Celia Imrie took on the part of a fighter pilot in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ to look "cool" for her son.
The 64-year-old actress originally went for an interview to play Shmi Skywalker, the mother of the young Anakin Skywalker, in George Lucas’ 1999 space opera prequel but failed to get the part, and when she was offered an alternative role as a pilot, she said yes immediately as she knew her son Angus, who is now 22 but was just five at the time of filming, would be thrilled.
She said: "I went for an interview which is how I met George Lucas. But I didn’t get the part and then they said, ‘Do you want to be a fighter pilot?’ Well, there was no answer is there? I just said, ‘Yes’, because I thought it would be rather cool for my son to have his mum as a ‘Star Wars’ fighter pilot. You can spot me as Bravo Five."
And Celia – who has had roles in movies such as ‘Nanny McPhee’, ‘St. Trinians’ and ‘Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie’ – is currently starring in newly released horror film ‘A Cure for Wellness’, filmed in one of "Germany’s most haunted places" and Celia has admitted that the "childhood horror" of being trapped made filming the scenes even more scary.
She told the Metro newspaper: "I have a horror of health farms, funnily enough. They are like a cross between a hospital and prison and I have a childhood horror of being trapped. Without giving too much of the film away, I can’t stand snakes.
"I am generally a good sport at work – I have had a tarantula on my head and volunteered to eat a wiggling worm sandwich in ‘Nanny McPhee’. I can assure you no worms were eaten in the making of that film, but they were very real worms."
Celia Imrie reveals why she took on Star Wars role
