Star Wars Cast & Crew | The Empire Strikes Back

25th January 2026

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Release Date: May 21, 1980 (original); February 21, 1997 (Special Edition)

Synopsis: (3 years after Episode IV) Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion’s defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker.

Opening Crawl:

It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker have established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched
thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space….

Awards: Academy Award Winner: Best Sound, Special Achievement in Visual Effects. Academy Award Nominee: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Original Score.

BAFTA Award Winner: Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music. BAFTA Nominee: Best Production Design/Art Direction, Best Sound.

Golden Globe Nominee: Best Original Score.

Saturn Award Winner: Best Director, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Special Effects. Saturn Award Nominee: Best Costumes, Best Music, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing.

Cast

Luke Skywalker		Mark Hamill

Han Solo		Harrison Ford

Princess Leia Organa		Carrie Fisher
Lando Calrissian		Billy Dee Williams
See Threepio (C-3PO)		Anthony Daniels
Darth Vader		David Prowse
Chewbacca		Peter Mayhew
Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2)		Kenny Baker
Yoda		Frank Oz
Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi		Alec Guinness
Boba Fett		Jeremy Bulloch
Lando’s Aide		John Hollis
Chief Ugnaught		Jack Purvis
Snow Creature		Des Webb
Performing Assistant For Yoda		Kathryn Mullen
Voice Of Emperor		Clive Revill
Admiral Piett		Kenneth Colley
General Veers		Julian Glover
Admiral Ozzel		Michael Sheard
Captain Needa		Michael Culver
Imperial Officers		John Dicks Milton Johns Mark Jones Oliver Maguire
General Rieekan		Bruce Boa
Zev (Rogue 2)		Christopher Malcom
Wedge (Rogue 3)		Denis Lawson
Hobbie (Rogue 4)		Richard Oldfield
Dak (Luke’s Gunner)		John Morton
Janson (Wedge’s Gunner)		Ian Liston
Major Derlin		John Ratzenberger
Deck Lieutenant		Jack Mckenzie
Head Controller		Jerry Harte
Rebel Officers		Norman Chancer Norwich Duff Ray Hassett Brigitte Kahn Burnell Tucker

Crew

Directed By		Irvin Kershner
Produced By		Gary Kurtz
Screenplay By		Leigh Brackett Lawrence Kasdan
Story By		George Lucas
Executive Producer		George Lucas
Production Designer		Norman Reynolds
Director Of Photography		Peter Suschitzky B.S.C.
Edited By		Paul Hirsch A.C.E.
Special Visual Effects		Brian Johnson Richard Edlund
Music By		John Williams
Performed By		The London Symphony Orchestra
Original Music Copyright 1980 Fox Fanfare Music Inc. \| Bantha Music
Associate Producers		Robert Watts James Bloom
Design Consultant And Conceptual Artist		Ralph McQuarrie
Art Directors		Leslie Dilley Harry Lange Alan Tomkins
Set Decorator		Michael Ford
Construction Manager		Bill Welch
Assistant Art Directors		Michael Lamont Fred Hole
Sketch Artist		Ivor Beddoes
Draftsmen		Ted Ambrose Michael Boone Reg Bream Steve Cooper Richard Dawking
Modellers		Fred Evans Allan Moss Jan Stevens
Chief Buyer		Edward Rodrigo
Construction Storeman		Dave Middleton
Operating Cameramen		Kelvin Pike David Garfath
Assistant Cameramen		Maurice Arnold Chris Tanner
Second Assistant Cameramen		Peter Robinson Madelyn Most
Dolly Grips		Dennis Lewis Brian Osborn
Matte Photography Consultant		Stanley Sayer, B.S.C.
Gaffer		Laurie Shane
Rigging Gaffer		John Clark
Lighting Equipment And Crew From Lee Electric
Make-Up And Special Creature Design		Stuart Freeborn
Chief Make-Up Artist		Graham Freeborn
Make-Up Artists		Kay Freeborn Nick Maley
Chief Hairdresser		Barbara Ritchie
Yoda Fabrication		Wendy Midener
Costume Designer		John Mollo
Wardrobe Supervisor		Tiny Nicholls
Wardrobe Mistress		Eileen Sullivan
Property Master		Frank Bruton
Property Supervisor		Charles Torbett
Property Dressing Supervisor		Joe Dipple
Head Carpenter		George Gunning
Head Plasterer		Bert Rodwell
Head Rigger		Red Lawrence
Sound Design And Supervising Sound Effects Editor		Ben Burtt
Sound Editors		Richard Burrow Teresa Eckton Bonnie Koehler
Production Sound		Peter Sutton
Sound Boom Operator		Don Wortham
Production Maintenance		Ron Butcher
Re-Recording		Bill Varney Steve Maslow Gregg Landaker
Music Recording		Eric Tomlinson
Orchestrations		Herbert W. Spencer
Supervising Music Editor		Kenneth Wannberg
Assistant Film Editors		Duwayne Dunham Phil Sanderson Barbara Ellis Steve Starkey Paul Tomlinson
Dialogue Editors		Curt Schulkey Leslie Shatz Joanne D’antonio
Optical Coordinator		Roberta Friedman
Assistant Sound Editors		John Benson Joanne Cappuccilli Ken Fischer Craig Jaeger Nancy Jencks Laurel Ladevich
Foley Editors		Robert Rutledge Scott Hecker
Foley Assistants		Edward M. Steidele John Roesh
Sound Effects Recording		Randy Thom
Recording Technicians		Gary Summers Howie Kevin O’connell
Production Supervisor		Bruce Sharman
Assistant Production Manager		Patricia Carr
Production Coordinator		Miki Herman
First Assistant Director		David Tomblin
Second Assistant Directors		Steve Lanning Roy Button
Location Manager		Philip Kohler
Continuity		Kay Rawlings Pamela Mann
Casting		Irene Lamb Terry Liebling Bob Edmiston
Assistant To Producer		Bunny Alsup
Assistant To Director		Debbie Shaw
Assistant To Executive Producer		Jane Bay
Production Assistants		Barbara Harley Nick Laws Charles Wessler
Stunt Coordinator		Peter Diamond
Stunt Doubles		Bob Anderson Colin Skeaping
Production Accountant		Ron Phipps
Assistant Accountant		Michael Larkins
Set Cost-Controller		Ken Gordon
Location Accountant		Ron Cook
Still Photographer		George Whitear
Unit Publicist		Alan Arnold
Assistant Publicist		Kirsten Wing
Studio Second Unit
Directors		Harley Cokliss John Barry
Director Of Photography		Chris Menges
Assistant Director		Dominic Fulford
Second Assistant Director		Andrew Montgomery
Location Second Unit
Director		Peter Macdonald
Director Of Photography		Geoff Glover
Operating Cameraman		Bob Smith
Assistant Cameramen		John Campbell Mike Brewster
Second Assistant Cameramen		John Keen Greg Dupre
Dolly Grip		Frank Batt
Production Manager		Svein Johansen
Assistant Directors		Bill Westley Ola Solum
Production And Mechanical Effects Unit
Mechanical Effects Supervision		Nick Allder
Location Unit Supervisor		Allan Bryce
Senior Effects Technician		Neil Swan Dave Watkins
Robot Fabrication And Supervision		Andrew Kelly Ron Hone
Effects Technicians		Phil Knowles Barry Whitrod Martin Gant Brian Eke Guy Hudson Dennis Lowe
Effects Engineering		Roger Nicholls Steve Lloyd
Electrical Engineer		John Hatt
Electronics Consultant		Rob Dickinson
Model Construction		John Pakenham
Effects Assistants		Alan Poole Digby Milner Robert McLaren
Effects Secretary		Gill Case
Minature And Optical Effects Unit
Effects DirectorOf Photography		Dennis Muren
Effects Cameramen		Ken Ralston Jim Veilleux
Camera Operators		Don Dow Bill Neil
Assistant Cameramen		Selwyn Eddy Jody Westheimer Rick Fighter Clint Palmer Michael McAlister Paul Huston Richard Fish Chris Anderson
Optical Photography Supervisor		Bruce Nicholson
Optical Printer Operators		David Berry Kenneth Smith Donald Clark
Optical Line-Up		Warren Franklin Mark Vargo Peter Amundson Loring Doyle Thomas Rosseter Tam Pillsbury James Lim
Optical Coordinator		Laurie Vermont
Laboratory Technicians		Tim Geideman Duncan Myers Ed Jones
Art Director-Visual Effects		Joe Johnston
Assistant Art Director		Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Stop Motion Animation		Jon Berg Phil Tippett
Stop Motion Technicians		Tom St. Amand Doug Beswick
Matte Painting Supervisor		Harrison Ellenshaw
Matte Artists		Ralph McQuarrie Michael Pangrazio
Matte Photography		Neil Krepela
Additional Matte Photography		Michael Lawler
Matte Photography Assistants		Craig Barron Robert Elswit
Chief Model Maker		Lorne Peterson
Modelshop Foreman		Steve Gawley
Model Makers		Paul Huston Tom Rudduck Michael Fulmer Samuel Zolltheis Charles Bailey Ease Owyeung Scott Marshall Marc Thorpe Wesley Seeds Dave Carson Rob Gemmel Pat McClung
Animation And Rotoscope Supervisor		Peter Kuran
Animators		Samuel Comstock Garry Waller John Van Vliet Rick Taylor Kim Knowlton Chris Casady Nina Saxon Diana Wilson
Visual Effects Editorial Supervisor		Conrad Buff
Effects Editor		Michael Kelly
Assistant Effects Editors		Arthur Repola Howard Stein
Apprentice Editor		Jon Thaler
Production Administrator		Dick Gallegly
Production Secretary		Patricia Blau
Production Associate		Thomas Brown
Production Accountant		Ray Scalice
Assistant Accountant		Glenn Phillips Pam Traas Laura Crockett
Production Assistant		Jenny Oznowicz
Transportation		Robert Martin
Still Photographer		Terry Chostner
Lab Assistant		Roberto McGrath
Electronics Systems Designer		Jerry Jeffress
Systems Programming		Kris Brown
Electronic Engineers		Lhary Meyer Mike Mackenzie Gary Leo
Special Project Coordinator		Stuart Ziff
Equipment Engineering Supervisor		Gene Whiteman
Design Engineer		Mike Bolles
Machinists		Udo Pampel Greg Beaumonte
Draftsman		Ed Tennler
Special Projects		Gary Platek
Supervising Stage Technician		T.E. Moehnke
Stage Technicians		William Beck Bobby Finley Leo Loverro Edward Hirsh Dick Dova Ed Breed
Miniature Pyrotechnics		Joseph Viskocil Dave Pier Thaine Morris
Optical Printer Component Manufacturer		George Randle Co.
Camera And Movement Design		Jim Beaumonte
Special Optics Designer		David Grafton
Special Optics Fabrication		J.L. Wood Optical Systems
Optical Printer Component Engineering		Fries Engineering
High Speed Camera Movements		Mitchell Camera Corp.
Ultra High Speed Camera		Bruce Hill Productions

Color Timer		Ed Lemke
Negative Cutting		Robert Hart Darrell Hixson

Dolby Consultant		Don Digirolamo
Additional Optical Effects		Van Der Veer Photo Effects Modern Film Effects Ray Mercer & Company Westheimer Company Lookout Mountain Films

Special Edition Crew

Producer		Rick McCallum
Editor		T.M. Christopher
Sound Designer		Ben Burtt
Re-Recording Mixer		Gary Summers
First Assistant Editor		Samuel Hinckley
Assistant Editor		Robert Marty
Assistant Avid Editors		Mike Jackson Robin Lee
Sound Editor		Teresa Eckton
Assistant Sound Editor		Lisa Storer
Re-Recordist		Ronald G. Roumas
Digital Mix Technician		Gary A. Rizzo
Archivist		Tim Fox
Optical Supervisors		Phillip Feiner Chris Bushman
Film Restoration Supervisor		Pete Comandini
Color Timer		Robert J. Raring
Negative Continuity		Ray Sabo
Negative Cutter		Bob Hart
Special Edition Digital Remastering Provided By Skywalker Sound A Lucas Digital Ltd. Company
Film Restoration Consultant		Leon Briggs
Optical Restoration		Pacific Title
Film Restoration By		Ycm Laboratories
Industrial Light And Magic
Visual Effects Supervisor		Dave Carson
Visual Effects Producer		Tom Kennedy
Computer Graphics Supervisor		Tom Hutchinson
Visual Effects Art Director		George Hull
Visual Effects Editor		Michael McGovern
Color Timing Supervisor		Bruce Vecchitto
Visual Effects Coordinator		Lisa Todd
Digital Effects Artists		Don Butler Michael Conte Howard Gersh Marshall Krasser Tia Marshall Stuart Maschwitz Julie Neary Ken Nielsen Eddie Pasquarello Ricardo Ramos Tom Rosseter Lawrence Tan Paul Theren Hans Uhlig Li-Hsein Wei Ron Woodall
Digital Matte Artists		Ronn Brown Eric Chauvin Brian Flora William Mather
3d Matchmove Artist		James Hagedorn
Digital Paint & Roto Artists		Lisa Drostova Heidi Zabit
Chief Creature Maker		Howie Weed
Model & Creature Makers		Carol Bauman Don Bies Giovanni Donovan Wendy Morton Anne Polland Mark Siegel Steven Walton
Sabre Group Supervisor		Daniel McNamara
Sabre Artists		Rita Zimmerman Chad Taylor Mary McCulloch Grant Guenin Caitlin Content
Software Research And Development		David Benson Jim Hourihan Zoran Kacic-Alesic Florian Kainz Jeff Yost
Digital Scanning Supervisor		Joshua Pines
Digital Scanning Operators		Randall Bean Michael Ellis Earl Beyer
Negative Supervisor		Doug Jones
Negative Line-Up		Andrea Biklian Tim Geideman
Projectionist		Tim Greenwood
Digital Plate Restoration		Melissa Monterrosa Mike Van Eps Wendy Hendrickson
Assistant Visual Effects Art Director		Alex Laurant
Assistant Visual Effects Editor		John Bartle
Video Editor		Angela Leaper
Animatic Artist		Jonathan Rothbart
Digital Effects Technical Assistants		Okan Ataman Peter Chesloff Joshua Levine Dawn Matheson Daniel Shumaker
Digital Effects Resource Assistant		Daniel Brimer
Visual Effects Production Staff		Julie Creighton Joshua Marks
Video Assistants		Dawn Martin Wendy Bell
Production Engineering		Ken Beyer Ken Corvino Gary Meyer
Aerial Camera System By Wesscam Camera Systems (Europe)
Aerial Cameraman		Ron Goodman
Assistant		Margaret Herron
Helicopter Supplied By Dollar Air Services Limited
Pilot		Mark Wolfe
Cloud Plates Photographed With Astrovision(c) By Continental Camera Systems Inc.
Snow Vehicles Supplied By Aktiv Fischer
R2 Bodies Fabricated By White Horse Toy Company
Special Assistance From Giltspur Engineering And Compair
Photographed On The Hardengerjekulan Glacier, Finse, Norway And At Emi – Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, England
Music Recorded At Anvil Studios, Denham, England
Re-Recording At Samuel Goldwyn Studios, Los Angeles, California
Special Visual Effects Produced At Industrial Light And Magic, Marin County, California