Michael Culver, the British actor and anti-war activist who had a small but memorable role in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, as well as a number of James Bond films, passed away on February 27, aged 85. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
The news was announced by Alliance Agents on Tuesday (March 12), with the agency paying tribute to a career “spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.”
Culver played Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back, the character who is Force-choked to death by Darth Vader after losing track of a rebel ship.
“Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) says as Culver’s character drops to the ground clutching his throat. You can watch the fan-favourite scene below.
The actor’s agent, Thomas Bowington, also paid tribute to him, telling Sky News: “The part in Star Wars was one of the smallest parts he ever played and became one of the biggest in his life.
“He belonged to the backbone of the nation, he wasn’t a star like a Michael Caine, but everything he did was always never less than excellent. He always delivered. He was one of those classic English character actors who could play anything.
“He was really old school, always on time, always committed, always prepared. Totally a professional. The drama was always on stage and on the screen only.”
Culver’s extensive TV and film credits also included Thunderball, The Avengers, Goodbye Mr. Chips, From Russia With Love, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Squadron, Cadfel, and Wallander.
The actor, who was born in Hampstead, north London. Per The Guardian, he was the first son of West End actor Roland Culver and casting director Daphne Rye. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
In a statement, Alliance Agents noted that Culver largely gave up acting in the early 2000s “to concentrate his efforts into his political activism”.
The agency added: “It’s been an honour to have represented Michael for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best Star Wars events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw his queue line with nearly 200 people waiting to see him.”
