Did You Know? That Star Wars Stormtrooper Bonk Wasn’t a Joke—And Lucas Kept This Blooper

I think perfection is overrated. Filmmaking happens in the moments of imperfection—a stutter here and there, a continuity error that goes unnoticed, or a blooper that makes it to the final cut.

If not, why would George Lucas, the director of the legendary Star Wars movies, not remove a glaring blooper from his movie over the years of re-releases?

In this article, we’re going behind the scenes of the famous stormtrooper blooper in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, an imperfect shot that not only made it to the final cut of its initial release but was also further spotlighted in the re-released editions.

The Stormtrooper Blooper

You might miss the stormtrooper blooper (heck, that rhymes) in the first few viewings, but once you see it, there is no going back.

I rewatched it several times myself, because honestly, it’s a beautiful moment where humor cuts through intensity like a razor-sharp blade.

The shot opens on the Death Star, with an army of stormtroopers walking into a control room. As they enter, the first stormtrooper on the frame right bangs his head right into the low-clearance doorframe. The poor guy had walked before the door could fully open and hit his head.

Behind the Scenes of the Stormtrooper Blooper

For quite some time, there was some confusion about the actor’s identity under the helmet. Many even claimed to be the clumsy stormtrooper for quick fame, until on the film’s 40th anniversary, Heat Vision tracked down the U.K.-based actor under the suit.

Laurie Goode, who was 31 at the time, said in his interview with Heat Vision how happy and shocked he was when he saw that his “N.G. shot” made it to the final cut of the initial release.

Goode shared that his being cast in Star Wars was pure luck. He had gotten a call from his agent at the last minute to cover for a fellow actor, who had called in sick.

The shot was filmed on his second day on set. It was a rough morning for Goode, who was suffering from an upset stomach. That’s probably why he wasn’t alert enough to time his entry well with the rising door.

Goode knew he had messed up, but since no one had called “cut” or asked for a retake, he assumed he was probably out of frame, and so it was an okay take.

Naturally, you can understand his surprise when he saw himself on the big screen, banging straight into the rising door of the control room, in the first-ever 1977 Star Wars movie.

The Impact of the Blooper on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

First, the clumsy stormtrooper makes the “clumsy” community feel good about themselves. So, that’s there.

But jokes aside, bloopers such as this stormtrooper one remind us that even intensity needs a bit of humor as a palate cleanser.

It didn’t take long for fans to spot the blooper right away in the movie’s initial theatrical release in 1977, and the conversation hasn’t stopped since then. (Look, I’m writing about it even 50 years later.)

Viewers have wondered ever since why Lucas never deleted that scene or cleaned up the clumsy stormtrooper from the frame, especially in the most recent re-release in 2020, now that we have advanced tools that can erase such mistakes.

My theory is that Lucas loves the blooper, too.

Let us know in the comments how many viewings it took you to notice the blooper for the first time. Would you leave it in, as Lucas did?