Princes William and Harry were cut from 'The Last Jedi'
Remember that Star Wars scene featuring the two British princes as stormtroopers? It turned out to be a royal bummer.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Stormtrooper life is tough, even if you're the queen's grandsons.
Hollywood is a harsh place where even royals can have their movie scenes left on the cutting-room floor.
"Last Jedi" star John Boyega revealed back in November that British princes William and Harry had filmed a scene for the film. The royals were hidden behind Stormtrooper uniforms, and appeared guarding Boyega's Finn in an elevator along with two other famous Stormtroopers -- actor Tom Hardy and Gary Barlow from British pop group Take That.
But now that the film's been out for two months, it's clear the princes' scene didn't make the movie.
Boyega actually confirmed the royal cameo was cut before the film even came out in December, but the way he delivered the news made some think he was kidding. (Boyega said he delivered the news to the princes, and William joked back that "I probably just need to work more on (my acting) skills.")
While the reason the princes were cut hasn't been confirmed, British tabloid The Daily Mail claimed this week that it was because they were too tall. (William is 6'3" and Harry 6'1", both more than 1.8 meters, and Boyega and Hardy shorter than that, at only 5'9".) We don't know if height's the real reason, but overly tall Stormtroopers have been known to have issues in the Star Wars galaxy.
Still, Boyega has his memories. "It was a great experience," the actor said of the scene with the princes, who are second and fifth in line for the British throne.
Maybe the royal cameo will eventually make the deleted-scene section of the "Last Jedi" Blu-ray.
