STAR WARS Actress Says George Lucas Scolded Her for Wearing Lipstick in THE PHANTOM MENACE

It’s been 26 years since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace first hit theaters, and actress Celia Imrie is looking back on her small but memorable role as Bravo Five, the only female starfighter pilot in the movie.

While the character didn’t get much screen time, Imrie made her mark, and apparently her lipstick caught the attention of director George Lucas.

Speaking with BAFTA, Imrie revealed the story behind her bold choice while filming her cockpit scenes.

"My yellow aeroplane was on a stand. So I was sort of, you know, like those fairground ones. I was being rocked around all over the place and did a lot of diving in my goggles and everything, and looked very fierce and got told off by George Lucas for wearing lipstick. But since I was the only lady pilot, I thought why not?"

Imrie played Dineé Ellberger, call sign Bravo Five, during the Battle of Naboo, and her starfighter ultimately didn’t survive past The Phantom Menace. As she explained, she landed the part in a rather unexpected way.

"The casting director was sitting in the audience in the matinee, took one look at me in my nightie and thought 'She'd make a marvellous Star Wars pilot.'"

Despite piloting one of the sleek Naboo starfighters in one of the most exciting sequences of the prequel, Imrie admitted she had little idea what was actually happening in the story.

"As a Star Wars fighter pilot, I never knew who I shot, whether I won, or if I ever came back to Earth in a plane or not. I hadn't got a clue what the plot was.

“I met my Bravo leader in New York recently and we reminisced about how we hadn't got a clue what the plot was all about. But who cares? I was in Star Wars!"

While Bravo Five’s fate was left in the chaos of the battle, Imrie says her involvement in the galaxy far, far away continues to surprise fans today.

"This is one of the most popular parts that I can ever talk about, especially in America, and especially with young gentlemen who can't believe that I was Bravo Five in Star Wars."

Imrie may not have known exactly who she was blasting out of the sky, but her lipstick-wearing starfighter pilot carved out her own little piece of Star Wars history.