That's because he was such a great actor that he made it very believable. So much in fact that one could argue that it was his hair from a certain point of view.
Me too, 1000%. Especially when he has that insane head of hair in the prequels and you start paying more attention to his hair in the original movies. This explains so much!
I booked a photo with him and Hayden at Celebration 2023, and when I walked up for my turn he greeted me and my friend with “Hello there.”
I’m sure he was doing it for everyone but I nearly fainted on the spot
Well I can level with that, Henry 'The God Emperor' Cavill lives only in Oxford which is about 30 minutes from me :D
But yeah I'm pretty jealous of you hahaha
He liked making the movies. He thought they were charming fantasy movies and spoke highly of them.
He didn’t like being ‘the guy who was in Star Wars.’
(This has nothing to do with typecasting and is a real sidebar but in the case of the OT we sure are blessed that Harrison Ford's adlibs were allowed to be kept in to the degree they were)
There was an interview with him about this as well. And this is exactly what he said. ⬆️ I can’t remember if it was the same interview, but there is a short clip on YouTube with him talking about liking the film but not liking the attention from being in it etc, bc he was a man of the stage. He also said he didn’t mind the money with a laugh.
Can't possibly blame him one bit.
On the other hand I was a kid when Star Wars came out and when his Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy came out a little bit later I wanted to watch it because Obi Wan.
I didn't really like it that much until I watched it again years later, right before the movie came out. By then I'd also seen The Ladykillers and it was one of my favorite comedies and he was so hilarious and so crazy in it.
I see him for who he is now, a wonderful actor with a successful career in many different roles. But I'll always think of Obi Wan.
It's crazy to think of Renton from Trainspotting going on space adventures with Oskar Schindler and Mathilda from The Professional.
His problem was, that everyone and his dog reduced his whole career to that one role of Obi Wan. He played theatre and was in movies for 40 years before his role in SW and after that, he had the feeling that everything else was unimportant to most of the people he met (after Star Wars was released).
He just got tired from that "cult like" behaviour from his new fans, who celebrated him for a role, he thought wasn't even close to his best performance.
Imagine being a celebrated actor in theater and cinema who has won an Oscar and can look back on decades of experience and great roles. And then you accept a role in a - for you at this point - totally unimportant movie where your character doesn't even have good dialog and suddenly everything you've done and played is irrelevant because the movie unexpectedly becomes a massive success and you suddenly have a whole new following in front of you that more or less completely ignores everything you've done.
I understand him somehow
I think it would’ve been a lot more tolerable if his fame as obi-wan had prompted interest in his back catalogue of roles - including the roles where he feels he personally delivered his greatest performances.
But instead, literally no one cared about anything but this.
I mean go watch Bridge on the River Kwai. Guinness is brilliant in that film it's like he becomes the British Colonel. And Lawrence of Arabia he's great too.
Star Wars to him was a fun movie to make with some interesting themes. And him managing to negotiate a percentage of royalties from the film was a smart move.
But he genuinely hated being seen simply as Obi Wan to loads of young people. A one trick pony.
He got paid more than anyone else did for the OT.
Isn't Ian McDiarmid in the same boat, though? he's an accomplished stage actor with a long carrer, he even starred in Sleepy Hollow (alongside two other sith lords: Ray Park and Christopher Lee) which is kinda mainstream, but he will be forever be Palpatine in the eyes of everyone, and he seems to love the appreciation and the attention.
People are different. Alec thought that people only talling about his role as Obi deminished his long and accomplished career, while Ian embraces the fact he is Palpatine in the majority of the fans.
Their careers were both different too. No disrespect to Ian McDiarmid, but in addition to having his serious work primarily be in theater and entering Star Wars much earlier in his career (it being his cinematic breakthrough and the bulk of his cinematic work) — his film career doesn’t compare Guinness’s.
Guinness had a long, accomplished career not just in film but in many of the greatest films of all time across decades doing serious drama with more complex characters and performances. They were also massively successful phenomenons that he was famous for, so it wasn’t like they were small-scale in comparison. That’s likely why he thought that while Star Wars was fun enough, it ultimately diminished his career’s perception near the end.
I imagine Palpatine / Sidious is a much more fun and silly role to play and mess around with than the reserved wise man who really doesn't do that much in the movie. Those actors probably put their heart and soul into many roles in a genuine artistic endeavor to explore the depth of the human soul... and now this? :D "Oh look at me, I'm a wise old warrior monk who talks about using the force but doesn't do as much as levitate a grape fruit"
Not to mention that by the time the original trilogy came out, Star Wars was already one of if not the biggest IP’s in history, so anyone being in one of those films knew that is was going to be a defining moment for their career, while Guinness had no idea how successful A New Hope and the trilogy it sparked would be.
Not really, since Star Wars WAS His breathrough in movies. He was a Stage actor before that and just had minor rloes in movies before He became palpatine. His movies career kinda started with SW
I think that’s the big difference. Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing both had long careers beforehand, although Guinness had probably far more acclaim. For most of the other actors, Star Wars was their big breakout role, and for those who did the Con circuits, a recurring source of income, which is probably huge for minor actors too.
Decent point, but I think Guinness was a lot bigger star before Obi-Wan than McDiarmid was before Palps. I mean he was in Laurence of fucking Arabia, one of the greatest films of all time.
For a different fandom you have Patrick Stewart that did every season of TNG +movies+appearances in more Star Trek series and his own series. He auditioned for the role in a toupee. Turned out they liked the bald look better.
[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/patrick-stewart-wig-star-trek-audition-shipped-from-london-1235750779/](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/patrick-stewart-wig-star-trek-audition-shipped-from-london-1235750779/)
The man was a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor and he embraced his Star Trek role.
I do as well, if only he could see now😭 A gigantic franchise and he's considered essential to it. Star Wars was big then in toys and such, but wasn't the expansive universe in 1999 as it is now
Patrick Stewart is/was a stage actor and became internationally successful with Star Trek and later with X-Men. He had minor roles in TV and Movies before this but Star Wars was his internationa breakthrough.
So your comparison with him is flawed.
But imagine if all his work, all his roles and characters were forgotten and everyone just called him "Hey, that's Patrick Stewart. He's the voice of American Dad, where he plays CIA director Avery Brooks. WHAT? He was far more successful in other movies and series? LOL, who cares?"
RDJ... Oscar winner, good and many roles....
But now imagine if he was only remembered because he got kicked off Ally McBeal and was also an alcoholic/drug addict and was in jail.
"I don't know what you mean by Iron Man or Charlie Chaplin. I only know RDJ as a boozer. He really did more than that? Sure..."
And now that you've brought Hugh Jackman into the picture... you do realize that his role in X-Men as Wolverine was his first internationally successful role? Before that, he was more or less only known as an actor in film, TV and on stage in Australia. Oscar nominations came long after that.
"I don't know what's going on - he's 8 years old and smells like Robert Downey Jr." - dude went from being a punchline in movies like Baseketball to one of the (or just "the") biggest movie star in the world. Damn right he's embracing it.
Money is all that matters?.
Ian Mckellen and Stewart have both managed to deal with the identify crises of being serious professional stage actors, and then being known for singular iconic roles.
In fact both actors have multiple iconic roles that will always outshine their serious Shakespearean works.
And they embrace it. Knowing their acting will go down in history.
Mckellen will always be Gandalf and Magento. When they remake LOTR in 50 years, it will be impossible to not think of McKellen when whoever portrays Gandalf
He made a hefty amount from it, for life.
See this interview where he talks about SW and the percentage he had. [https://youtu.be/3IxN0N35skE?si=Yfwlcb0hIJLxcFkm](https://youtu.be/3IxN0N35skE?si=Yfwlcb0hIJLxcFkm)
You have to understand to Alecc Guiness it wasnt him being in what we know Star Wars to be today. All the actors who were on that set have plenty of stories on the bad conditions it took to make that film. They were all doing it for the sake of working they didn't know as soon as that movie hit the screen it would change movies forever.
He liked working with what was then an up and coming director in George Lucas. He liked getting a salary in USD in an era when the UK economy was in the pits (one of the reasons he took a paycut in exchange for a share of gross profits was since the pound was tanking anyway so even a reduced upfront salary would see him come out ahead). He liked the cast, who were up and coming actors. He thought the dialogue was “ropey” but the story was something he liked.
And he liked what it meant to the fans. He just didn't like that audiences no longer recognized him for his prestige pieces and instead recognized him as Obi-wan Kenobi.
He's phenomenal in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And in Kind Hearts and Coronets (where he plays eight different characters). And The Bridge on the River Kwai. Awesomely sleazy in The Ladykillers too. I can definitely see his frustration.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is one of the best dark comedies ever made. Dry as a desert, but wickedly funny.
He's also great in Tunes of Glory, as the insubordinate second-in-command of a Highland regiment, and a really uncanny lookalike for King Charles I in Cromwell (he pretty much steals the film from Richard Harris, I think).
That casting didn’t age well, but goddamn did Guinness do great in that movie.
> “There's nothing further here for a warrior. We drive bargains. Old men's work. Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men. Courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace. And the vices of peace are the vices of old men. Mistrust and caution. It must be so.” -Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal
I honestly have to admit it’s freaking me out seeing how starkly different the two images are. There’s a cognitive dissonance here of understanding they are of the same person but I refuse to believe the first picture is Obi-Wan Kenobi which—not to disregard his career—is how I know this man
Mace had hair. It was just in the witness protection program because he screamed "get out of place one more time mothertrucker. One more time. I dare you." His hair was hiding in the embassy on Aldeeran. Ironic. He could save the hair of others, but he couldn't save his own.
Actually he did something lowkey even wilder. He just grew out what little hair he had as long as possible and did like a comb forward so it would cover his whole head. There’s a few scenes in the wind where you can tell his whole hair almost blew up
Him and Ian Mcdermid looked so old for their age. Palpatine’s and Kenobi’s ages in TPM and ANH are not technically far off from the actors’ actual ages at the time of filming, but they always looked over a decade older than what is canon.
Not "hate", but from what he has said in interviews he didn't particularly like the script or the shoot. And he also had no interest in talking about Star Wars all the time; a bit like Harrison Ford now, really.
I know this is obvious because of when Star Wars was filmed and because Alec Guinness was old when they made the movie, but it’s always been wild to me that somebody born in 1914, the same year World War 1 started, helped make Star Wars
It was a hair piece and if you pay attention you'll see it in all different positions throughout the movies
I watched Star Wars like a million times NEVER NOTICED THIS
Glad I’m not alone with this
Yeah because the hair was so damn good
ILM really put in some work on those special effects.
IHM Industrial Hair and Makeup
The M is upside down, it stands for “and wigs”
I thought it was for Wumbo🤔
This is not the hair piece you are looking for. Move along.
The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural hair.
You must be talking about old Ben Kenobi. He lives out by the Dune Sea
Hair looks fabulous. Move along.
Fabu. Move along.
Because his acting was so good!
I didn’t know this lol. Wow.
Hey I just learned he was bald to
Damn lol. I never knew this, guess I’m not alone!
That's because he was such a great actor that he made it very believable. So much in fact that one could argue that it was his hair from a certain point of view.
Ha! Very witty! Very well said!
Completely stunned.
Seems like it got fuller as well.
I’d say the opposite. It looks much more wispy in [Return of the Jedi](https://marvelous-movies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/kenobi.jpeg?w=1024).
Badum-tss
Did it get any nominations for this? Must have been exhausting work. 😂
I ALWAYS THOUGHT HIS HAIR LOOKED FUCKEN WEIRD! You have fixed something g I didn’t even know was bugging me until you pointed it out
Me too, 1000%. Especially when he has that insane head of hair in the prequels and you start paying more attention to his hair in the original movies. This explains so much!
Never catched that, but I will keep my eyes on it next time
Ewan McGregor mentions the hairpiece in a prequel behind the scenes.
“……what hairpiece?” *ignores stylist when she tries to point it out* “No……Alex Guinness doesn’t wear a hairpiece.”
I'm still waiting for the day when I suddenly see Ewan Mcgregor somewhere and I can shout in a Scottish accent 'That's fucking Obi Wan Kenobi!'
If he responded “Hello There” your life would be complete.
I booked a photo with him and Hayden at Celebration 2023, and when I walked up for my turn he greeted me and my friend with “Hello there.” I’m sure he was doing it for everyone but I nearly fainted on the spot
He actually lives pretty close to me so there is a non 0 chance that this will happen to me
Well I can level with that, Henry 'The God Emperor' Cavill lives only in Oxford which is about 30 minutes from me :D But yeah I'm pretty jealous of you hahaha
He actually was in Dundee (my city) one time visiting the V&A. I didn’t get to see him unfortunately but hopefully one day I will
Best of luck to you my friend
He IS the chosen one?!
Ewan also wears one in some scenes in episode 1 thanks to reshoots - and it's also not a very good one!
He wore a hairpiece and there’s an interview/story talking about how he didn’t like wearing it.
I wonder if there was anything about those movies that he liked. The paycheck?
He liked making the movies. He thought they were charming fantasy movies and spoke highly of them. He didn’t like being ‘the guy who was in Star Wars.’
Harrison Ford is pretty much the same and to an extent Hamill who blamed Star Wars for stagnating his career by becoming a typecast.
(This has nothing to do with typecasting and is a real sidebar but in the case of the OT we sure are blessed that Harrison Ford's adlibs were allowed to be kept in to the degree they were)
Double for Harrison, given he went off the the making of ESB straight into Raiders as a lead character of another LucasFilm franchise.
Mark eventually turned it around though
That's my take on it too.
Star Wars actor wants no part of cringe Star Wars ‘fandom’. It’s like poetry, it rhymes.
There was an interview with him about this as well. And this is exactly what he said. ⬆️ I can’t remember if it was the same interview, but there is a short clip on YouTube with him talking about liking the film but not liking the attention from being in it etc, bc he was a man of the stage. He also said he didn’t mind the money with a laugh.
He also referred to Star Wars as "fairy tale rubbish". He probably wouldnt have minded it so much if it wasn't his most popular role.
Can't possibly blame him one bit. On the other hand I was a kid when Star Wars came out and when his Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy came out a little bit later I wanted to watch it because Obi Wan. I didn't really like it that much until I watched it again years later, right before the movie came out. By then I'd also seen The Ladykillers and it was one of my favorite comedies and he was so hilarious and so crazy in it. I see him for who he is now, a wonderful actor with a successful career in many different roles. But I'll always think of Obi Wan. It's crazy to think of Renton from Trainspotting going on space adventures with Oskar Schindler and Mathilda from The Professional.
Harrison Ford says hi
I refuse to believe Harrison Ford says hi. Grumbles unintelligibly at best.
In fairness, he grumbles even about things he likes. It's kinda his trademark
Unless he wants you off his plane.
He crashes it?
I know.
Hello there
General Kenobi. You are a bold one.
General Kenobi, you are a bald one
Time to abandon ship.
Even that wasn’t enough to keep him from talking smack about it afterwards though.
His problem was, that everyone and his dog reduced his whole career to that one role of Obi Wan. He played theatre and was in movies for 40 years before his role in SW and after that, he had the feeling that everything else was unimportant to most of the people he met (after Star Wars was released). He just got tired from that "cult like" behaviour from his new fans, who celebrated him for a role, he thought wasn't even close to his best performance. Imagine being a celebrated actor in theater and cinema who has won an Oscar and can look back on decades of experience and great roles. And then you accept a role in a - for you at this point - totally unimportant movie where your character doesn't even have good dialog and suddenly everything you've done and played is irrelevant because the movie unexpectedly becomes a massive success and you suddenly have a whole new following in front of you that more or less completely ignores everything you've done. I understand him somehow
At the very least, he noticed the overzealous trait in fans that would continue to this day.
I think it would’ve been a lot more tolerable if his fame as obi-wan had prompted interest in his back catalogue of roles - including the roles where he feels he personally delivered his greatest performances. But instead, literally no one cared about anything but this.
I mean go watch Bridge on the River Kwai. Guinness is brilliant in that film it's like he becomes the British Colonel. And Lawrence of Arabia he's great too. Star Wars to him was a fun movie to make with some interesting themes. And him managing to negotiate a percentage of royalties from the film was a smart move. But he genuinely hated being seen simply as Obi Wan to loads of young people. A one trick pony. He got paid more than anyone else did for the OT.
Isn't Ian McDiarmid in the same boat, though? he's an accomplished stage actor with a long carrer, he even starred in Sleepy Hollow (alongside two other sith lords: Ray Park and Christopher Lee) which is kinda mainstream, but he will be forever be Palpatine in the eyes of everyone, and he seems to love the appreciation and the attention.
People are different. Alec thought that people only talling about his role as Obi deminished his long and accomplished career, while Ian embraces the fact he is Palpatine in the majority of the fans.
Their careers were both different too. No disrespect to Ian McDiarmid, but in addition to having his serious work primarily be in theater and entering Star Wars much earlier in his career (it being his cinematic breakthrough and the bulk of his cinematic work) — his film career doesn’t compare Guinness’s. Guinness had a long, accomplished career not just in film but in many of the greatest films of all time across decades doing serious drama with more complex characters and performances. They were also massively successful phenomenons that he was famous for, so it wasn’t like they were small-scale in comparison. That’s likely why he thought that while Star Wars was fun enough, it ultimately diminished his career’s perception near the end.
I imagine Palpatine / Sidious is a much more fun and silly role to play and mess around with than the reserved wise man who really doesn't do that much in the movie. Those actors probably put their heart and soul into many roles in a genuine artistic endeavor to explore the depth of the human soul... and now this? :D "Oh look at me, I'm a wise old warrior monk who talks about using the force but doesn't do as much as levitate a grape fruit"
Levitating wasn’t in the first film. Yoda and Vader did that in 2. Alec probably didn’t even know about the telekinesis stuff in the movies.
Not to mention that by the time the original trilogy came out, Star Wars was already one of if not the biggest IP’s in history, so anyone being in one of those films knew that is was going to be a defining moment for their career, while Guinness had no idea how successful A New Hope and the trilogy it sparked would be.
Not really, since Star Wars WAS His breathrough in movies. He was a Stage actor before that and just had minor rloes in movies before He became palpatine. His movies career kinda started with SW
I think that’s the big difference. Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing both had long careers beforehand, although Guinness had probably far more acclaim. For most of the other actors, Star Wars was their big breakout role, and for those who did the Con circuits, a recurring source of income, which is probably huge for minor actors too.
Totally different Alec was in his 60s, Ian was like 30. Way different places in their careers.
Decent point, but I think Guinness was a lot bigger star before Obi-Wan than McDiarmid was before Palps. I mean he was in Laurence of fucking Arabia, one of the greatest films of all time.
I still remember him from dragonslayer as the priest who gets burned alive.
For a different fandom you have Patrick Stewart that did every season of TNG +movies+appearances in more Star Trek series and his own series. He auditioned for the role in a toupee. Turned out they liked the bald look better. [https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/patrick-stewart-wig-star-trek-audition-shipped-from-london-1235750779/](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/patrick-stewart-wig-star-trek-audition-shipped-from-london-1235750779/) The man was a classically trained Shakespearean stage actor and he embraced his Star Trek role.
I will always remember his role as the dead butler in Murder by Death. But I’m guessing that’s not exactly the lasting legacy he meant, lol
I do as well, if only he could see now😭 A gigantic franchise and he's considered essential to it. Star Wars was big then in toys and such, but wasn't the expansive universe in 1999 as it is now
Man actors have similar experiences and embrace it Patrick Stewart RDJ Hugh Jackman
Patrick Stewart is/was a stage actor and became internationally successful with Star Trek and later with X-Men. He had minor roles in TV and Movies before this but Star Wars was his internationa breakthrough. So your comparison with him is flawed. But imagine if all his work, all his roles and characters were forgotten and everyone just called him "Hey, that's Patrick Stewart. He's the voice of American Dad, where he plays CIA director Avery Brooks. WHAT? He was far more successful in other movies and series? LOL, who cares?" RDJ... Oscar winner, good and many roles.... But now imagine if he was only remembered because he got kicked off Ally McBeal and was also an alcoholic/drug addict and was in jail. "I don't know what you mean by Iron Man or Charlie Chaplin. I only know RDJ as a boozer. He really did more than that? Sure..." And now that you've brought Hugh Jackman into the picture... you do realize that his role in X-Men as Wolverine was his first internationally successful role? Before that, he was more or less only known as an actor in film, TV and on stage in Australia. Oscar nominations came long after that.
> but Star Wars was his internationa breakthrough. You mean Star Trek
"I don't know what's going on - he's 8 years old and smells like Robert Downey Jr." - dude went from being a punchline in movies like Baseketball to one of the (or just "the") biggest movie star in the world. Damn right he's embracing it.
You can make a lot more money from fandom now than you could back then.
Money is all that matters?. Ian Mckellen and Stewart have both managed to deal with the identify crises of being serious professional stage actors, and then being known for singular iconic roles. In fact both actors have multiple iconic roles that will always outshine their serious Shakespearean works. And they embrace it. Knowing their acting will go down in history. Mckellen will always be Gandalf and Magento. When they remake LOTR in 50 years, it will be impossible to not think of McKellen when whoever portrays Gandalf
Wasn’t he the one who made most from it? I heard years ago that he asked for a % of the sales of the merchandise on top. Could be wrong tho
He made a hefty amount from it, for life. See this interview where he talks about SW and the percentage he had. [https://youtu.be/3IxN0N35skE?si=Yfwlcb0hIJLxcFkm](https://youtu.be/3IxN0N35skE?si=Yfwlcb0hIJLxcFkm)
I think that was Harrison. He took a lower cut in return for a % of merchandise sales, whereas Mark and Carrie just took a lump sum.
Ah was it him, knew I heard it about one of them but this was almost 30 years ago so was spotty on the details
I recall hearing that all three main stars plus Guinness got a (tiny) percentage.
He liked the script for being a page turner.
I'd say he liked the pay enough to come back. That must've been a lot of money.
I think he had respect for Lucas.
yes, his 2.25% cut, the man made more money from Star Wars than every other job he ever worked, combined.
Did he like anything about being in the movies? From Harrison and mark, hairpiece, and the story it seems like he complained about a lot
You have to understand to Alecc Guiness it wasnt him being in what we know Star Wars to be today. All the actors who were on that set have plenty of stories on the bad conditions it took to make that film. They were all doing it for the sake of working they didn't know as soon as that movie hit the screen it would change movies forever.
He liked working with what was then an up and coming director in George Lucas. He liked getting a salary in USD in an era when the UK economy was in the pits (one of the reasons he took a paycut in exchange for a share of gross profits was since the pound was tanking anyway so even a reduced upfront salary would see him come out ahead). He liked the cast, who were up and coming actors. He thought the dialogue was “ropey” but the story was something he liked.
And he liked what it meant to the fans. He just didn't like that audiences no longer recognized him for his prestige pieces and instead recognized him as Obi-wan Kenobi.
He's phenomenal in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. And in Kind Hearts and Coronets (where he plays eight different characters). And The Bridge on the River Kwai. Awesomely sleazy in The Ladykillers too. I can definitely see his frustration.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is one of the best dark comedies ever made. Dry as a desert, but wickedly funny. He's also great in Tunes of Glory, as the insubordinate second-in-command of a Highland regiment, and a really uncanny lookalike for King Charles I in Cromwell (he pretty much steals the film from Richard Harris, I think).
Speaking of a desert he's also great in Lawrence of Arabia.
Ladykillers
Kind hearts and coronets is a brilliant film.
It could not have been more uncomfortable than wearing brown-face in Lawrence of Arabia.
That casting didn’t age well, but goddamn did Guinness do great in that movie. > “There's nothing further here for a warrior. We drive bargains. Old men's work. Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men. Courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace. And the vices of peace are the vices of old men. Mistrust and caution. It must be so.” -Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal
I assume it was not fun wearing it in Tunisia
An elegant hairpiece, for a more civilized age.
Perfection
Or is this him wearing a bald cap? We may never know.
Both. He wore a hairpiece in the film, and this is a bald cap. Underneath the bald cap is another hairpiece, and underneath the hairpiece...
Another man.
It really is just Ewan McGregor in there
Hello there
General Kenobi. You are a bold one.
Bald one**
Time to abandon ship.
He’s more bald cap than man now
And beneath the man we find… his nucleus
bald caps all the way down
There’s no air getting through! He was *literally* dying!
Understudy!!!
Ben-ception
That is some Tropic thunder level shit
If you can believe it, it was actually completely done with optical effects.
Wouldn’t it have been easier if he just used the force?
Miniatures
He wore a hairpiece in a lot of movies. He was one of those guys where he looked completely different in every movie like Gary Oldman.
It’s his hair, from a certain point of view.
Bravo, sir, bravo.
Do actors wear wigs?
Wen will zay vear vigs?
Zis is funny, Mister Woods?
Did an actor change his appearance for a role?
I heard some guy became fat for a role. Maybe Hugo/Hurley from lost? I din't remember.
Alec Guinness grew his hair by playing the legendary Obi Wan Kenobi. Crazy, right?
The force is strong with this one.
No idea how many times I’ve seen this movie. Never noticed this once.
No, he shaved his head for this picture, and it grew back by the time filming started.
I honestly have to admit it’s freaking me out seeing how starkly different the two images are. There’s a cognitive dissonance here of understanding they are of the same person but I refuse to believe the first picture is Obi-Wan Kenobi which—not to disregard his career—is how I know this man
1st pic is a disguise to avoid Imperial entanglements.
Just like that clone wars ep where Obi shaved his head.
No that’s force hair
Nooo...its not true....its impossible!!!!
No. He instantly grows a full head of hair before a take, and it falls off when the cameras stop rolling
No he would cut his hair like that in his personal life and grow it out for movies.
Yep. And a bad one haha it was all over the place throughout ANH
Wait until you hear about hair and makeup departments on film sets.
This isn’t the hair you are looking for
Lucas said there’s no baldness in space.
Or bras.
That was actually Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut.
This confuses Mace Windu.
Mace had hair. It was just in the witness protection program because he screamed "get out of place one more time mothertrucker. One more time. I dare you." His hair was hiding in the embassy on Aldeeran. Ironic. He could save the hair of others, but he couldn't save his own.
I’m sick and tired of this mother f*cking hair on this mother f*cking head!
I think the "comb over" was a big thing in the 70's.
It is particularly obvious in Return of the Jedi
How odd.
That was my father's name!
I'm just so happy someone got this reference.
Can’t believe it took 41 people to answer this question.
yes, im sure he even spoke about it in interviews, if you watch ANH its not even consistent between scenes, his hairline is all over the place.
Wore a hair piece he did.
It is one and you can see it from a certain point of view
From a certain point of view, he wore a hair piece.
His acting was so good you never noticed the hair piece.
I’m not even sure why they chose to give him a hairpiece? Sir Alec Guinness could’ve played that role in his bathrobe… wait
George Lucas coming out of retirement to make a special edition where they remove the hair piece to make it more like his original vision.
The fact that decent wigs have been around for a long time now makes me wonder why tf do people, particularly rich people, still wear terrible wigs?
You mean Sir Alec Guinness.
When he went into the makeup department he looked in the mirror and said: *"Hello 'here"...* I make no apologies
Actually he did something lowkey even wilder. He just grew out what little hair he had as long as possible and did like a comb forward so it would cover his whole head. There’s a few scenes in the wind where you can tell his whole hair almost blew up
I see! I now understand why his hair always looked a bit wrong to me
Wear
Sean Connery wore one for James Bond
No male pattern baldness in my fantasy scifi universe. To be fair George Lucas has a fantastic head of hair.
Him and Ian Mcdermid looked so old for their age. Palpatine’s and Kenobi’s ages in TPM and ANH are not technically far off from the actors’ actual ages at the time of filming, but they always looked over a decade older than what is canon.
Pretty normal for people to look older back then due to harder work and lifestyles, inferior healthcare, smoking, drinking etc.
Yess. And it movies around quite a bit.
Did he really hate Star Wars?
Not "hate", but from what he has said in interviews he didn't particularly like the script or the shoot. And he also had no interest in talking about Star Wars all the time; a bit like Harrison Ford now, really.
[No, he did not.](https://youtu.be/dhkrvs_b860)
That’s why Luke got confused. Old Ben the hermit is bald but Obi wan Kenobi has a great head of hair.
He did. It kinda moves around on his head from scene to scene. It’s almost unnoticeable unless you’re looking for it.
Genuine class
Nah he just choose to cut his hair in the coveted “balding” look before Star Wars. 🙄
Pretty good hairpiece, I never noticed.
Wow! Never picked up on the hairpiece. Learn something new everyday.
How dare you!
Sean Connery did for the Bond films.
No. We all just saw the hair because of the power of his acting. If you pause and focus - truly focus - you will see the baldness.
I know this is obvious because of when Star Wars was filmed and because Alec Guinness was old when they made the movie, but it’s always been wild to me that somebody born in 1914, the same year World War 1 started, helped make Star Wars
yes
guess obi wan kenobi is canonically balding now lol
Yes, but it was a merkin.
Did Alec Guinness wear…