I am saddened today to hear about the death of Richard LeParmentier, Admiral Motti from “Star Wars: A New Hope”. I had the opportunity to spend time around him and with him at Detroit Fanfare Comic Con 2012, and looked forward to seeing him again at some point in the future. I am distraught by the fact that the hoped-for future encounter will never come to pass.
I have interviewed countless celebrities in the past for various publications and have learned that there are certain aspects which are lacking in too many celebrities. Humility, gratitude, and general grace are human aspects which many celebrities often forget about when they find they are recognized out on the street. I did not find this with Richard LeParmentier.
Richard LeParmentier will be missed by the Star Wars community, and by this fan.
At Detroit Fanfare Comic Con, I saw a man who was happy for the recognition he was receiving for the work he did years ago. He saw fans welcoming him with open arms and reciprocated by being as inviting as humanly possible to every convention guest he saw. He was gracious and thanked every person who came to his table. Fans were thanking Richard LeParmentier for his autograph, and he was thanking them for their interest in him and for making him feel special. This is a quality is sadly lacking in many celebrities.
I was able to talk with LeParmentier away from the crowds on a few occasions and found his demeanor did not change when out of the watchful eye of the public. He kept his grace and manner throughout each moment he was at the convention. I have found that a true judge of character in a celebrity is to see how they act when the show lights have gone out. Richard LeParmentier was the same man “with makeup on and without.”
As a fan of the original Star Wars Trilogy, I was very happy to have had the opportunity to meet someone associated with the project which touched so many aspects of my childhood. Richard LeParementier and David Prowse (who was also at Detroit Fanfare 2012) made me realize my life-long fandom of their work was not in vain. LeParmentier will be missed by the community, and by this fan who will remember him as a man who was not overtaken by the importance of the project he worked on.
