Maria De Aragon, Original Star Wars Greedo Actress, Dies at 81

An important force in creating one of the most iconic scenes in all of Star Wars has sadly passed away. Actress Maria De Aragon was behind the mask of Greedo in George Lucas’ original Star Wars film in 1977. She and Harrison Ford combined to great the infamous “Han Shoots Greedo” sequence that has become the subject of much change and debate over the years.

According to management company Coolwaters Productions, De Aragon died earlier this year at the age of 81, passing away in April of natural causes.

The company shared a statement on Instagram that confirmed the news of De Aragon’s passing, and told the story of how she came to join the film as the actor beneath Greedo’s mask.

“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,” the company said in a statement. “Maria is also known for other films such as Teenager, Wonder Women, and The Cremators. 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. 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).

“She leaves behind her family in Canada. She passed away at a nursing home at the age of 81 in late April 2024 of natural causes. Our hearts are saddened, and we wish her family the very best and we thank all her Star Wars fans for years of support.”

The original Star Wars is the only film in the franchise that featured De Aragon’s work. She also appeared in films like The Cremators, Wonder Women, and Street Wars.