Star Wars actor Angus MacInnes has died at the age of 77, his family has confirmed.
The star, who was best known for his role as Gold Leader Jon ‘Dutch’ Vander in the original Star Wars movie, A New Hope, died on December 23.
His family shared a statement on Facebook, writing: “To all Angus’ fans around the world, with breaking hearts we write this: Angus MacInnes, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and actor died on 23rd of December 2024.”
His family spoke of MacInnes’s decades-long career, which included roles in Hellboy, Witness, Judge Dredd, and Captain Phillips among other movies.
The statement continued: “His work touched countless lives, and he took great pride in being part of these stories that continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.
“For Angus, the fans of Star Wars held a special place in his heart. He loved meeting you at conventions, hearing your stories, and sharing in your passion for the saga. He was continually humbled, delighted, and honored by the admiration and passion of the fans and convention community.
“Angus was more than an actor – he was a kind, thoughtful, and generous soul who brought warmth and humor into the lives of everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and fellow actors but also by his fans around the world – his family thank you all.”
MacInnes’s cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Fans shared their memories of the actor in the comments, writing: “RIP Gold Leader. Thank you for being part of my wide eyed childhood. Respects and condolences to your friends and family.”
Others added: “Always a true gent when we met him. RIP Angus,” and: “Sad to hear this news, he was gold, thank you for sharing him with us- peace and comfort to his family and friends.”
The Canadian star was born on October 27, 1947, in Ontario, and went on to have a successful acting career.
He discussed working with George Lucas when he took on the role as the Y-wing squadron rebel commander, telling The Telegraph in 2014: “I got into the cockpit to do this scene and George [Lucas] said, ‘Have you learned your lines out of sequence?’ and I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ and he said, ‘Just your lines,’ and I said, ‘No… I’ve learned my lines with the cues,’ you know, somebody cues me and I talk.
“He said, ‘No, just do your lines.’ And so we started shooting and it was just a nightmare.”
He recalled working with George Lucas (pictured) on the movie. Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images
MacInnes added: “I mean, it turned into a s**tstorm because I couldn’t remember anything without the cues.
“I needed that other voice to respond to, so I kept drying. I knew the lines perfectly well, I just couldn’t remember them,” he laughed.
“I thought, ‘What am I going to do here?’ and I started sweating, so I needed a make-up artist there with a mop. I mean, I was sweating buckets.”
He revealed how Lucas reacted, explaining: “I was in a flat panic and [George Lucas] came and said, ‘Well, can you read them?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’ I was so panicked at that point that I would have done anything. If he’d said, ‘You need some heroin,’ I would have rolled my sleeve up.
“So, I had a piece of script on this leg, a piece of script on this leg and I had a chunk of script above me and a chunk of script over here. So, we shot the whole thing and I read the stuff off [them]. There’s no performance – in that sense – at all. It’s just reading lines and I thought, ‘I don’t care. I’ve just got to get out of here.’”
Our thoughts remain with MacInnes’s family and fans at this heartbreaking time.
