Star Wars actor Alan Harris has died at the age of 81, it has been confirmed.
Harris, a British actor, died on Saturday morning (25 January) following a battle with lung cancer which he had been diagnosed with in 2018.
He was best known for playing three different characters in the original trilogy of the sci-fi franchise, most notably Bossk in The Empire Strikes Back.
Confirming his death, Imperial Signings said in a Facebook post: ‘Very sad news has just come in that Alan Harris sadly passed away this morning.
‘Alan was a true gent and a fan favourite. Alan had battled health issues for a number of years yet still fought through pain to attend shows and meet fans.
‘Alan will be sadly missed by fans around the world. RIP Alan Harris.’
Alliance Agents said in a statement: ‘He worked on all three original Star Wars films with his most notable role being that of Bossk the reptilian bounty hunter tasked with tracking down the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back.
‘Years after making the Star Wars films, Alan began a new career attending science fiction conventions and comic-cons all over the world.’
They added that Harris ‘loved meeting his fans, signing autographs for them and telling stories of his time in the film business’.
Harris also took on the coveted role of a Stormtrooper in all three Star Wars movies in the original trilogy.
Before finding success in Hollywood, Harris worked as a model in the UK but said in a 2014 interview: ‘I have no regrets whatsoever at leaving my modelling and theatre career behind.’
Star Wars actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, led tributes for Harris and said: ‘We were so sorry to hear about Alan Harris – he was one of the nicest guys we have met – he was so modest and so very good with all the fans – he will be greatly missed.’
Director Cory Barlog added: ‘This is sad. Bossk is one of my favorite characters. One of the few Star Wars action figures I had as a kid.’
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