Michael Culver, Captain Needa in 'Star Wars', dies at 85

The world of cinema is in mourning again.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
12 March 2024 Tuesday 23:04
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Michael Culver, Captain Needa in 'Star Wars', dies at 85

The world of cinema is in mourning again. This Wednesday, March 13, we learned the sad news of the death of actor Michael Culver at the age of 85. The interpreter, who became popularly known for his role as Captain Needa in the Star Wars saga, died after a long illness, according to The Sun.

''We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career that spans more than 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, Secret Army and, of course, one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise," the actor's representative communicated to the aforementioned media.

According to what Michael Culver's former agent confessed to The Sun, it had been "an honor" to be able to represent the actor in the last decade and "to have taken him to some of the best Star Wars events in the United Kingdom and Europe." ''. Furthermore, the representative revealed that the Captain Needa interpreter decided to put an end to his career in the world of acting for another of his great passions. "Michael largely abandoned acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism," he noted.

The actor was born in Hampstead, United Kingdom, in 1938 and always knew that his life was going to be linked to the world of acting. He trained at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts and shortly after, he began performing on stage different plays at the Dundee Repertory Theater company.

In addition to a very extensive career in the theater, the British actor also showed off his acting skills in different television series, such as The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Adventures of the Black Stallion or Secret Army. On the big screen, Michael Culver participated in great titles such as A Passage to India or Breakaway.

But the project that changed his life and with which he managed to become popular was undoubtedly Star Wars. The actor appears in episode five, The Empire Strikes Back, playing Captain Needa. A character very remembered by fans of the saga, since Needa dies at the hands of Darth Vader after letting Han Solo's Millennium Falcon escape.