'JEDI' AT 40: THE 'MAJOR DOMO' MEETS THE DROIDS!

The scary visage of Bib Fortuna arrives to, at first, make a friendly interrogation of the newly arrived droids.

At first playful with Artoo, then aggressive with the little droid's clear stubbornness to talk, Bib Fortuna leads the droid pair through the dark passages of the palace towards Jabba's Throne Room.

Fresh from gory make-up work on such British horror films as American Werewolf in London and the eventually released Michael Mann cult classic The Keep, young actor Michael Carter was cast to play Jabba's unique 'Major Domo', his head encased within a challenging prosthetic that would be brought to life by the very young and talented make-up technician Nick Dudman at Elstree Studios.

For the next five weeks of mid-January onwards filming (also quoted in some sources as being eight weeks), Michael Carter would be in the make-up room daily to become Bib Fortuna. The actor’s routine would be to go into the studio early, have a cup of coffee, have his eyes examined by the studio’s resident optician (who, funnily enough, was called Richard Glass!) prior to his wearing red

contact lenses over his eyeballs. Then, a lengthy sit in a dentist's chair whilst Nick Dudman starts to apply the make-up. The period it takes to put on the appliances would be timed every day. By the last day of the shoot, Dudman had streamlined the make up appliances process down to 58 minutes. Removing the make-up takes a further 25 minutes. 

With the make-up and costume, Carter recalled the transformation into an alien to Star Wars Insider: “Once I got it all on and looked in the mirror it had an immediate effect. Those red, glowing eyes. It had a feminine look, I think. I would wait until the make-up was on and then kind of meditate for a moment. The make-up dictates your performance.” To help himself develop a precise style for Fortuna, Michael actually found it useful to try to actually think like the character. “I don’t think Bib Fortuna was particularly evil. I felt he was someone who knew that he could never be number one, but was very attracted to the idea of power. He obeyed Jabba the Hutt and felt a kindred spirit with the great slug.”

 

Fortuna is soon angry with Artoo's stubbornness to deliver his message to Jabba personally.

Recalling his first days of filming, Carter would tell EMPIRE film magazine: “The first line (in the Huttese language created for the film) I had was, “Die wanna wanga.” But I had my contact lenses in, so they nailed a piece of wood to the floor-when my foot hit it, I knew I was in the right position. But I hit it too hard and so as I fell I shouted, “Te wanna wangaaaa!”

Various behind the scenes images.
 

A very Ray Harryhausen-esque early full length maquette idea for Fortuna, and the familiar figure we'd soon see onscreen.

The approved maquette for Fortuna.

Late 1981 at London's Elstree Studio, and Nick Dudman creates a head sculpt based on the approved ILM maquette of Bib Fortuna.

Michael Carter in 1981.

Putting the heavy head and protuberances on Michael Carter first.

As seen in The Making of The Return of the Jedi book from 1984. Image: via Star Wars Archives website.

A long time in the make-up chair.

Putting on the facial layerings.

Nearing the final look.

January 1982 on set posed make-up/costume reference images.

Continuity Polaroid by Pamela Mann.