—actually ended up as enemies in real life.

Baker said of Daniels in 2009, "He looked down his nose at me like I was a piece of shit."

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#62 Actor Anthony Daniels came to resent his role as C-3PO, telling People magazine in 1983 that he “would have liked to smash the costume up with a sledgehammer.”

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#63 Prior to joining the cast of Star Wars, Alec Guinness was a renowned theater actor.

Though he referred to the script as "fairy tale rubbish," he would go on to call A New Hope a "staggering spectacle" after his first viewing of the film.

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#64 Kenny Baker enjoys a sandwich while still in costume.

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