| Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand (April 17, 1938 - September 4, 1987) was a Welsh film director.
Born in Cardiff, Wales, he was the son of Hon. Ret. Hilary Adair Marquand (Labour) and Ray Rees and was the brother of Labourist David Marquand. He was also the grandson of Hilary Marquand (Victorian Master Mariner) and editor Eric B. Marquand.
He was educated at the Universit� d'Aix-Marseille in Marseille, France and at King's College, Cambridge. In 1970 he began a career writing and directing for television and motion pictures. Some of his noted films include Eye of the Needle (1981) and Jagged Edge (1985).
His work on Eye of the Needle impressed George Lucas so much that he chose him to direct Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
He said of Chewbacca: "He's very laid back, and he never completely knows what's going on around him. He isn't a heroic character, but he gets himself in these situations where he's got to come through."
He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles at the age of only 49.
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