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Jim Dowdall

"I was a stunt stormtrooper on the first Star Wars, running around in plastic suits, firing guns, and falling down stairs and things, which we all thought was extremely silly at the time. It seemed to be rather a juvenile way of doing things. Peter Diamond, who was the stunt coordinator, however, said, 'we'll pay you the right money,' so we all turned up, and fell down stairs, and fired our guns [...] But there you go. Thirty years on, and here we all are. People want to know about it. I love it."
―Jim Dowdall[1]

Jim Dowdall is an English stunt coordinator, stunt performer, and actor with more than forty years of experience. Having appeared in and worked on nearly 200 film and television titles in his career, including some of the most critically-acclaimed films in history, Dowdall is one of the industry's most sought-after stunt experts. His credits include two entries in the Star Wars franchise, eight James Bond films, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Saving Private Ryan, and The Pianist.

Dowdall appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, lending his stunt talents to a stormtrooper aboard the Death Star,[2][1][3] and also in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, portraying the character Jerrol Blendin, one of Lando Calrissian's Bespin Wing Guards, in the film's Cloud City jail sequence, alongside actors Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher.[2][3][1][4][5][6] Dowdall was uncredited for both roles.[7]

Filmography

Year Title Contribution(s) Notes
1977 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope Stormtrooper[2] Uncredited
1980 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Jerrol Blendin[2] Uncredited

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jim Dowdall Stormtrooper Stuntman on Star Wars and ESB on the ConGuests YouTube channel: "I was a stunt stormtrooper on the first Star Wars, running around in plastic suits, firing guns, and falling down stairs and things, which we all thought was extremely silly at the time. It seemed to be rather a juvenile way of doing things. Peter Diamond, who was the stunt coordinator, however, said, 'we'll pay you the right money,' so we all turned up, and fell down stairs, and fired our guns. […] I played a Bespin guard in Empire Strikes Back, and Peter Diamond, who was the stunt coordinator, rang me up and said, 'come play the part here, and you'll be with Harrison [Ford].' And I'd worked with Harrison before, anyway, and I doubled him at one point, so we had a bit of a laugh as I anticipated whacking him over the head, as far as I remember. And we spent a day in this cell, laughing and joking and having a good time. And it all felt rather ridiculous at the time, with those little plastic gun and running around in this cell." (backup link)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Jim Dowdall on Convention-Guests: "From Sci-Fi such as Star Wars where he performed as a Stunt Stormtrooper and Empire Strikes Back as a Bespin Guard in the jail sequence with Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher." (backup link archived on April 11, 2010)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars Interviews — Jim Dowdall interview - Stormtrooper - Star Wars on Blogspot (backup link)
  4. ↑ Photo Gallery by Bennett, Lewis on Jim Dowdall home page: "Harassing Harrison Ford on 'The Empire Strikes Back'" (backup link archived on September 2, 2016)
  5. ↑ Photo Gallery by Bennett, Lewis on Jim Dowdall home page: "On set as a Bespin Guard for 'The Empire Strikes Back'" (backup link archived on September 2, 2016)
  6. ↑  Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Cloud City Limited Card: Trooper Jerrol Blendin) (backup link
  7. ↑ Jim Dowdall at the Internet Movie Database

External links

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