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Darth Maul
Friday, February 27, 2009 | Movies & TV
Darth Maul is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe and a villain in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He was portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz. He was the first (known) apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious and was killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
George Lucas had described Darth Maul as 'a figure from your worst nightmare'. Designer Iain McCaig thus offered Lucas a design based on a nightmare of his, which was rejected, but later inspired the Nightsister Sith witch. One day McCaig was trying to make 'Sith lord versions' of the art department crew, and drew David Dozoretz, head of the animations group, with a circuit board on his face. Lucas got intrigued by the circuit board idea, and McCaig started producing similar caricatures. After getting frustrated with a drawing of production designer Gavin Bocquet, McCaig started covering it in tape. He liked the result, described as 'a kind of Rorschach pattern', and so did Lucas. The final drawing had McCaig's own face, with a pattern based on three things: a concept of a 'flayed flesh face', face-painting of African tribes and further Rorschach experimentation (dropping ink onto paper, folding it in half and opening).
Darth Maul's head originally had feathers, based on prayer totems, but the Creature Effects crew led by Nick Dudman interpreted those feathers as horns. Other changed design was his clothing, from a tight body suit with a muscle pattern to the Sith robe based on Samurai pleats, because the lightsaber battles involved much jumping and spinning.
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Ray Park
Park's first real speaking part was as Toad in X-Men (In one scene of this film, after sending Storm down an elevator shaft, he picks up a length of pipe and swings it around in much the same way he swung his dual-bladed lightsaber as Darth Maul, a signature wushu movement.) He also portrays Snake-Eyes in the G.I.Joe movie.
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Peter Serafinowicz
Serafinowicz is also known for portraying Shaun and Ed's roommate, Pete, in the British comedy Shaun of the Dead. Serafinowicz played Duane Benzie, Simon Pegg's girlfriend-stealing nemesis in the British series, Spaced, even reusing a version of Darth Maul's line, At last we will have revenge. |
Darth Maul had only 3 lines in the Star Wars movies:
- Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly, master.
- At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge.
- Yes, my master.
Ray Park was originally hired to teach and choreograph the light saber fights, but he was asked to stay on and play the Jedi-hating, black and red horned Darth Maul.
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