Star Wars Actor Andrew Jack Dies From Coronavirus
The deadly Coronavirus pandemic has reached a galaxy far, far away. According to reports, actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack, who played background character Major Caluan Emmat in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, has passed away due to complications from the COVID-19 virus.
Jack also played the voice of Moloch in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He is a well-known and regarded dialect coach, having been involved in several high profile productions over the last couple of decades. These include the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avengers: Endgame, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and Alien v. Predator. Most recently, Jack was working as a dialect coach on The Batman, the new DC film starring Robert Pattinson. The film was filming in Glasgow before production halted due to concerns about the virus.
Director J.J. Abrams responded to the news tonight on Twitter:
https://t.co/4PnXpF7ohS pic.twitter.com/zcAR7tHgL4
— JJ Abrams (@jjabrams) March 31, 2020
Abrams said of Jack:
Andrew Jack was as lovely as they come. Our brilliant dialect coach on The Force Awakens… He was so handsome we had to cast him. Sending love to his friends and family. He will be missed.
The actor died at a hospital outside of London, according to his assistant Jill McCullough. Sadly, his wife is in quarantine in Australia due to the pandemic, and the report goes on to say that funeral arrangements are in limbo as a result. It is a sad time for the Jack family, the film industry, and Star Wars fans around the world.
DARBY HARN is a novelist, freelance writer and podcaster. His novels include Ever The Hero, The Judgement of Valene, Nothing Ever Ends and A Country Of Eternal Light. His short fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Interzone, Shimmer and other venues.
