If all Six Movies were one... Who Would Get Top Billing in the Credits?

To me, Mark Hamill will always be the "star" of Star Wars. His character made me believe.

 

Most people don't realize how the order of the credits is being decided. It's not that Lucas sits there and says "Well, I'm nice so I think Anthony Daniels deserves a bigger credit" or something. The order is determined by negotiations with the agent of the actor in question. Charlton Heston for example had it in his contract for many years that he would always get top billing no matter how small his role. Liv Tyler gets third billing in LOTR because she was the only real star the films had and she almost certainly got more money and better conditions than many others with bigger roles but a smaller name. Look how far back Orlando Bloom is in the credits - he's even behind Cate Blanchett. Or take Superman - Marlon Brando gets top billing despite being in the film for only 5 minutes, the same as in Apocalypse Now. That's why Dave Prowse gets such a low position in the credits - it was probably never easy for his agent to negotiate a better deal as he was not essential to play the role, somebody else could have easily done it.

 

So by that means Harrison Ford will now get top billing. He's got the Best Agent.... Maybe Ewan.

 

Harrison will always get second billing. It's Hamill, Ford, Fisher for the OT, and McGregor, Portman, Christensen for Episode II (and presumably, III).

Although Kenny Baker has been used very little on the prequels, Lucas gets him to do one or two scenes for each movie, purely so Kenny can get his name on the credits. Technically, they don't need to use him at all.

 

I was just talking about the guys with the power agents.

Not everyone acts like Chuck Heston Y'know.

 

Top 3 billing: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Ewan McGregor.

 

Here's how I'd list the credits (based on character importaince/screen time):

(Major) Cast:
Luke Skywalker -- Mark Hamill
Obi-Wan Kenobi -- Ewan McGregor; Alec Guinness
Anakin Skywalker -- Hayden Christensen; Jake Lloyed; Sebastian Shaw
Han Solo -- Harrison Ford
Padme Amidala Skywalker -- Natalie Portman
Princess Leia Organa -- Carrie Fisher
Yoda -- Frank Oz
Palpatine/Darth Sidious -- Ian McDiarmid
C-3PO -- Anthony Daniels
R2-D2 -- Kenny Baker
Qui-Gon Jinn -- Liam Neeson
Darth Vader -- David Prowse; James Earl Jones
Jar Jar Binks -- Ahmed Best
Chewbacca -- Peter Mayhew
Lando Calrissian -- Billy Dee Williams
Mace Windu -- Samuel L. Jackson
Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus -- Christopher Lee
Grand Moff Tarkin -- Peter Cushing
Jango Fett; Commander Cody -- Temeura Morrison
Wedge Antillis -- Denis Lawson
Captain Panaka - Hugh Quarshie
Shmi Skywalker -- Pernilla August
Watto -- Andy Secombe
Bail Organa -- Jimmy Smits
Ki-Adi Mundi; Nute Gunray; Lott Dod -- Silas Carson
Boba Fett -- Jeremy Bulloch; Daniel Logan
Owen Lars -- Phil Brown; Joel Edgerton
Beru Whitesun Lars -- Shelagh Fraser; Bonnie Maree Piesse
Sabe -- Keira Knightley
Cliegg Lars -- Jack Thompson
Sio Bibble - Oliver Ford Davies
Captain Typho -- Jay Laga'aia
Ric Olie -- Ralph Brown
Taun We -- Rena Owen
Boss Nass -- Brian Blessed
Admiral Piett -- Kenneth Colley
Chancellor Finis Valorum -- Terence Stamp
Dorme -- Rose Byrne
Darth Maul -- Ray Park

 

Instead of the most important actor, I would start with the most important character:

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader:

Jake Lloyd/Hayden Christensen/David Prowse/James Earl Jones/Sebastian Shaw

 

Good List ST!

 

Mark Hamill
Alec/Ewan
David/JEJ/Sebastian/Jake/Hayden
Harrison Ford
Natalie Portman
Carrie Fisher
Ian McDiarmid
Liam Neeson
Anthony Daniels
Kenny Baker
Frank Oz
Christopher Lee
Samuel L. Jackson
Billy Dee Williams
Peter Mayhew
Ahmed Best
Peter Cushing
Jeremy/Daniel
Temuera Morrison
Jimmy Smits
Pernilla August
Denis Lawson
Ray Park
Phil/Joel
Shelagh/Bonnie
Silas Carson


Mark Hamill first. Without a doubt.

 

So despite his lack of apperance untill six-plus hours into the saga, you would still consider Luke the star of these movies?

 

So despite his lack of apperance untill six-plus hours into the saga, you would still consider Luke the star of these movies?

Well, obviously Luke's a character, not an actor.

Given what we have seen in both the PT and the OT, I think it's safe to say that the lead star of the OT was Mark Hamill, while the lead star of the PT has been Ewan MacGregor. They're the constant actors who play pivotal characters in both, respectively.

 

I agree about Luke/Mark Hamill getting top billing. In the Original Trilogy, Luke Skywalker is consistantly the main character throughout all three films. With the prequels, there isn't a defined main character. Qui-Gon was the main character of The Phantom Menace, and Attack of the Clones and Episode III are toss-ups between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

Luke beats them out because of that.

 

This saga was called The Adventures of Luke Skywalker at one point. Clearly, Luke was the main character in the original trilogy. When all six episodes are complete, we will be able to see the prequel trilogy as the story of the rise and fall of Anakin, and the original trilogy as the story of Luke's rise and the redemption of his father.

Mark, Harrison, Carrie, Ewan and Natalie all have leading roles in three films each. Even if you say Anakin is the main character overall, neither Jake Lloyd (fourth billed in TPM), nor Hayden Christensen (who only appears in two episodes) would get top billing if all six movies were one.

 

I would prolly have it go:
STARRING:
Mark Hamil(main character of all three OT)
Ewan McGregor(main character in all three PT)
Hayden Christensen(main character of two of the PT)**
Natalie Portman(major character of all three PT)**
Carrie Fisher(major character in all three OT)
Harrison Ford(major character in all three OT)
CO-STARRING:
David Prowse(too many others helped make DV..)
Anthony Daniels(all 6 movies..but not the star)
Ian Mcdermaid(4 movies..but not the star)
Peter Meyhew(all of the OT but not the star)
also starring:
Samuel L Jackson-Mace Windu
Amhed Best-Jar Jar Binks
Billy Dee Williams-Lando Calrissian
Jimmy Smits-Bail Organa
Liam Neeson- Qui-Gon Jin
Jake Lloyd-Young Anakin
Temu Morrison-Jango Fett
Peter Cushing-Gran Moff Tarkin
and featuring:
Frank Oz as the voice of Yoda
James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader
Kenny Baker as R2-D2
and Sir Alec Guiness as Ben "Obi Wan" Kenobi*
the rest would just be listed by order of character appearance...

*Ewan, IMO will be listed as Obi-Wan..Sir ALec will be listed as Ben since that is what is called in the OT
** these are interchangeble..I put it this way because Hayden's "character" will be a big part of OT..Natalie's isnt

 

The question really is: who would sit through the whole thing? (meaning of course, it wasn't realeased previously as six movies with a huge fanbase)

 

Even if I hadn't seen the movies and there was no huge fanbase for me to draw on...

The Moment I saw a preview with clips from all six movies I would know that this was one cinematic experience I could not afford to miss.