STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE's Secret George Lucas Cameo Has FINALLY Been Revealed

STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE's Secret George Lucas Cameo Has FINALLY Been Revealed

There’s been speculation for years about George Lucas shooting a secret cameo in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but that’s finally been revealed by one of the artists who worked on the 1999 blockbuster.

By JoshWilding - Mar 07, 2025 10:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: SFFGazette.com

Almost all of you reading this are likely aware that Star Wars mastermind George Lucas had a cameo role in 2005's Revenge of the Sith. The filmmaker played the blue-skinned Baron Papanoida but it turns out he debuted in the Galaxy Far, Far Away he created years earlier. 

As we first reported on SFFGazette.comClayton Sandell recently sat down for a conversation with former ILM matte painter Caroleen "Jett" Green and discovered that Lucas has a literal blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Theed's Royal Palace on Naboo during The Phantom Menace's final act. However, unlike the Baron, he wasn't there in person for it. 

Instead, Green painted his face into one of her backgrounds. When Queen Padmé and her guards run through a long hallway in the palace before being surrounded by the Trade Federation's Battle Droids, Lucas' face can be seen far in the background in an arch above a window. 

This is difficult to spot even in the movie's 4K transfers but it's George, alright. 

"I decided to get a picture of George, and I put it on this plaque," Green explained. "I thought, 'Well, that’ll be cool. By the time you shrink that down, his face is just a blur.'" This wasn't something she snuck into the movie, though, as Lucas had to approve it. 

"George is really quiet. He looks at it, and he goes, 'Oh, naughty, naughty,'" she recalled. "I said, 'Yeah, but it’s you! It’s your face.' And then there’s silence again. And I’m just sitting there with everybody. And for some reason, I can’t describe the feeling, but–I knew that I wasn’t going to get in trouble. And then George says, 'Okay. Leave it in.'"

While Lucas isn't really one for full-blown cameos, a scream he recorded for 1973's American Grafitti has since been used in the background of movies like Rogue One, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, replacing the Wilhelm scream.

The filmmaker has taken a step back from Star Wars since selling Lucasfilm to Disney. After the past few years, and the newfound love for the prequels from fans who grew up with that trilogy, many would love to see him step behind the camera for one more story. 

That's sadly unlikely but this Easter Egg is as good a reason as any to go back and revisit Episode I.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is set approximately 32 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and follows the story of young Anakin Skywalker, a slave on the desert planet of Tatooine who is discovered to be strong in the Force.

Anakin's journey intertwines with the political machinations of the Galactic Republic and the emergence of the Sith, dark wielders of the Force who seek to manipulate events from the shadows.

Check out this newly discovered Easter Egg in the X post below.

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IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 3/7/2025, 10:13 AM
I see a smiling cartoon monkey. That's not to be taken in any other way than that is what I see in that tiny grain image, not George Lucas.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 10:16 AM
He was in ROTS too

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MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 3/7/2025, 10:31 AM
@DarthOmega -

And in Hook and Beverly Hills Cop 3.

http://youtube.com/shorts/TDxFu6oPnYI?si=AfS3P3g0Crpv_5wf

DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 10:32 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - lol What? Never knew that. What an odd cameo. Carrie's cameo in Dogma as the nun is my favorite.
NodrickStripson
NodrickStripson - 3/7/2025, 12:51 PM
@DarthOmega - That was Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 12:52 PM
@NodrickStripson - I realized that as soon as I wrote it. lol. The unwritten book of the road. R.I.P George Carlin
DarthOmega
DarthOmega - 3/7/2025, 10:18 AM
My favorite Lucas cameo

?si=i3l__6Z2RRwNu8MI
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 11:39 AM
@DarthOmega - bro this kills me every single time.
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 3/7/2025, 12:21 PM
@DarthOmega - lmfao.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 3/7/2025, 4:57 PM
@DarthOmega - glad you posted this, I was gonna look for it too LOL
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 3/7/2025, 10:21 AM
Boycott Disney+.

Boycott Disney.

Boycott Disney Star Wars.

Make Star Wars great again.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 3/7/2025, 10:26 AM
I'm just surprised that these were actual sets and not greenscreens. Especially the top part.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 3/7/2025, 10:35 AM
@Usernametaken -

"The Theed Hangar in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was filmed at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Italy.
Explanation
The Royal Palace of Caserta is an 18th-century Baroque palace in southern Italy. It's one of the world's largest royal residences.
The palace was used for the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
The palace's lavish interiors were used for Queen Amidala's royal palace on Naboo.
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 3/7/2025, 10:41 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - Nice info. Thanks
NodrickStripson
NodrickStripson - 3/7/2025, 12:56 PM
@Usernametaken - The interiors were filmed in Italy but the hanger (where Maul has his reveal) was filmed on a soundstage at Leavesden. Those sets were only built to a certain height as they would be extended via CGI.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 3/7/2025, 10:27 AM
Nice!!.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.“

Yeah until he makes a decision those “fans” don’t like and they’ll be back to bitching about him again.

Anyway I grew up with the prequels and as a kid, Phantom Menace was my favorite because Anakin was a kid of a similar age so I could place myself in his shoes aswell as having that fun pod racing sequence & great lightsaber fight at the end.

Now having grown up , I don’t think TPM is a “good” movie but I still do have a certain nostalgia for it that prevents me from completely disliking it unlike perhaps Episode 2 lol.

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MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 3/7/2025, 10:33 AM
?si=KfCvrseNbD0SzLLR
Wahhvacado
Wahhvacado - 3/7/2025, 11:01 AM
Took me a sec to see it, at first I was like User Comment Image
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 3/7/2025, 11:03 AM
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 3/7/2025, 11:12 AM
I can’t believe I didn’t see that one!

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PC04
PC04 - 3/7/2025, 11:22 AM
I can finally sleep....after 26 years....it is done.
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 3/7/2025, 11:24 AM
The shroud of Christ is clearer than whatever that is.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/7/2025, 11:40 AM
@TheFinestSmack - LMAO 🤣
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/7/2025, 11:45 AM
And all these years I thought he was Darth Maul.

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