Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith has many iconic moments. Not only the main actors have their appearances in these moments, but also actors in smaller roles. An important moment shows a Jedi Padawan before he meets Anakin. Even though Star Wars is a big franchise, this boy didn’t get much money at all.
Which boy is it about? In Star Wars: Episode 3, we see the fall of Anakin Skywalker. As the Chosen One, he succumbs to the dark side of the Force and destroys the Jedi Order. In a cruel moment, he goes to the Jedi Temple to kill the young Padawans.
During this, a small boy addresses him. The Padawan named Sors Bandeam says to him: Master Skywalker, there are just too many of them. What are we supposed to do now?
It is seen later that Anakin has killed all the Padawans.
This scene is important because it shows how ruthless Anakin has become, and the boy’s line has solidified in the Star Wars community. The boy was played by Ross Beadman, and in an interview (via YouTube), he explained that he was paid 90 pounds for the role at the time. Adjusted for inflation, that would be 156.80 pounds today, approximately 184.51 €.
He never even auditioned for the role; he got it because his mother had the right connections.
Luck and Good Connections
How did Ross Beadman get the role? In an Instagram video for the 20th anniversary, Beadman explained how he got the role and what it was like on set. Right at the beginning, he explains that he was lucky because his mother worked with someone who started his own casting agency.
During the casting, his mother was contacted to see if her son would like to appear in Star Wars. Of course, as a big fan, he agreed, and they went to the shooting at Shepperton Studios in London. Most CGI scenes were filmed there.
There he could choose one of two Padawan-like hairstyles during the makeup process, and then the children gathered for the scene. Interestingly, the young extras were told that Anakin would be the savior in the scene.
The casting director asked the children who knew the lines for the scene, and Beadman raised his hand first because he had learned them beforehand. Thus, he was chosen for the scene and for the iconic two lines.
How did the scene go with Hayden Christensen? For the scene, he was given a small lightsaber, and just before the shoot, Christensen came up to him and asked if he had any questions. Beadman asked him which was more dangerous, an adult’s lightsaber or a child’s. Christensen replied: an adult’s.
In the video, Beadman also explains why he was so scared in the scene. It wasn’t because the scene was so frightening, but because Christensen screamed Ahhhh
to make the boy’s reaction seem authentic.
Overall, the scene is said to have lasted 10 to 15 minutes and 4 takes. For this effort, the 184 € does not seem so little. Especially considering that Beadman was able to have such a unique experience as a Star Wars fan. Natalie Portman, as a key actress, did not always have a good experience: Natalie Portman talks about what it was like to face the anger of “Star Wars” fans at the age of 18.
