Sonic the Hedgehog Star Ben Schwartz Wrote Some of C-3PO’s Jokes for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

There was plenty of humor baked into the recently released finale to the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but what you may not know is that one of TV’s most popular comedians actually lent a hand with the jokes in the film. Ben Schwartz, best known for playing Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Parks and Recreation and voicing the lead character in the upcoming Sonic and the Hedgehog movie, helped write jokes for one of the most beloved characters in all of Star Wars in the franchise’s latest installment.

Schwartz appeared on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote Sonic the Hedgehog, which hits theaters on February 14th. During his time on the show, the topic of Star Wars came up and Schwartz explained his unique connection to C-3PO and The Rise of Skywalker.

“I got a special thanks in Episode IX. I wrote a couple of jokes for C-3PO,” Schwartz told Kimmel. “It happened because the movie was done and [director] JJ [Abrams] asked if I could come by and maybe see if I could punch up some stuff. He’s been an incredible influence.”

Schwartz explained to the host and audience that he and Abrams had formed a relationship while working on a TV pilot together at one point. While Abrams was working on The Rise of Skywalker, he brought Schwartz in to add some jokes to C-3PO’s character, and a few of them actually made it into the final cut of the film.

“I got like four or five [in the movie],” he added. “One of them is when they come down through the sand pits and they look around and say ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ And nobody says C-3PO and C-3PO comes to through the back and says, ‘Nobody said my name but I’m okay!’”

Kimmel showed the audience a copy of the book I Am C-3PO, written by Anthony Daniels, who has portrayed the character for decades. Abrams wrote the book’s forward, and in the background of the included photo of Abrams and the popular droid you can see Schwartz hanging out with the duo on the set of Star Wars.

You can watch the full video or Kimmel’s chat with Schwartz above.