Back in 1996, very early in this whole writing career thing, I met Don Henderson at a small convention somewhere near London. I can't remember the details at all, which is annoying. I do remember being very tongue-tied when meeting Jeremy Bulloch for the first time. I was freelancing for Titan's Official UK Star Wars Magazine then, so I asked Henderson if he'd be willing to be interviewed about his time on Star Wars playing General Tagge.
We chatted briefly about it then, and by phone a little later, and he wrote a couple of lovely letters to me with his recollections. The resulting interview was compiled into a feature with a few other Imperial officers, including Leslie Schofield and Michael Pennington. I'll get round to posting those later. Anyway, that all went out in Issue 9, in August of 1997.
Don Henderson was a lovely man to chat to, and great fun to interview. He was always so baffled by the attention, but quite happy to chat to fans at signings. Very sadly, Don Henderson died the following year, something we all heard about just before his interview went to print. For completeness, I've included the obituary I wrote.
(Please note, the text of this interview is copyright 1997 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.)
--------------------------------
Don Henderson
One of the great things about the Star Wars films, about all
Lucasfilm productions shot using UK actors, is the chance to go spotting great
British acting talent in supporting roles. Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing had more to do than most of the RSC
regulars who turn up, say “Yes, sir”, collect the pay cheque and then go
home. Twenty years later, these same
bemused professionals get calls from journalists asking about their days work on
what has become cinema legend.
Don Henderson sums it up very well.
“Star Wars memories are almost non-existent and at best very
hazy. It was all such a long while ago
and, at the time, of no special significance or importance! Just one of five or six films one was in
during a year. How were we to know then
that the film would become what it did?”
Don moved from amateur to professional acting status on a
dare; accepting an audition with the RSC
that got him chosen on the spot, and remaining with the Stratford thesps for
six years. He came to professional
acting aged thirty eight from a background as a travelling salesman and,
appropriately, as a detective constable with the Essex police. Over fifty films, innumerable television
appearances, various BAFTA nominations and Royal Television Society awards and
an impressive stage career later, Don Henderson can truly be called a veteran
British actor.
He could even slow down a little, if he chose to. Which he doesn’t. After finished working on Terry Jones’ The
Wind in the Willows, Don strengthened his links with UK sci-fi tv by appearing
in an episode of Red Dwarf VII called 'Beyond a Joke'.
Don confesses his gratification at being remembered for
having been in Star Wars, as well as considerable surprise.
“By the time the film was released here in the UK (some many
years after we had made it) I had totally, completely and absolutely forgotten
that I was in it! My small son was keen
to see it and I took him, still not remembering that I was in it. To my utter horror, when I was surprised to
see myself on screen, my son stood up and yelled ‘THAT’S MY DADDY!’, resulting in the entire cinema audience
turning round to stare at me.”
The chance to work with George Lucas was something that
appealed to Don. He had been impressed
by what he described as ‘the great American method film’, American Graffiti.
“I hoped that I could learn something about the American
‘method’ style of acting, so I told him (George Lucas) that I did not
understand certain parts of my script, and asked him to help me. “Pretend, Don. Just pretend”, he said. That should be written above the doors of all
drama schools everywhere.”
“The quality of the film was the result of George Lucas, his
boyishness, and the relaxed relationship he had with everyone concerned. He was just like a big kid playing with an
expensive train set.”
Along with other Brits in the cast, Don was sure that his
lines would later be re-dubbed by an American actor; a bad habit other US
companies had. To show his feelings
about being dubbed, Don allowed himself the indulgence of a strong London
accent. After the initial embarrassment
at his son’s show stopping performance, his horror continued as his vocal
‘joke’ made it to the big screen intact.
“Of course, they dubbed Darth Vader, and we were all a
little puzzled why David Prowse bothered to learn his lines each night as
nobody could hear a word through that mask he wore. As his face could not be seen there was no
lip-sync to worry about, on top of which the character he was playing could not
even have that lovely soft, Bristol/West Country accent. George Lucas was almost painful to watch as
David spoke through his Vader mask - his face showed the conflict Lucas faced. He dared not tell David at that stage that he
was going to be dubbed because to do so would have destroyed David’s enthusiasm
and interest totally.”
Financially, Don hasn’t made the vast sums of money a lot of
people seem to expect all of the Star Wars cast to have made.
“I was paid a total of £300 for the three days I was booked
for, and actually only worked on one day for a period of about four hours in
the studio in Elstree. Most of that time
was taken up with make-up and costume fitting. I have been paid nothing from video cassette sales, television
screenings, nor cinema screenings. On
the other hand, I’m not complaining - £300 for a few hours work is good pay!”
“I have only once been recognised as having been in Star
Wars, and that was when I was making a film in Los Angeles. Somebody in the hotel I was staying at
offered me $2000 for my copy of the Star Wars script. As I growled at him in amazement, he took
that as a refusal, or that he had offered too little and eventually went up to
an offer of $5000! Sadly, as with all my
used scripts, I had given it to my kids to scribble and draw on.”
One other abiding memory of filming Star Wars was working
with Peter Cushing, a man who had become a dear friend. The two first appeared together in the Hammer
film, The Ghoul early in Don’s acting career.
He remembers Peter striding around, masterfully evil,
dressed in the severe uniform of an Imperial Moff, and wearing red bedroom
slippers. With pom-poms.
“Peter Cushing’s boots did not fit him. It was desperately difficult to keep a
straight face!”
“I knew him well. A remarkable
man - an old fashioned gentleman and, in all aspects, a gentle man.”
The same can very easily be said of Don Henderson.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Wars Magazine would like to extend its thanks to Don
Henderson (and his wife, Shirley Stelfox) for taking the time to write down his
remembrances.
Obituary
Don Henderson, the gruff-voiced actor who
played General Tagge in Star Wars,
died on Sunday 22nd of June (1997) at Warwick Hospital
Don became an actor later than most,
accepting a dare from a friend back in 1966 to audition for the Royal Shakespeare
Company. He was immediately successful,
and spent six years with the company.
Best known for his numerous film and
television appearances (his last film Preaching
to the Perverted is still to be released), in the UK
This twice BAFTA (the British ‘Oscars’) nominated
son of a carpenter from Leytonstone, north-east London
“I’ve got this reputation for being a bit
of an uncle figure and people do unburden themselves to me. There is an old saying that a friend in need
is a pain in the neck, but I won’t turn anyone away. A lot of people cry on my shoulder. I think it’s the gray hair that does it."
Having initially forgotten he had even been
in Star Wars, Don had recently begun
to attend fan conventions and had been in America
He once said of Peter Cushing, “A remarkable man - an old fashioned
gentleman and, in all aspects, a gentle man.”
Anyone lucky enough to have met him knows that statement applied as much
to Don.
Don Henderson leaves behind his wife
Shirley Stelfox, and a son and a daughter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're looking for other Star Wars interviews, there are a couple more on the blog:
Peter Diamond, stunt coordinator, and John Hollis, who played Lobot.
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| A terrible photo (taken on a terrible camera) taken by me at the event I first met Don at, and subsequently arranged the interview you see above. |
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