'Star Wars' Actress Maria De Aragon Dead at 81

The actress starred as Greedo opposite Harrison Ford's Han Solo in the original 'Star Wars' movie.

By Allison Schonter

Canadian actress Maria De Aragon, who portrayed the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo in Star Wars: A New Hope, has died. De Aragon died of natural causes at a nursing home in late April, her management company Coolwaters Productions LLC announced on June 1. She was 81.

"Coolwaters Productions LLC is sad to report that our client Ms. Maria de 'Aragon, the actress who helped bring the character of 'Greedo' to life in Star Wars: A New Hope has passed away," a statement from the company read in part. "Our hearts are saddened, and we wish her family the very best and we thank all her Star Wars fans for years of support."

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, De Aragon began her career in the '60s with small, uncredited roles in films including For Those Who Think Young (1964) and Nightmare in the Sun (1965), according to her IMDb profile. After landing her first credited role in Italian cinema when she appeared in 1968's Come l'amore, De Aragon went on to appear in titles including The Cremators (1972), Wonder Women (1973), Teenager (1974), and more before landing the part of Greedo, the bounty hunter shot by Harrison Ford's Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina, in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

greedo-star-wars.jpg
(Photo: Lucasfilm)

"Maria shot her role as Greedo in Los Angeles California after the principal photography in London UK was finished and George Lucas was not happy with the way the original footage turned out. The character needed to seem more animated," Coolwaters Productions LLC said. "In the close-ups of Greedo speaking, Maria donned the creature mask, creating the memorable face to face confrontation with Han Solo. Maria has expressed during many Q&A/panels when asked "What do you think of Harrison Ford" she would respond 'He kills me.' (with a laugh)."

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De Aragon's passing sparked a wave of tributes online, with one person writing on X (formerly Twitter), "R.i.p Maria De Aragon the woman behind the mask of Greedo in George Lucas' original Star Wars film in 1977 you will be missed." The Star Wars Holocron account added, "May the Force be with you, always," as they shared behind-the-scenes photos of De Aragon shooting her scenes as Greedo.

De Aragon's other credits include Love Me Like I Do (1970), Blood Mania (1970), Where the Wind Dies (1976), and City on Fire (1979). Her last credited appearance was in 1991's Street Wars. According to Coolwaters Productions LLC, De Aragon is survived by "her family in Canada."

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