Actor Who Played 20 Different Ewoks inReturn of the JediReveals Surprising Truth About the Costumes

Mar. 15, 2025

Kevin Thompson in 2019 (left); an Ewok in ‘Return of the Jedi’ (right) in 1983.Photo:Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic; Courtesy Everett Collection

Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic; Courtesy Everett Collection

Kevin Thompson played not just one of the most memorable characters in 1983’sStar Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In fact, he played 20.

On the Feb. 10 episode ofPod Meets World, Kevin and his wife Tracey McCoy Thompson — who both worked as stand-ins for the child actors onBoy Meets World— opened up about his experiences playing Ewoks inReturn of the Jedi.

“The suits were very tough,” Kevin said. “We were little bears, space bears.” The first layer of the costume was a two-inch-thick padded suit, which came in three pieces. “Then you put a fur coat over that, then latex feet, latex hands, and lastly, a latex mask with plastic eyes that would fog up as soon as you put it on.”

Three Ewoks in ‘Return of the Jedi’ in 1983.Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Kevin said that earlier in his life, he had been a gymnast, a wrestler and a mime. When he auditioned for the 1983 film, he said, “I ran around and I did many different gymnastic moves, and I actually ran full speed into a wall, fell backwards, went into a handstand and fell.” The stunt coordinator was impressed and immediately snagged him to play the agile Ewoks.

Tracey McCoy Thompson (left) and Kevin Thompson with their book ‘My Journey to Endor’ in 2025.Albert L Ortega/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Albert L Ortega/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

But when he auditioned, he had no clue it was for aStar Warssequel. “I didn’t know until I got to London,” he said. “And I went, ‘Wait a minute, that’sMark Hamill. That’sCarrie Fisher, that’s R2-D2. That’sKenny Baker.’ ”

In 2022, Kevin and Tracey published a book,My Journey to Endor. Tracey wrote down Kevin’s stories about working on the movie. “I tried to write it, but all I had was notes,” Kevin said. She told the podcast hosts, “Every time we went into a grocery store or wherever, he would always see a kid with aStar Warsshirt and say, ‘Hey, I’m in that. Do you wanna hear the stories?’”

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Kevin also appeared in another movie starring Harrison Ford, 1982’sBlade Runner. He also told the hosts that he ended up appearing as three different characters in the movie after he accidentally befriended director Ridley Scott.

Kevin Thompson (front) with ‘Star Wars’ fans at WonderCon in 2019.Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic

Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic

Kevin and Tracey got involved withBoy Meets Worldthanks to their working relationship with director John Tracy, who worked onGrowing Pains. He directed the original pilot ofBoy Meets Worldand brought them on to the project.

Tracey said that they acted as a “go-between” between the child actors and the directors, because the directors “didn’t have a lot of time” once the kids came on set. “And I just remember always, John would say  just over the intercom in front of everybody, ‘Tracey, did you give ‘em their notes?’ ”

Tracey and Kevin also told hostDanielle Fishelthat they remembered the day she came in to replace the original actress who was cast as Topanga.

source: people.com