George Lucas Told Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor to Stop Making Lightsaber Noises While Filming ‘Star Wars’: ‘Boys, We Can Add It in Later’

Liam Neeson appeared on a recent episode of the Conan OBrien Needs A Friend podcast (recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike) and again shaded the Star Wars franchise for diluting itself with so many sequels and spinoffs. The actor, who played the Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in George Lucas Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999), was asked about how often Star Wars fans come up to him to ask for an autograph.

Not all the time, Neeson answered. I mean it is a cult. Theres so many movies and spin-offs now I think its diluting the whole thing. Thats my personal thing. Occasionally theres kids after a Star Wars autograph and I dont want to give autographs at the airport. Oh but its not the kid, its the grandfather, there he is or the dad. They become 11 year olds.

Neeson said during a February episode of Watch What Happens Live! that so many Star Wars spinoffs and sequels had taken away the mystery and the magic of the franchise in a weird way. Neeson had a brief cameo in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he only had about two lines of dialogue.

Elsewhere during his Conan OBrien Needs A Friend interview, Neeson remembered actually making lightsaber noises while filming his first lightsaber action scene with co-star Ewan McGregor.

The first time we actually had to use the lightsaber to start a little fight We both automatically [made the noises], Neeson said. George said, Lets cut there. Boys, we can add that in later.'

Neeson also remembered his makeup artist telling him her work wouldnt matter much considering all of the CGI and visual effects on display in The Phantom Menace, many of which were unprecedented at the time.

I was supposed to being doing this scene with [Watto], a little flying monster, Neeson remembered. I didnt know what this thing was going to look like. It was a green tennis ball that was eventually going to be this flying monster. Im in the makeup chair, and the lady says, I did see a mock-up of the monster, and you could be a monkey smoking a pipe and no one is going to be looking at you.'

Watch Neeson reflect more on his Star Wars experience in the video below.