How many Star Wars actors (and directors!) have also been in Bible movies?
How many Star Wars actors (and directors!) have also been in Bible movies?
The list is long, and includes such names as Max von Sydow, James Earl Jones, Ewan McGregor, Oscar Isaac, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Christopher Lee.
If you’re a Bible-movie buff and a space-movie buff like me, you can’t help but notice how the two genres overlap sometimes.
Sometimes the overlaps are eerily coincidental: just six months after Pernilla August co-starred in The Phantom Menace as Shmi Skywalker (the woman who conceived Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, without a father), August played the title role in Mary, Mother of Jesus, another movie about a miraculous conception.
At other times, the overlaps are less obvious, but amusing once you notice them: for example, the first scene in The Force Awakens features both a former Jesus and a former Joseph, in the persons of Max von Sydow and Oscar Isaac.
Several years ago—after seeing The Force Awakens—I got curious as to how many other actors had appeared in both Bible movies and Star Wars movies, so I made a list, complete with pictures. Now that a new season of The Mandalorian is about to come out, I figured I would update the list and make it a little more thorough.
But not too thorough. Here are the rules I imposed on myself:
I checked the credits of the live-action movies and TV shows only.
For the films, I went through the IMDb credits of all the credited actors, except for those who played anonymous “Stormtroopers” or whatever. I also generally avoided actors who only provided their voices to Star Wars characters, except in high-profile cases like Brian Blessed, James Earl Jones, or Nick Nolte.
For the TV shows, I followed the same rules that I followed for the movie actors, but I limited my search to actors who appeared in at least three episodes.
The names below are what I found, listed in first-appearance order from Episode I to Episode IX, followed by the two spin-off movies and the live-action TV shows.
The movies
Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) played Jesus and Satan in Last Days in the Desert (2015).
Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker) played Mary in Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999).
Silas Carson (Ki-Adi-Mundi, Nute Gunray, and others) played Hananiah in The Bible Collection: Jeremiah (1998) and Jered in The Ten Commandments (2006).
Hassani Shapi (Eeth Koth) played Shetar in The Bible Collection: Esther (1999).
Hugh Quarshie (Captain Panaka) played Nikaule’s Father in Solomon & Sheba (1995).
Brian Blessed (the voice of Boss Nass) played Peter in Son of Man (1969) and Abner in The Story of David (1976).
Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) played Rameses II in The Bible Collection: Moses (1995) and Rameses I in In the Beginning (2000).
Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars) played Rameses II in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014).
Jimmy Smits (Bail Organa) played Solomon in Solomon & Sheba (1995).
Marton Csokas (the voice of Poggle the Lesser) played Lamech in Noah (2014).
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Keisha Castle-Hughes (Queen Apailana) played Mary in The Nativity Story (2006).
James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) played Balthazar in Jesus of Nazareth (1977); he also lent his voice to the animated short films The Creation (1981), Moses (1986), and Noah’s Ark (1989), none of which I have seen, to my recollection.
Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) voiced Kobash in The Crippled Lamb (1999) and Judah in Joseph, King of Dreams (2000).
Denis Lawson (Wedge Antilles) played Annas in The Passion (2008).
William Hootkins (Red Six aka Porkins) voiced Lucifer in The Miracle Maker (2000).
Jack Klaff (Red Four) played Jonathan in King David (1985).
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Kenneth Colley (Admiral Piett) played Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), Theodotus in Peter and Paul (1981), and Nathan in Solomon & Sheba (1995).
Julian Glover (General Veers) played Esau in The Story of Jacob and Joseph (1974).
Christopher Malcolm (Rogue Two aka Zev) played Doeg in King David (1985).
John Hollis (Lobot) played Harbona in The Bible Collection: Esther (1999).
Milton Johns (Imperial Forces: Other Officers) played the Vintner aka Cupbearer in The Bible Collection: Joseph (1995).
Clive Revill (the original voice of the Emperor Palpatine) played Raul in Samson and Delilah (1984).
Irvin Kershner (the director) played Zebedee in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Paul Brooke (the Rancor Keeper) played Reuben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1972).
Kiran Shah (EG-6, aka the droid being tortured, and an Ewok; he has since played quite a few other Star Wars characters, too) played Jude in The Passion (2008).
Sebastian Shaw (Anakin Skywalker) played Samuel in The Boy David (1957), which I have not seen and could not find any images for.
Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Max von Sydow (Lor San Tekka) played Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Sidka in Samson and Delilah (1984), Peter in Quo Vadis? (1985), David in The Bible Collection: Solomon (1997), and Tiberius in The Inquiry aka The Final Inquiry (2006).
Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) played Joseph in The Nativity Story (2006).
Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Korr Sella) played Michal in Of Kings & Prophets (2016).
Jeffery Kissoon (Rear Admiral Guich) played Herod’s Architect in The Nativity Story (2006).
Emun Elliott (Brance) played Abiram in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014).
Hannah John-Kamen (First Order Officer) played Nahlab in The Ark (2015).
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Mark Lewis Jones (Captain Canady) played Marcus in The Passion (2008).
Darren Morfitt (Transport Deck Officer) played Jesus in Manchester Passion (2006) and Peter in The Passion (2008).
Gerard Monaco (First Order Commander) played Capito in The Passion (2008); he also reportedly had an uncredited role as a Scientist in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), an image of which I have not yet been able to track down.
Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Richard E. Grant (General Pryde) voiced John the Baptist in The Miracle Maker (2000).
Vinette Robinson (Pilot Tyce) played Mina in The Passion (2008) and Bilhah in The Red Tent (2014).
Diana Kent (General Engell), out-of-focus and barely visible in the background at the far right of the frame, played Helena in Finding Jesus: Fact. Faith. Forgery. (2015).
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Ben Mendelsohn (Orson Krennic) played Hegep in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014).
Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Senator Pamlo) played Samson’s Mother in The Bible (2013).
Ben Daniels (General Merrick) played Jonathan in The Bible Collection: David (1997), Caiaphas in The Passion (2008), and Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018).
Francis Magee (Grizzly Rebel, second from the left in the photo below) played Saul in The Bible (2013), Levi in A.D. The Bible Continues (2015), and Lahmi in Of Kings & Prophets (2016).
Babou Cesay (Lieutenant Sefla) played John in A.D. The Bible Continues (2015).
Michael Nardone (Shield Gate Officer) played the Hortator in Ben-Hur (2010) and Cornelius in The Bible (2013); he also did some unspecified voice work on The Miracle Maker (2000).
Michael Shaeffer (General Corssin) played Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar (2000).
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
This film did not, apparently, introduce any new actors with Bible-movie credits.
The live-action TV shows
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
This film did not, apparently, introduce any new actors with Bible-movie credits.
The Ewok Adventure aka Caravan of Courage (1984)
Burl Ives (Narrator) played David in Absalom, My Son (1959) and a Prophet in A City of the King (1971), neither of which I have seen or could find any images for.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
This film did not, apparently, introduce any new actors with Bible-movie credits.
The Mandalorian (2019-present)
Nick Nolte (the voice of Kuiil) voiced Samyaza in Noah (2014).
Richard Ayoade (the voice of Zero) played Joseph in AD/BC: A Rock Opera (2004).
Nonso Anozie (the voice of Gorian Shard) played Samson in The Bible (2013).
Jack Black (Captain Bombardier) played Jesus in Prop 8: The Musical (2008) and Zed in Year One (2009); he also played Joseph Stalin in History of the World Part II (2023), a miniseries with segments about Noah and Jesus.
Matthew Bellows (Amnesty Officer M34) played Asad in Daniel and the Lions (2006).
Xander Berkeley (Gilad Pellaeon) played the King of Sodom in Year One (2009).
Marco Khan (Warlord) played Guard #2 in The Book of Esther (2013) and Husham in The Chosen (2021).
The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022)
David Pasquesi (Mok Shaiz’s Majordomo) played the Prime Minister of Sodom in Year One (2009); he also played Eli Cohen in Joshua (2002), a film set in the present day in which a stranger who comes to a small town may or may not be Jesus.
Matt Berry (the voice of 8D8) played the Innkeeper in AD/BC: A Rock Opera (2004).
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Simone Kessell (Breha Organa) played Ahinoam in Of Kings & Prophets (2016).
Indira Varma (Tala Durith) played the High Priestess in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014).
Andor (2022-present)
Anton Lesser (Major Partagaz) played Eliav in The Bible Collection: Moses (1995), and he voiced Joseph in Testament: The Bible in Animation (1996) and Herod in The Miracle Maker (2000).
Alastair Mackenzie (Perrin Fertha) played James the Just in A.D. The Bible Continues (2015).
Sule Rimi (Lieutenant Gorn) played Jabari, a sort of modernized version of the Good Samaritan, in Testament: The Parables Retold (2022).
Abhin Galeya (Salman Paak) played Egyptian Soldier #1 in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), John the Baptist in Killing Jesus (2015), and Judas in Jesus: His Life (2019).
Fraser Ayres (East-1) played Barabbas in The Bible (2013) and Simon the Zealot in A.D. The Bible Continues (2015).
Nicholas Moss (Lieutenant Keysax) played Ananias in The Bible (2013).
Christopher Fairbank (Ulaf) played the Idol Worshipper in In the Beginning (2000).
Zubin Varla (Xanwan) played Shepherd #2 in The Bible Collection: Jacob (1994).
Andy Gathergood (Table #1) played Quintus in Risen (2016).
Steve Morphew (Table #7) played Thaddaeus in The Passion (2008).
Ahsoka (2023)
Clancy Brown (Governor Ryder Azadi) played Gracchus in Hail, Caesar! (2016).
The Acolyte (2024)
Indra Ové (Master Holden; she also played a First Order Officer in The Rise of Skywalker) played Sapphira in A.D. The Bible Continues (2015); she also played Maud in Good Omens (2019), a series about angels and demons that is mostly set in the present day but does have a few flashbacks to the biblical era.
Margarita Levieva (Mother Koril) played Claudia in Kings (2009), a series that sets the story of Saul and David in an alternate version of the present day.
David Harewood (Senator Rayencourt) narrated the New International Version of The Lumo Project: The Gospel of John (2014).
Honourable mentions
Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in five Star Wars films, may not have appeared in a Bible movie per se, but he does star in the Indiana Jones films (1981-2023), two of which revolve around biblical relics (the Ark of the Covenant in particular is almost a character unto itself, behaving in the film much like it does in the Bible).
David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, also played a man named Julian in A Clockwork Orange (1971), which isn’t a Bible movie per se but does have a sequence in which the main character fantasizes about living in Old Testament times and being one of the Romans who tortured Jesus. Prowse himself is not in any of the biblical scenes, though.
Ian McDiarmid, who played the Emperor Palpatine in five films (six if you count the DVD and subsequent versions of The Empire Strikes Back), played King Pellenor in Season 1 of Britannia (2017), a series about the Roman occupation of Britain that introduced a plot thread tied to the crucifixion of Jesus in Season 2.
Liam Neeson, who played Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played Jesus (and Evangelist) in the allegorical film The Pilgrim’s Progress (1978).
Paul Bettany, who played Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story, played Silas in The Da Vinci Code (2006), a film that had a couple of flashbacks to Mary Magdalene.
Domhnall Gleeson, who played General Armitage Hux in the sequel trilogy, played a sort of allegorical version of Cain in mother! (2017).
Brian Gleeson, who played Commandant Brendol Hux in The Mandalorian, played a sort of allegorical version of Abel in mother! (2017).
Justin Theroux, who played the Master Codebreaker in The Last Jedi, played Jesus H. Christ in The Ten (2007), a comedy that is set in the present day.
Forest Whitaker, who plays Saw Gerrara in Rogue One and Andor, played Reverend Cobbs in Black Nativity (2013); he also played Ted Younger in Mary (2005), a film about an actress who plays Mary Magdalene, but I have not seen that film yet.
Alden Ehrenreich, who played Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, played cowboy-movie star Hobie Doyle in Hail, Caesar! (2016), a movie about the making of a Bible movie.
Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman, who played a variety of roles in The Star Wars Holiday Special, also appeared in History of the World Part I (1981), though they did not appear in the segments that riffed on the biblical stories of Moses and Jesus.
Taika Waititi, who voiced IG-11 in The Mandalorian, played Sigmund Freud History of the World Part II (2023), though he did not appear in the segments that riffed on the biblical stories of Noah and Jesus.
Kumail Nanjiani, who played Haja Estree in Obi-Wan Kenobi, voiced a version of Jesus who hangs out in a modern-day restaurant in Bless the Harts (2019-2021); he also appeared in a non-biblical segment in History of the World Part II (2023).
David Tennant, who voiced Huyang in Ahsoka, played the demon Crowley in Good Omens (2019-2023), a series about angels and demons that is mostly set in the present day but does have a few flashbacks to the biblical era.
Dafne Keen, who plays Jecki Lon in The Acolyte, played Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials (2019-2022), a series about a war between angels that climaxes with the death of God and the defeat of Metatron, an angel who used to be the biblical figure Enoch.
Miscellaneous
Stephen Stanton was the voice of Admiral Raddus in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; he also did some uncredited voice work in Noah (2014).
Rya Kihlstedt played the Fourth Sister in Obi-Wan Kenobi; she also played Arleen in The Second Greatest Story Ever Told (1994), which is reportedly about a modern guy named Jake of Brooklyn who is Jesus’ “younger, dumber brother.”
Shelby Young was the voice of C1-D1 on Ahsoka; she also did some uncredited voice work as a character named Naomi in The Nativity Story (2006).
So, did I miss any actors? If so, please let me know!
— This is an updated version of a post I first wrote on December 26, 2015. It has been updated again multiple times between March 1, 2023 and July 17, 2024, to add Nonso Anozie, Jack Black, Matthew Bellows, Xander Berkeley, Brian Gleeson, Marco Khan, Milton Johns, Paul Brooke, Clancy Brown, David Tennant, Shelby Young, Liam Neeson, Dafne Keen, Margarita Levieva, Indra Ové, and David Harewood.