George Lucas Reprimanded ’Thursday Murder Club’ Star Celia Imrie for Lipstick During ‘Star Wars‘ Filming
Celia Imrie, currently starring in Netflix’s Teh Thursday Murder club, revealed a surprising anecdote from her time filming Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – director George Lucas scolded her for wearing lipstick on set. Imrie played a Naboo fighter pilot, identified in the Star Wars universe as Dineé Ellberger, during the 1999 film.
“I hadn’t got a clue what the plot was,” Imrie recalled, adding that her experience largely involved being “rocked around” in a cockpit on a stand while simulating flight. “I got told off by George Lucas for wearing lipstick. But seeing as I was the only lady pilot, I thought, why not?”
Imrie’s casting came about unexpectedly. She was performing in a play with Harold Pinter when the Star Wars casting director spotted her in costume – a nightie – and believed she would be suitable for a pilot role.
Despite her limited understanding of the narrative, Imrie’s character, Brave Five, is confirmed to have survived the events of The Phantom Menace.
