Billy Dee Williams Reveals What Really Happened With George Lucas on 'Return of the Jedi'
Billy Dee Williams has spent six decades in Hollywood, but one story from the making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi rarely comes up, and he doesn't mind telling it.
In a recent interview, Williams, 89, confirmed something that Star Wars historians have long documented but that few original cast members have addressed directly; George Lucas stepped in and effectively took over Return of the Jedi from its credited director, Richard Marquand.
'George took over,' Williams said flatly. 'I don't know specifically what happened, but I remember George taking over. I think he wasn't delivering the way George wanted him to deliver. I think they had some differences.'
That assessment tracks with what Lucas's own crew has said on record. Marquand, a Welsh filmmaker hired on the strength of his 1981 thriller Eye of the Needle, directed principal photography, but Lucas was a constant presence on set. Special effects supervisor Dennis Muren told StarWars.com that communications on set ran almost entirely through Lucas rather than Marquand. Marquand and his editor Sean Barton delivered a first cut that Lucas rejected, prompting Lucas to take over editing for all subsequent versions of the film. Producer Howard Kazanjian's team confirmed that Lucas felt the cut wasn't working well before it was even screened.
Marquand himself, in a 1984 interview, compared the experience to directing Shakespearewith the playwright in the next room, a gracious framing of a relationship that was, by most accounts, lopsided from the start.
Williams spoke warmly of both men in the same conversation. Of Irvin Kershner, who directed him in The Empire Strikes Back, he was effusive. 'He was wonderful, really good with actors. I'd been watching his work since the '50s.' Kershner, Williams noted, had built his reputation directing New York-based television dramas before becoming what Williams called an 'extraordinary man, full of life.'
Related: 'Failed' Star Wars Show Climbs Back into Disney+ Top 10
Williams also recalled a more tender moment from those years, the last time he saw Carrie Fisher. He had been at a restaurant getting caviar when she walked in, about a week before her death in December 2016. 'I was really surprised when I heard about her demise,' he said. 'She was a wonderful, very talented woman, extraordinarily brilliant mind.' Their relationship on set, he described, was built on sustained silliness, 'a nonsensical kind of relationship' that he clearly treasured.
As for what he'd say to Lucas after all these years, Williams didn't hesitate. 'Thanks, George, for allowing me to work with him, for broadening my horizons, for giving me the opportunity to be Lando Calrissian. It's a very important step in my career.'
He never auditioned for the role, he added. 'I can't stand auditioning. I'm so bad at it. I say, hire me and I'll give you what you want, plus I'll give you more.'
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 10:10 AM.