Star Wars actor Andrew Jack has died from coronavirus complications. He was 76.
Jack’s rep, Jill McCullough, confirmed the news to the Evening Standard. On Tuesday, McCullough shared a statement:
He died this morning of Covid-19 at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey. Andrew lived on one the oldest working houseboats on the Thames, he was fiercely independent but madly in love with his wife; also a dialect coach: Gabrielle Rogers. Tragically she is stuck in quarantine in Australia having just flown in from NZ last week. She was unable to see or talk to him at the end of his life and there is a chance a funeral may not be held.
McCullough continued, “Andrew was full of life—he was tall and striking with flowing white hair. You wouldn’t miss him if he walked into a room. He was still working full-pelt, currently coaching on the new Batman.”
After Jack’s passing, his wife took to Twitter, writing, “We lost a man today. Andrew Jack was diagnosed with Coronavirus 2 days ago. He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family were all ‘with’ him.”
Rogers, Jack’s wife, is also a dialect coach. She trained at the National Theater and graduated from the University of Sydney.
Jack Was a Dialect Coach for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy
According to his extensive IMDB resume, Jack was born in London, England, on January 28, 1944.
He led an accomplished career, working as the supervising dialect coach for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. “The Linguist” by Miranda Moore reveals that Jack created the Middle-earth accents and taught them to the cast of the trilogy.
Jack’s other credits as a dialect coach include Men in Black: International, Dolittle, Avengers: Endgame, The Nightingale, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Thor: Ragnarok and Love, Rosie, among others.
In the Star Wars films, Jack portrayed Resistance Major Caluan Ematt. He voiced the character Moloch in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Jack’s father, Stephen Jack, was also an actor and appeared in the films Gulliver’s Travels, The Nelson Affair and The Case of Midwife Toad.
Celebrities Have Mourned His Death on Social Media
A number of actors and celebrities have mourned Jack’s passing on social media.
Greg Grunberg, best known for playing Eric Weiss in the ABC series Alias and Matt Parkman in the NBC series Heroes, took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to write, “Devastated to hear of the passing of the wonderful, talented, beloved gentleman #AndrewJack. He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever worked with. Please stay safe. Please stay home!!! #RIPAndrewJack”
Finnish actor Joonas Suotamo, known for playing Chewbacca in the Stars Wars saga starting with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, also commented on Jack’s death, writing, “Today we learned that a member of our Star Wars family, Andrew Jack, passed away due to complications from COVID-19. In addition to playing Major Ematt in The Force Awakens, his work as a dialect coach on TFA, Solo, & other SW films revealed a man who was passionate & caring…”
American film producer, director and writer Chris Miller seconded those sentiments, writing, “Andrew Jack was the dialect coach on SOLO, and a kind and thoughtful man. We asked him to teach Alden to speak Shyriiwook, and I’ll always remember listening to them gargle-roar at each other back and forth.”
READ NEXT: John Callahan Dead: ‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Unexpectedly Dies at 66
Comments
Andrew Jack Dead: ‘Star Wars’ Actor Dies of Coronavirus Complications