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enter image description here

I watched The Phantom Menace almost a year ago when I spotted this, and I have just found the picture to prove what I found.

When I was watching - towards the end of the film - where everyone gathers around, I noticed a character (centre left) that I didn't recognise.

I was wondering as to some insight as to who and why this person was here? He seems to be dressed in Jedi robes. Could he have been intended as a stand-in for Mace Windu?

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  • 38
    "I watched the phantom menace almost a year ago and found the picture to prove it" - you don't need a picture to prove it, I believe that you watched the Phantom Menace. Nobody would lie about that.
    – Moogle
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 7:40
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    Why do you assume that it's supposed to be Mace Windu?
    – Moogle
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 7:46
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    @Moogle: There's what, three black people in the entire Galaxy Far Far Away? If you see a black guy, you've got a one-in-three chance it's Windu, one-in-three that it's Lando, and one-in-three it's this guy.
    – James Sheridan
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 8:48
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    @JamesSheridan - What about the Naboo head of security guy?
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 10:02
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    @Richard: I must have forgotten the scenes where Darth Vader's voice appeared onscreen.
    – James Sheridan
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 11:49

3 Answers 3

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It's Mace Windu (probably)

Out of universe, this is almost certainly a stand-in actor for Mace Windu/Samuel Jackson. The final scenes were filmed in England and it looks like they weren't able to get Samuel Jackson to fly over just to appear in a background scene. The plan, presumably was to CGI his face onto Fake-Mace's body later, but they either forgot or just plain decided that no-one would notice.

Note the fact that Real-Mace (Jackson) is wearing identical robes in the very next scene just a few seconds later.

enter image description here

The script also backs this up, albeit there may be another Jedi Master that we don't know about that happens to enjoy dressing up like Mace Windu.

The main ramp of the cruiser is lowered as OBI-WAN and CAPTAIN PANAKA lead the VICEROY and HIS ASSISTANT toward the ship. The GRAND CHANCELLOR PALPATINE and SEVERAL REPUBLIC GUARDS descend the walkway, followed by YODA and SEVERAL OTHER JEDI MASTERS.

The Star Wars Phantom Menace Storybook seems to agree.

enter image description here

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    “there may be another Jedi Master that we don't know about that dresses like Mace Windu” — Mace Wannabe. Always shows up where Windu is like fifteen minutes later in the same outfit. It’s pretty sad. Tragically threw himself out of a lower window when Windu died but, typically, only managed to break his legs.
    – Paul D. Waite
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 11:56
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    I like the fact that on some forums they refer to him as "Fakes Windu".
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 12:02
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    In the VHS Widescreen version, you still see him coming down the ramp but the scene pictured (where he walks behind Palpatine) is missing.
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 12:20
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The most comprehensive list of black Jedi (that is, Jedi who are black not as google assumes Dark Jedi) I could find is here. Reproduced as of October 2014 :

  • Stass Allie (Epsiode II/III)
  • Koffi Arana (Purge)
  • Jolee Bindo (Knights of the Old Republic)
  • Dace Diath (Tales of the Jedi)
  • Dorak (Knights of the Old Republic)
  • Eon (Clone Wars material)
  • Possibly the Jedi Exile (Kotor II)
  • Adi Gallia (Episode I)
  • Bala Nisi (Knights of the Old Republic Comic Series)
  • Possibly Jaden Korr (Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy)
  • Qu Rahn (Dark Forces: Jedi Knight)
  • Possibly Revan (Knights of the Old Republic)
  • Mace Windu (Episodes I-III)

I've highlighted the ones who feature in a live-action film. None of these fit the bill.

I can't find a list of characters from that scene (49 - Naboo Celebration? ) as this may not be a Jedi.

The other possibility is that this is Samuel L Jackson's stunt double, but I couldn't trace who that was either.

So add it stands I can't find out who that character or actor is.

I may have found our man, Mark Anthony Newman:

Mark Anthony Newman in Aliens 3

The above picture comes from a blog that seems to be piecing together the prisoners in Alien 3, who is also one of the stuntmen in Phantom Menace. I feel like he bears a strong resemblance to the person, pictured in the question.

So I believe he is meant to be Mace Windu OR a Jedi Extra.

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  • Stass Alli is a woman, as is Adi Gallia
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 8:40
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    @Richard yes, which is why none of the highlighted characters fit these bill. Adi Gallia is also female.
    – AncientSwordRage ♦
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 8:42
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    For the record, for most of Samuel Jackson's career, he's had a bald white stunt double. It's really noticeable in The Other Guys, but usually the wide-shots don't pick it up. So that option seems unlikely.
    – James Sheridan
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 8:52
  • His costume closely matches Mace Windu's, and he's standing among other council members. It's gotta be a stand-in or something.
    – Omegacron
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 15:37
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    @omegacron that just looks like generic Jedi garb. I wouldn't want to make those assumptions.
    – AncientSwordRage ♦
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 16:37
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Actually I believe that's the voice actor of Jar-Jar just getting a cameo

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    Do you have anything that would support that?
    – svick
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 1:57
  • He does look similar, but the only cameo for Ahmed Best is in Episode 2 - as Achk Med-Beq
    – user20155
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 2:32
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    And on further reflection, most production images from Episode 1 show Ahmed Best with a crew cut, not a bald head. So its unlikely to be him. But good guess!
    – user20155
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 2:36
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    I would have thought that Jar Jar's voice actor would have deliberately avoided ever showing his face again. Guy has to be in the Witness Protection Program by now.
    – James Sheridan
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 11:32
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    @JamesSheridan Give the devil his due: that actor played Jar-Jar perfectly. The character was a blight released upon the Earth, but the voice was an absolutely perfect reflection of the character. This is a case of a bad thing being done very, very well. :P
    – Nerrolken
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 16:44

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