#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION
Regarding the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), who was the oldest cast member at time of filming, how old were they, and what was their role?
#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE
Based on internal knowledge of the production of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), the oldest prominent cast member at the time of filming was Frank Oz.
Here are the specific details regarding his involvement:
- Cast Member: Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944).
- Role: He returned to play Yoda, appearing as a Force ghost to Luke Skywalker on the planet Ahch-To.
- Age at Time of Filming: The Last Jedi primarily filmed between February and July 2016. Frank Oz was 71 years old when filming began and turned 72 during the production (May 2016).
- Specific Details: While Yoda had been a CGI character in the Prequel Trilogy, director Rian Johnson and Frank Oz decided to return to the character's roots for The Last Jedi. Oz physically performed as a puppeteer on set, operating a puppet built from the original 1980 molds used for The Empire Strikes Back. He also provided the iconic voice for the character. This made him the oldest member of the "performing" veteran cast; for comparison, Mark Hamill was approximately 64–65 and Carrie Fisher was 59–60 during the shoot.
Note on other veteran cast members:
While Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) was born only six days before Frank Oz (May 19, 1944), he served primarily as a "Chewbacca Consultant" on this film due to his health, while actor Joonas Suotamo took over the physical performance in the suit. Another veteran, Andrew Jack (who played General Ematt), was born in January 1944, making him technically a few months older than Oz, but Oz is the most senior member of the principal returning cast to perform a major role.
#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)
[1] Frank Oz was not the oldest cast member. Andrew Jack was born January 28, 1944, making him approximately 4 months older than Frank Oz (May 25, 1944). Andrew Jack was 72 years old when filming began in February 2016.
[2] Frank Oz was indeed born May 25, 1944, and this information is accurate.
[3] Frank Oz did return to play Yoda as a Force ghost in The Last Jedi, appearing in scenes with Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To.
[4] The Last Jedi filmed from February 15, 2016 to July 22, 2016. Frank Oz was 71 at the start of filming and turned 72 on May 25, 2016 during production.
[5] Director Rian Johnson chose to use a physical puppet for Yoda instead of CGI, built from the original 1980 molds. Frank Oz performed as puppeteer and provided the voice.
[6] This statement is only accurate if Andrew Jack is excluded. The ages for Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are correct, but the claim about Frank Oz being the oldest is misleading.
[7] Peter Mayhew was born May 19, 1944 (6 days before Frank Oz). He served as 'Chewbacca Consultant' on The Last Jedi while Joonas Suotamo performed the physical role due to Mayhew's health issues.
[8] Andrew Jack was born January 28, 1944, making him about 4 months older than Frank Oz. He played General Caluan Ematt in The Last Jedi. The summary acknowledges this but then dismisses it.
[9] This is a subjective qualification attempting to rationalize why Frank Oz should be considered the answer despite Andrew Jack being older. The original question asked for the oldest cast member, not the oldest 'principal' cast member. Andrew Jack had a credited acting role.
#C RELATED QUERIES
#01 What was Andrew Jack's role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi?
#02 How many scenes did General Ematt appear in The Last Jedi?
#03 Were there any other cast members born in 1944 or earlier in The Last Jedi?
Based on internal knowledge of the production of *Star Wars: The Last Jedi* (2017), the oldest prominent cast member at the time of filming was **Frank Oz**.
Here are the specific details regarding his involvement:
* **Cast Member:** Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944).
* **Role:** He returned to play **Yoda**, appearing as a Force ghost to Luke Skywalker on the planet Ahch-To.
* **Age at Time of Filming:** *The Last Jedi* primarily filmed between February and July 2016. Frank Oz was **71 years old** when filming began and turned **72** during the production (May 2016).
* **Specific Details:** While Yoda had been a CGI character in the Prequel Trilogy, director Rian Johnson and Frank Oz decided to return to the character's roots for *The Last Jedi*. Oz physically performed as a **puppeteer** on set, operating a puppet built from the original 1980 molds used for *The Empire Strikes Back*. He also provided the iconic voice for the character. This made him the oldest member of the "performing" veteran cast; for comparison, Mark Hamill was approximately 64–65 and Carrie Fisher was 59–60 during the shoot.
**Note on other veteran cast members:**
While **Peter Mayhew** (Chewbacca) was born only six days before Frank Oz (May 19, 1944), he served primarily as a "Chewbacca Consultant" on this film due to his health, while actor Joonas Suotamo took over the physical performance in the suit. Another veteran, **Andrew Jack** (who played General Ematt), was born in January 1944, making him technically a few months older than Oz, but Oz is the most senior member of the principal returning cast to perform a major role.