The Poster Memorabilia blog

Returning to the Jedi Again and Again

Six legends in Orlando, two more on the road — one Return of the Jedi poster, complete.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is a movie I'll always come back to. No matter how old I am, when I need a little pick-me-up, I put on this movie and instantly feel better. I've become such a huge fan that I've dedicated the last couple of years to getting my movie poster signed by the cast.

I am pretty lucky since Star Wars is such a popular franchise that many of its original cast members are still in demand. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams—these actors are bona fide icons. People still cheer and holler when they show up at conventions and fan meets, which is why they've appeared in many of them.

This made it easier for us fans to hunt them down and get their autographs. I remember the first time I met Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, Warwick Davis, Ian McDiarmid, and even George Lucas. It was at the 40th anniversary event for A New Hope in Orlando, Florida, in 2017. Hamill, Williams, Davis, and McDiarmid were initially the only ones announced to appear, but Ford and Lucas shocked the crowd by showing up anyway. It was the best surprise ever!

“To this day, I'm still shocked at how easy it was to get them to sign my poster.”

Despite being absolute legends, those six were some of the most down-to-earth celebrities I ever met. They showed no hint of that Hollywood ego I'd heard about from fans of other stars. All six of them were nice and accommodated fans by taking selfies and signing autographs. To this day, I'm still shocked at how easy it was to get them to sign my poster.

Sadly, Carrie Fisher had already passed on by that time. Not getting her autograph still stings because I was supposed to go to the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where she appeared. I would've met her there alongside Hamill and Ford, and it would've been wild to get her autograph on this poster, too.

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Still, I wasn't done with just the six. There were other people who I also wanted to sign the poster: Frank Oz and John Williams. For those who don't know, Oz played Yoda in the original trilogy. He operated the actual Yoda puppet and voiced him in the movies. So every time people copy how Yoda speaks, they're actually copying Frank Oz.

And of course, I'm sure many people already know who John Williams is. He's the legendary composer who created the franchise's iconic theme, one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the modern world. I can't leave him out of the poster.

It may have taken me years, but I eventually got their autographs, too. I got Oz's when he appeared at the 2019 South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and I got Williams' when he performed a special Star Wars concert in Anaheim, California, in 2022. Harrison Ford even made a surprise appearance at the latter.

As much as I enjoy all the other movies the Star Wars franchise has produced through the years, Return of the Jedi will always be my favorite movie. I love it enough to have traveled all over the country for years, getting the cast and crew to sign my poster. I don’t do that for any other film.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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